Archives: Speakers

Natalie Martinkus, Ph.D.

Natalie Martinkus, Ph.D.

Founder, EcoAnalytics

Natalie Martinkus is the founder and owner of EcoAnalytics. She has over 20 years of experience in civil engineering consulting, teaching at a small university, and consulting with growers to help them enter the age of ag tech. Natalie holds a PhD from Washington State University where she studied biofuel supply chains as part of a large USDA-funded grant to turn wood waste into biojet fuel. Natalie began her business in 2018 with a goal of providing mapping, data management, and drone services to local growers. She has worked with farming operations ranging in size from very small to very large and enjoys the challenges that come with meeting each client’s individual needs. She also writes grants for growers and ag-related manufacturing (including biofuel) companies to help them achieve more with less money. Natalie is married with two boys and recently moved back to Texas after 20 years in Washington State.  When not working to grow her business, Natalie loves gardening, cooking, and cycling.

Natalie Martinkus Ph.D
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Karen Hilderbrand, Ph.D.

Karen Hilderbrand, Ph.D.

Industry SA Leader, Agriculture, AWS

Dr. Karen Hildebrand brings a unique blend of deep technical expertise and genuine agricultural passion to her role as Solutions Architect Leader for Agriculture Amazon Web Services. With a Doctorate in Information Systems and a fourth generation producer, she has dedicated her career to solving the world’s most pressing agricultural challenges through innovative cloud technologies and data science.

Karen’s journey into agriculture technology wasn’t just professional—it was personal. In an industry where technology can sometimes feel disconnected from the field, Karen represents the bridge between what’s possible and what’s practical—helping farmers and agricultural businesses harness the power of cloud computing, AI, and data analytics to build a more sustainable and productive future for agriculture. Her work spans from helping cooperatives modernize their SAP systems to partnering with industry leaders like The Morning Star Company and Netafim to revolutionize everything from tomato processing to precision irrigation. She understands that behind every data point is a farmer working to feed the world, and behind every technological advancement is an opportunity to grow.

Before joining AWS, Karen spent over a decade leading data science teams at companies like Texas Instruments, Digi-Key Corporation, and Target, where she honed her ability to translate complex analytics into actionable business intelligence. This experience taught her that the most powerful technology is the kind that people can actually use—a philosophy she brings to every agricultural partnership today.

What sets Karen apart is her commitment to the agricultural community beyond her day job. She’s been featured in Fast Company discussing how farmers use data and technology to meet global food demands, and she regularly speaks at conferences about the intersection of AI, big data, and modern farming practices. When Karen talks about agriculture, she speaks from a place of deep respect for the industry’s traditions while embracing its technological future. Whether she’s discussing precision agriculture with South Dakota corn and soybean producers or exploring vertical farming innovations that use 95% less water in Singapore, she brings both the analytical rigor of a data scientist and the practical wisdom of someone who truly understands agriculture’s critical role in our world.

Dr. Karen Hilderbrand
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Tami Craig Schilling

Tami Craig Schilling

Advisor, Former Vice President and Agronomic Digital Innovation Lead, Bayer Crop Science 

Tami Craig Schilling was the Vice President and Agronomic Digital Innovation Lead at Bayer Crop Science, where she spearheaded the integration of advanced technologies with agronomic practices to deliver innovative, farmer-centric solutions. A strategic leader with deep roots in agriculture, Tami spent her career advancing sustainable farming through digital tools, data-driven decision-making, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. She was also a co-leader in the development of Bayer’s GenAI tool, E.L.Y., and is known for her passion for global agronomic impact, meaningful customer experience, and blending human expertise with digital delivery.

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Tanner Winterhof

Tanner Winterhof

Co-host, Farm4Profit Podcast

Tanner Winterhof has built his career intertwining his passion for farming with a dedication to business innovation in agriculture.

Born and bred on a swine and row-crop farm in Aurelia, Iowa, Tanner attended AIB College of Business in Des Moines where he earned a degree in business administration and financial services. He spent the next 15 years working in the banking sector, gaining financial insights and later applying them to the farming sector.

Tanner advocates for the adoption of tech and data-driven strategies to improve efficiency and environmental stewardship, seeing them as key parts of his commitment to bring in new ideas and keep farming sustainable.

When he’s not knee-deep in work, Tanner is actively involved as a board member for several charitable organizations like the Ames Foundation. In his free time, he can often be found swinging clubs on the golf course or sipping on some new bourbons.

Tanner-Winterhof

Connie Bowen

Connie Bowen

General Partner, Farmhand Ventures

Connie Bowen is the founding General Partner at Farmhand Ventures, a venture studio building the future of work in specialty crop agriculture. She is passionate about distributing knowledge and inspiring inclusive, impactful innovation in global food and ag systems.

Prior to Farmhand Ventures, Connie served as the Director of Innovation and Investment for AgLaunch, a farmer network based in Memphis, TN. Connie served as the Founding Executive Director of The Yield Lab Institute, a think-tank focused on enabling impactful agrifood innovation, globally. Before starting the Yield Lab Institute, she served as a Principal for The Yield Lab, North America and Cultivation Capital, where she managed accelerator programming, deal flow, and portfolio and aided in firm expansion into Ireland, Argentina, and Singapore. Prior roles also include Operations Manager for Grape Arbor VC, a multi-family office investing in startups and venture funds. She’s also served as an Investor with The Yield Lab Europe and a Venture Partner with Republic, where she collaborates across the startup ecosystem to support founders and their ideas.

She serves on The Yield Lab Institute Board and as an advisor to Spornado. She is a member of the inaugural class of AgGrad30under30, is a regular contributor to Forbes, writing about impact investment in agrifood systems and author a biweekly newletter, Ag is for People. She holds a B.S. in General Engineering, with an emphasis on Environmental Studies, from Swarthmore College.

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Gwendoline Legrand

Gwendoline Legrand

Co-director – Communication Manager, GOFAR

With a degree in Business Promotion, and Sustainable Development, Gwendoline has been working in agricultural robotics since 2014, as she was managing the communication of a French robot manufacturer. She has always been passionate about innovation to solve environmental and social problems. By supporting the development of autonomous machines, she sincerely believes that robotics is a key to fight against climate change and reduce the drudgery of work. Since 2016, Gwendoline co-directs FIRA with Maialen Cazenave. Gwendoline develops strong partnerships around the world to bring together an involved community of actors in the agricultural robotics value chain. FIRAs events – the Agricultural Robotics Forum – are a powerful tool that she continues to develop with enthusiasm.

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