Ian Affleck, is the Vice-President of plant biotechnology for CropLife Canada. In this role, Affleck works with domestic and international agricultural stakeholders and governments on the development of policies, regulations, and science related to plant biotechnology. Prior to joining CropLife Canada, Affleck worked at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for 10 years. His work there focused on the regulation of novel plants and new varieties. Affleck holds a B Sc from Nova Scotia Agricultural College and a Masters from the University of Guelph. Affleck has been involved in agriculture from an early age, having grown up on a potato farm in Bedeque, PEI.

Dr. Darren Anderson is the co-founder and CEO of Vive Crop Protection and serves on the Board of Directors.

Anderson is passionate about using technology to improve the sustainability of agriculture while creating quantifiable results for growers. Anderson is on the Board of Croplife America and CropLife Canada, the trade associations for the pesticide industry in the USA and Canada. Anderson earned his PhD from the University of Toronto as an NSERC doctoral fellow.

Under Anderson's leadership, Vive raised over $100M CAD of equity and debt, launched the first nanotechnology-enabled pesticide products that are approved by the EPA and PMRA, landed on Deloitte's Fast 50 Cleantech List and Fast 500 Growth three years in a row, and built a patent portfolio of 112 granted patents.

Dr. Guanqun (Gavin) Chen is a Professor and Canada Research Chair in Plant Lipid Biotechnology at the University of Alberta. His research group combines biochemistry, biotechnology, and genomics to study storage lipid biosynthesis, to improve oilseed crops, and to produce unusual fatty acids in plants and oleaginous microorganisms. Current research in the Chen Laboratory focuses on improving seed oil content, quality, yield, and stress tolerance in canola.

A change-maker, board director, engineer, Creative Destruction Lab Fellow, 4th generation farmer, and early-stage investor, Judy has been at the vanguard of environmental sustainability, corporate/entrepreneurial partnerships, and diversity as critical to future-proof business. Along with her impressive experience as a C-suite corporate executive, Judy co-founded a $100 million digital/cleantech venture fund and led substantial change as the first Chair of the consolidated Alberta Innovates. In her spare time, Judy is the very definition of “outdoorsy”, an avid hiker, skier, and cyclist.

Albin Gunnarson works for SFO the Swedish Seed and Oilseed Growers Association, where he is the specialist in canola with responsibility for trials and research. Albin has been working with SFO for over 20 years and has been involved in a lot of projects like agronomy, plant pathology and the taste of canola oil.

Albin grew up on the family farm and entered the Swedish University of Agriculture in 1998. He has received an MSc in Biology and Plant Production. Since 2024, Albin has been the President of GCIRC, Global Council for Innovation in Rapeseed and Canola.

Amanda Jorgensen is the insect management specialist for Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation. Together with Shelley Barkley, Amanda runs the Alberta Insect Monitoring Network. Before joining Alberta Agriculture, Amanda worked as an entomology technician at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Beaverlodge in the Peace Region. They completed a M.Sc. at the University of Alberta investigating monitoring tools for wheat midge. Amanda has dedicated their career to conducting and improving insect surveillance in Alberta.

Dr. Chadwick Koscielny is currently the North American Canola Breeding Lead at Vylor. He is responsible for the breeding, testing and advancement of canola hybrids for Canada, the U.S and Australia.

Chad grew up on a grain farm in Cardale, Manitoba and attended the University of Manitoba where he completed his BSc in Agriculture, MSc in Agronomy and PhD in Plant Breeding with a focus on breeding for canola heat tolerance. He has worked in soybean and canola breeding for the past 26 years in numerous agronomic and breeding roles.

Dr. Warren Mabee (Ph.D. 2001, Toronto) is a Professor in the Department of Geography and Planning at Queen's University.  He held a Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Renewable Energy Development and Implementation (2012-2022), as well as the Stauffer-Dunning Chair in Public Policy at Queen’s.  He is cross-appointed to the School of Policy Studies and to the School of Environmental Studies at Queen's.  His international research programme focuses on the interface between policy and technology in the area of renewable energy and fuels, addressing issues that bridge the gap between researchers and decision-makers using tools such as life cycle assessment, geographic information systems and agent-based logistical models.  His past work experiences include stints at the University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto, as well as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the International Energy Agency.

Daniel McCann, founder, and CEO of Precision AI is passionate about shaping the future of global food security. He provides a unique perspective on how technology impacts our world. Mr. McCann is a three-time start-up founder and dynamic speaker with over 25 years of experience across diverse industries such as artificial intelligence, fintech, security, fast food, and agriculture. He holds 11 patents, is a 2024 Clean50 honoree, and a previous venture earned recognition in Peter Thiel's acclaimed book "Zero to One," an acknowledgment of his significant contributions to the tech landscape.

