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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

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    AgTech EnterpriseWorks Tenants News Recognition & Awards

    ForgeBee Wins 2026 Edwin Moore Family Agriculture Innovation Award

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (March 11, 2026) – ForgeBee, a startup developing automated systems for honey bee production, received the 10th annual Edwin Moore Family Agriculture Innovation Award in a ceremony at the 2026 AgTech Innovation Summit. The prize, generously funded by a family of University of Illinois alumni rewards EnterpriseWorks entrepreneurs focusing on agricultural innovations. Members of the Moore family, whose patriarch farmed in Northern Illinois, presented the $5,000 cash prize to ForgeBee during the Summit. Founded in 2024 by world renowned bee expert Gene Robinson, a U. of I. faculty member and his former graduate student Adam Hamilton, ForgeBee addresses the need for better pollination systems to support food security. “ForgeBee is an opportunity to greatly expand the possibilities of pollination and beekeeping in the United States and around the world,” said Hamilton, who recently was named ForgeBee’s CEO. Instead of renting or buying entire bee colonies, ForgeBee’s technology allows farmers to use a smaller section of a colony. This approach costs less and requires fewer resources than existing methods. “That’s what we do at Illinois. We regularly disrupt industries,” said Robinson. “There’s a long tradition of that here, emanating from the University and through Research Park and EnterpriseWorks. We are a part of that culture, and so we embody that and take that as a goal.” ForgeBee plans to use the prize money to purchase its own honey bees and support a colony in the Research Park for research purposes. The Edwin Moore Family Agriculture Innovation Award’s goal is to encourage startup companies engaged in the development of new innovative technologies that may lead to increased productivity and/or efficiency in farming or to create new agricultural opportunities, including new processes, new crops and new food production systems. Previous Edwin Moore Agriculture Innovation Award winners include: Boston Bioprocess, 2025 Hypercell Technologies, 2024 HarvestIQ (formerly Farmers Risk), 2023 FrostDefense Envirotech, 2022 Epivara, 2021 Habiterre (formerly Aspiring Universe), 2020 TellTail, 2019 EarthSense, 2018 Soil Diagnostics, 2017 About the Edwin Moore Family Agriculture Innovation Award The Edwin Moore Agriculture Innovation Fund was established in 2016 with a generous gift to EnterpriseWorks, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s technology incubator. The award honors the legacy of Edwin E. Moore (1924), who graduated from the University of Illinois College of Agriculture and began farming in Will County. Throughout his agricultural career, he and his wife, Iva, used innovative farming practices for both crop production and livestock management. Two of their four children became farmers, Edwin and Thomas (1953, College of Agriculture), and continued the use of innovative farm practices. Subsequent generations of Edwin Moore’s family have continued to pursue farming and ag related careers capturing the same innovative spirit. About Research Park at the University of Illinois Research Park at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a technology hub for startup companies, corporate research and development operations. Within Research Park there are 120 companies employing students and full-time technology professionals. More information is available at researchpark.illinois.edu.

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    AgTech Summit EnterpriseWorks News Recognition & Awards Research Park Startup

