Registration is open for the second annual Food, Ag, Ideas Week in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn., October 10-15, 2019. This event uniquely convenes entrepreneurs, for-profit and non-profit leaders, growers, investors, and others to create a more interconnected, dynamic, and competitive ecosystem for food and agriculture entrepreneurship and innovation.
Food, Ag, Ideas Week features six days of panels, speakers, tours and demo showcases hosted in inspiring spaces with a build-your-own schedule format. This year, sessions are designed to offer perspectives from a cross section of the ecosystem from startups to Fortune 500 companies. The event breaks from the traditional conference model, offering individually ticketed events and sessions with dedicated networking time at low to no cost, to connect attendees from the ground up to the C-suite.
A sampling of new events this year include:
- From Field to Glass: Innovation in Brewing and Distilling, October 10 – A networking event dedicated to discussing opportunities to further use local ingredients in craft brewing and distilling. Led by AURI, BevSource, Renewing the Countryside and AgriGrowth.
- Entrepreneur Education Day, October 11 – A full day for entrepreneurs to focus on scaling their businesses and maximizing their impact. Led by Grow North and partners.
- Farm Tour to the Main Street Project, October 11 – A half-day tour of the 100-acre regenerative agriculture demonstration farm in Northfield, Minn.
- Indigenous Peoples’ Day Reception, October 14 – A networking reception featuring Chef Sean Sherman, founder of The Sioux Chef. Led by the Canadian consulate general of Minneapolis.
2019 speaker sessions will address a variety of topics across sustainable agriculture, food innovation and tech, and food and society, such as:
- Big Data and On-Farm Realities.
- Keeping Good Food from Going to Waste.
- How E-Commerce is Shaping the Future of Retail.
- Innovation in Regenerative Agriculture.
- Investing in Growth: A Conversation on Capital in Food and Agriculture.
Bringing Everyone to the Table
“In Minnesota, we believe cultivating new ideas is a team effort, and we need to remove barriers to participation,” Pradhan says. “Through the support of our partners, we have created a highly accessible networking and educational event for problem solvers in food and agriculture. We need attendees at all levels to participate to cultivate a thriving ecosystem.”
Last year, more than 1,000 unique attendees from all over the country convened at the inaugural Food, Ag, Ideas Week. The event will coincide with Twin Cities Startup Week 2019 to fuel the region’s collective effort to propel entrepreneurship and innovation.
The Food, Ag, Ideas Week schedule is available at foodagideas.com. All sessions are open to the public and limited scholarships are available for Grow North events by application. Ticket prices vary. Grow North will offer complimentary on-site childcare by reservation, quiet spaces, and mother’s rooms.