Dr. Boyd Mori is an Associate Professor of Agricultural Entomology at the University of Alberta. His research group develops integrated pest management strategies for insect pests of field crops, with an emphasis on Prairie cropping systems. His research combines behavioural, chemical, molecular, and population ecology to better understand interactions among insect pests, their host plants, and natural enemies. Current research in the Mori Laboratory focuses on insecticide susceptibility and resistance, host-plant interactions, biological control, and the development of improved monitoring and management tools for economically important crop
pests, including flea beetles in canola.

Jason Newton is Chief Economist and Head of Market Research at Nutrien, overseeing analysis across agricultural markets, fertilizer fundamentals, atmospheric science, and customer analytics. In this role, he is responsible for delivering strategic market intelligence, price and supply-demand forecasts, and data-driven insights that inform executive and commercial decision-making, investor relations, and corporate strategy across Nutrien.

Since joining Nutrien in 2007, Jason has regularly presented market outlooks and strategic perspectives to senior leaders, investors, analysts, customers, and industry stakeholders. He brings deep expertise across the crop input and grain marketing value chains, supported by a lifelong connection to agriculture, beginning with growing up on a farm.

Jason holds both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Saskatchewan.

Nate Ort is a crop physiologist and agronomist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Ottawa. His research focuses on crop physiology, phenomics, and abiotic stress tolerance in canola, soybean, spring wheat, winter wheat, and corn. Nate has a PhD from the University of Saskatchewan and has experience working on farms, conducting scientific research, and supporting practical agronomic knowledge exchange.

Jennifer Otani is a Research Scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Beaverlodge Research Farm, specializing in insect pest management in field crop production systems. With over 30 years of experience, her research focuses on insect pests and beneficial species affecting western Canadian field crops, with applications in monitoring, integrated pest management, arthropod natural enemies, and evaluating environmental change. Over an 18-year period, Jennifer supported the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network serving as co-coordinator, website developer, and editor of the Weekly Updates.  She works closely with researchers and industry partners across western Canada.

Liz Simpson leads Bayer’s canola portfolio and launch strategy across North America and Australia/New Zealand. Her work connects breeding, product development and commercial strategy to help translate innovation into products that deliver value for farmers. With experience spanning agronomic research, breeding and portfolio leadership, Liz brings a practical perspective on the challenges of advancing canola yield, balancing agronomic performance, product fit and the realities of delivering innovation at scale.

Alison Sunstrum is a visionary Canadian entrepreneur and global leader at the intersection of agriculture, innovation, and investment. As Managing Partner of NYA Ventures and CEO CNSRV-X Inc., she backs diverse founders addressing agriculture’s most urgent challenges.  Alison was formerly the Co-Founder and CEO of GrowSafe Systems,  a Canadian garage-based startup that grew into a global AgTech leader recognized for its groundbreaking, science-based innovation to reduce livestock emissions, improve animal well-being and on-farm profitability. Alison holds patents and has spoken widely on sustainable agriculture and frontier technology. She is a Founding Partner and Fellow at CDL-Rockies, serves on Ivey’s Centre for Building Sustainable Value Advisory Council, and mentors the Weston Foundation’s Homegrown Innovation Challenge. An advocate for women in STEM, she is a  champion of inclusive progress in innovation.

Dr Rajneet Uppal is a Research Scientist with the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the University of Western australia. Her research focuses on crop adaptation under changing climates, improving agricultural productivity, and building resilient farming systems.

Dr Uppal has extensive experience leading major research programs designed to address complex abiotic stress tolerance in canola, specifically frost, heat, and drought . Her expertise encompasses the design of advanced field-based experiments, the development of innovative technologies specializing in novel crop selection techniques, and translating scientific outcomes into practical, actionable recommendations for growers.

With a strong track record of national and international scientific communication, she actively engages with stakeholders across the broader New South Wales agricultural community. She has published high-impact research (10 Journal articles) various conference papers (13), book chapters (3) and industry engagement (36).

Kristine brings more than 20 years of experience in fungal sampling, microbiology and technical operations. She has led national technical teams and built Spornado from an early field prototype into a commercially deployed agricultural technology used by growers, researchers and leading agriculture companies around the world.

Yixing Zheng, PhD, is an agricultural economist and Postdoctoral Associate with CALS Global and the Center for Agricultural Trade at Virginia Tech. She currently leads the modeling and analysis for Total Factor Productivity Growth Frontier: The Case of Saskatchewan Crops, a study by Virginia Tech’s Global Agricultural Productivity (GAP) Initiative in partnership with SaskCrops. The study examines yield gaps, technological change, and the factors affecting productivity across Saskatchewan’s major crops, including canola. Her broader research focuses on agricultural productivity, international trade, agribusiness, and climate change, with the aim of producing policy-relevant insights that support sustainable productivity growth and climate-resilient agricultural systems. She holds a PhD in Agricultural and Applied Economics from Virginia Tech.