    C16 Biosciences Wins 2026 Startup World Cup: Agriculture and Food Regional 

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (March 17, 2026) — A panel of investors named C16 Biosciences the winner of the Startup World Cup: Agriculture and Food Regional on March 10, advancing the company to the Startup World Cup Grand Finale in San Francisco where it will compete for a $1 million investment. The regional, held at the  11th Annual AgTech Summit in Champaign, was hosted by the University of Illinois Research Park in partnership with  Serra Ventures, Startup World Cup, and Pegasus Tech Ventures. Now in its second year, the competition drew 10 startups from across the country to compete. C16 Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer David Heller represented the company during the pitch competition. “We’re really excited about this,” he told Illinois Public Media. “It shows that one, we’re at a stage that’s inspiring some confidence in folks in the industry and two, that we’ve built something pretty exciting.” Founded in 2017, C16 Biosciences develops microbial alternatives to palm oil through fermentation and biotechnology, targeting a growing vulnerability in agricultural supply chains. Palm oil is found in nearly 50% of products on supermarket shelves, yet 90% of global production comes from just two countries, leaving food manufacturers and consumer goods companies exposed to significant supply and price risk. Conventional palm oil production is also one of the leading drivers of tropical deforestation. C16 addresses that problem by producing fats and oils at industrial scale without extracting them from plants or animals, supplying its Palmless product line across the beauty, personal care, food, and home care sectors. C16 Biosciences is a member of the Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing (iFAB) consortium and the Access to Capital and Entrepreneurship Council, and has engaged with the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL) for pilot scale development. Judges included: ### About the AgTech Summit The AgTech Innovation Summit brings together leaders in agricultural technology, entrepreneurship, investment, and academia to address pressing agricultural challenges and explore emerging solutions. This interactive conference hosted by the University of Illinois Research Park features dynamic panel discussions, keynote presentations, and valuable networking opportunities. To learn more about the AgTech Innovation Summit, visit the  Research Park website. About the Startup World Cup The Startup World Cup is a global series of startup competitions and conferences powered by Pegasus Tech Ventures. With over 100 regional events across 60+ countries, the competition culminates in a Grand Finale in Silicon Valley, where the top startups from each region will compete for a $1 million investment prize. For a complete list of regional events, visit the Startup World Cup website. About Pegasus Tech Ventures Pegasus Tech Ventures is a leading global venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley, with over $2 billion in assets under management. Pegasus supports emerging technology companies worldwide by providing both intellectual and financial capital. They also offer a unique Venture Capital-as-a-Service (VCaaS) model for large corporations looking to partner with cutting-edge startups. Learn more at Pegasus Tech Ventures.

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    AgTech Summit Events News Research Park

    Marcoot Jersey Creamery Awarded 2026 Glen “GB” Brandt Prize for Ag Entrepreneurism 

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (March 10, 2026) – A pair of sisters who returned to their family farm and made it profitable by creating novel dairy products are the recipients of the 2026 Glen “GB” Brandt Prize for Ag Entrepreneurism. Amy and Beth Marcoot, owners of Greenville-based Marcoot Jersey Creamery, accepted the honor during a ceremony at the 2026 AgTech Summit hosted by the University of Illinois Research Park. The prize honors a grower/producer/farmer who exemplifies an entrepreneurial spirit and advances innovation through their business practices.  One of the company’s most profitable and innovative products is Dog-O’s dog ice cream, which is sold at pet retailers nationwide. “If you would have asked me 16 years ago if we would have been making dog ice cream I would have said you were crazy,” Beth Marcoot said. The Marcoot sisters, University of Illinois graduates who run the business and the farm together, describe themselves as “advocates and cheerleaders for all of agriculture” and are passionate about getting people on the farm. (Amy’s degree is from the College of Applied Health Sciences and Beth’s from the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences). The  Glen “GB” Brandt Prize for Ag Entrepreneurism was established in 2021 in honor of Glen “GB” Brandt, a legendary figure in the field of Illinois agriculture, who passed away in late 2020. The BRANDT Foundation partners with the University of Illinois to provide the winner with a $10,000 prize.  Marcoot Jersey Creamery plans to use the prize money to purchase a new piece of equipment that automates cutting cheese, a process currently completed manually. While the equipment creates efficiency, the Marcoot team also reflected how important it is to build a positive culture for its staff. “This check does more than what $10,000 can articulate well,” said Beth Marcoot, who runs the business side of Marcoot Jersey Creamery. “We are so excited to have this opportunity so much sooner than what we thought.” “Glen Brandt was the consummate entrepreneur,” said Karl Barnhart, Vice President, The BRANDT Foundation. “When there was no solution, he invented one. And that’s the spirit we see in Amy and Beth Marcoot. When the family farm’s succession was uncertain, they took on the responsibility, diversified into cheesemaking, and transformed the entire operation. GB would be proud of the 2026 winners of the GB Prize.”   Previous Glen “GB” Brandt Prize for Ag Entrepreneurism winners include Roger Bock (2025), Andrew and Karlie Bowman (2024), Eric Miller (2023), and Matt Riggs, (2022).   ### About The BRANDT Foundation   The BRANDT Foundation was established in 2012 as a philanthropic extension of BRANDT, Inc. The Brandt family has always stood with their communities and as their company grew, so did the opportunities to give back. The BRANDT Foundation offers donations, grants, and support to charities, organizations, and communities that reside in the same area of the company; geographically and industry-related.  About the AgTech Innovation Summit   Produced by the University of Illinois Research Park, the AgTech Innovation Summit is an interactive conference where participants learn and share knowledge about the current state of AgTech and get a look into the future through dynamic panels, inspiring keynote presentations, and networking opportunities. One of the premier AgTech hubs in the nation, Champaign-Urbana is uniquely positioned to bring together entrepreneurs, investors, academics, and industry for learning, networking, and advancing this sector.   

    Marcoot Jersey Creamery Awarded 2026 Glen “GB” Brandt Prize for Ag Entrepreneurism  Read Post »

    AgTech Summit Events News

    AgTech Summit Celebrates 11th Annual Event

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (March 4, 2026) – The 11th annual AgTech Innovation Summit presented by Bayer will take place Tuesday, March 10 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Illinois Conference Center, 111 St. Mary’s Road, Champaign, hosted by the University of Illinois Research Park. This summit brings together entrepreneurs, corporate innovators, investors, growers, producers and academics at one of the nation’s premier AgTech hubs for fireside chats, panels, award presentations and networking opportunities aimed at advancing the AgTech sector. The event will feature fireside chats with: Linda Jing, President and CEO of Genective; Mike Graham, Head of Research and Development for the Crop Science division of Bayer; Germán Bollero, Dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences; Kristi Jones, Acting Assistant Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture; and Kaiyu Guan, Founder and Executive Chairman of HabiTerre. Panel topics will address some of the most pressing issues facing the agricultural sector today, including Sustainable Aviation Fuel, the Future of Ag and AI in AgTech. Two award presentations will recognize innovation across the agricultural sector. The Glen “GB” Brandt Prize for Ag Entrepreneurism is awarded to an innovative grower or producer, and the Edwin Moore Family Agriculture Innovation Award recognizes a startup company based at the EnterpriseWorks incubator. For the second year, the summit will host the Startup World Cup: Agriculture and Food Regional, featuring 10 startup finalists from across the country competing for a chance to advance to the Startup World Cup Grand Finale in November, where finalists compete for a $1 million investment prize. The event also includes a lunchtime University Showcase connecting external partners with university resources, a Tech Showcase and a Networking Reception following the conclusion of the AgTech Summit. A full agenda can be found here. The AgTech Innovation Summit is sponsored by Bayer, John Deere, AGCO, the University of Illinois College of ACES, the University of Illinois Foundation, Pixo, the Illinois Farm Bureau, the Champaign County Farm Bureau, Serra Ventures, J.P. Morgan, the Levenick Center for a Climate-Smart Circular Bioeconomy and Farm Credit Illinois. The AgTech Summit is the cornerstone event of Champaign-Urbana AgTech Week. Find all events here. For more information about the AgTech Summit and press opportunities, contact Laura Bleill. ###

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    AgTech Summit EnterpriseWorks News Recognition & Awards Research Park Startup

    Finalists Announced for Startup World Cup: Agriculture And Food Regional Pitch Competition

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (March 4, 2026) — In partnership with Pegasus Tech Ventures and Serra Ventures, the University of Illinois Research Park is excited to announce the 10 startups selected as finalists for the Startup World Cup: Agriculture and Food Regional pitch competition. The second annual event will take place during the AgTech Innovation Summit on March 10 in Champaign, where the 10 finalists will present their business ideas and models to a judging panel of investors and industry experts. The winner will move on to the Startup World Cup Finale in November, where it will compete against other regional winners for a $1 million investment. The following startups have been selected to compete at the Startup World Cup Agriculture and Food Regional: American Prime Sustainable Solutions – From space to field, American Prime turns satellite and AI intelligence into real-time agricultural decisions, powering autonomous action, scalable operations and measurable outcomes across every acre. C16 Biosciences – Produces fermentation-derived oils that outperform traditional commodities on stability and sustainability while supplying global brands at commercial scale. DMR INTERNATIONAL INC. – Provides a drop-in antimicrobial pellet solution that upgrades stormwater and wastewater treatment performance without new infrastructure or hazardous chemicals. Explain Ag – Builds science-based enterprise software that embeds predictive agronomic intelligence into customer systems to drive scalable sales growth and durable competitive advantage. Farmland Stock Exchange – Connects retiring landowners with tenant farmers to solve farmland succession and access challenges, leveraging deep Illinois roots and strategic farmer-investors to secure first-mover advantage and trusted deal flow. GigaCrop, Inc. – Engineers enhanced photosynthesis seed traits that bypass biological yield limits to double crop productivity and improve drought resilience across major crops. LegacyAcres – Digitizes farm succession planning with expert-built logic and strategic distribution partnerships that help farm families transition ownership with clarity and confidence. Soil1 LLC – Delivers sub-$1, instant soil health testing that empowers farmers to make real-time regenerative and carbon-smart decisions without relying on costly lab analysis. SpecVision – Turns equipment photos into verified specifications in minutes, delivering 75% lower assessment costs while building the industry’s first compounding equipment data layer. TerraForce, Inc. – Deploys farm-scale robotic fruit harvesters that match human labor costs while delivering faster, safer and compliance-free picking and packing. About the AgTech Summit The AgTech Innovation Summit brings together leaders in industry, entrepreneurs, investors and academics to address pressing agricultural challenges and explore emerging solutions. Programmed and hosted by University of Illinois Research Park, 2026 marks the 11th edition of this annual event. AgTech is one of the fastest growing industry clusters in the Research Park and the broader Champaign-Urbana region. To learn more about the AgTech Summit, visit the event homepage. About the Startup World Cup The Startup World Cup is a global series of startup competitions and conferences powered by Pegasus Tech Ventures. With over 100 regional events across 60+ countries, the competition culminates in a Grand Finale in Silicon Valley on November 6, 20256 where the top startups from each region will compete for a $1 million investment prize. For a complete list of regional events, visit the Startup World Cup website. About Pegasus Tech Ventures Pegasus Tech Ventures is a leading global venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley, with over $2 billion in assets under management. Pegasus supports emerging technology companies worldwide by providing both intellectual and financial capital. They also offer a unique Venture Capital-as-a-Service (VCaaS) model for large corporations looking to partner with cutting-edge startups. Learn more at the Pegasus Tech Ventures website.  

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    Media Mentions News Research Park Uncategorized

    Synchrony and University of Illinois Help Students Jumpstart Tech Careers

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (Feb. 26, 2026) — University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U. of I.) students are learning that an internship with Synchrony is a great way to jumpstart their careers. A leading consumer financial services company, Synchrony powers tens of millions of customers at hundreds of thousands of businesses – from major retailers like Lowe’s, Sam’s Club and Amazon to small and medium-sized merchants that rely on consumer financing. Synchrony’s products provide the financial flexibility customers want to buy and pay for the things that matter to them. U. of I. contributes to that success through a partnership with Synchrony to advance innovation and prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow. More than 400 U. of I. students have gained hands-on experience at the Synchrony Emerging Technology Center (ETC), with some going on to land full-time jobs at Synchrony. Synchrony’s ETC is located within Research Park, a technology hub where companies are embedded on the U. of I. campus to accelerate innovation. This year, Synchrony expanded the ETC to nearly 11,000 square feet, doubling down on its investment in developing Illinois’ tech talent through skills training in AI, data science, engineering and human-centered design – an extension of Synchrony’s broader education initiatives to [expand credit access and] build strong financial foundations for Americans. On the Fast-Track: From Intern to Innovator Amy Chen, an information systems major (Class of 2023), started as a Synchrony intern in her sophomore year, working out of the ETC during the school year. Don’t let the “intern” title fool you. Amy took on real responsibilities from Day One—helping to develop a desk booking reservation app for Synchrony’s hybrid workspaces, analyzing customer experience improvements and designing user interfaces. The internship led to her acceptance into Synchrony’s two-year Business Leadership Program (BLP) in the summer of 2022, which is designed to accelerate the careers of tomorrow’s  leaders. She joined a team building an app for the Apple Vision Pro headset and even demonstrated the new app to the company’s board of directors.   “My managers have made it clear that I am valued, and that my work makes an impact,” Amy says. “With Synchrony, I see a future I’m excited about.” Now as a full-time technical product lead with the emerging payments team, Amy works on digital payment solutions like Google Pay and Apple Pay. Where Learning Powers Real-World Impact Yousef Ahmad (Class of 2023) was introduced to Synchrony at a U. of I. Datathon, where students selected company prompts to solve real-world problems. Majoring in econometrics and quantitative economics, Yousef chose Synchrony’s challenge to streamline call center operations and was inspired by the trust the company placed in participants to source and analyze their own data. This led to a Synchrony externship during Yousef’s sophomore year, followed by an internship at the Emerging Tech Center and selection to the company’s Business Leadership Program. During his BLP experience, Yousef participated in a hackathon at Synchrony headquarters in Stamford, CT where he and his team took second place for a proposal aimed at creating a faster customer experience. He also enjoyed community service projects organized by Synchrony, volunteering to pack backpacks and meals at local schools. “Every week, you learned something new, and you’re surrounded by people who you could learn from — senior executives as well as peers,” he said. “It was awesome.” Today, Yousef works full-time at Synchrony in model optimization, helping to maintain the efficiency of credit and risk models that underpin the company’s offerings. Visualizing the Future Like Amy and Yousef, Class of 2026 ETC intern Dylan Subramanian is on the fast track. He has made the journey to the BLP program and already has a job lined up with Synchrony after graduation in June 2026. A combined computer science and economics major, he started at Synchrony in summer 2024, working on projects like developing an automated system that reissues credit cards flagged for fraud. Dylan’s biggest accomplishment so far has been developing a sophisticated data visualization— a digital globe that maps credit card applications — that he prototyped in Javascript. He presented it to senior leadership and expanded it during hackathons by integrating the project into larger dashboards and demonstrating its real business impact. “One of my favorite parts of my experience at Synchrony has been the focus on innovation and collaboration,” Dylan says. “Hackathons and brainstorming sessions challenged me to build creative projects and offered incredible opportunities for learning and personal growth. Synchrony’s emphasis on cutting-edge technology and teamwork has truly been a highlight of my time here.” Those words are especially gratifying to Karin Dor Markovich, Associate Vice President, Technology Early Career Programs at Synchrony and leader of the ETC. “We focus on providing students’ real-world experience and help them pursue careers in tech, data science, and other areas of our business,” she says. “We do that by offering a flexible, student-centered approach that fosters skills valued by employers like problem-solving and communication. The students do the rest — it’s rewarding to see them succeed, and we’re proud to continue to grow this partnership.”

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    AgTech Summit EnterpriseWorks Graduates Media Mentions News

    New Podcast Episode: Frenzy Ag

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (Feb. 17, 2026) — Founders of Frenzy Ag, Ken Paige and Chris Harbourt, joined the Innovations at Research Park podcast to speak about their innovative agricultural tech company. This episode, hosted by Tanmay Shah, explores the origins and mission of Frenzy Ag. Discussing Frenzy Ag’s core product, Harbourt highlighted the large commercial potential of crop growth in the United States. “When we think about all of agriculture in the U.S., for example, there’s about 300 million acres of crops that are tilled and planted every year, and 90 million of those are soybeans…so about two-thirds of the land in the U.S. that is in agriculture production is either in soybean that year or will be in soybean the following year,” Harbourt said. When asked how EnterpriseWorks and Research Park have benefitted Frenzy Ag, Paige discussed the community they’ve built. “We have a lab in EnterpriseWorks, and we have a full-time chemist who works in that lab. They’ve kind of been central and key to a lot of what we’re currently doing,” Paige said. To hear the full conversation about Frenzy Ag, as well as Paige and Harbourt’s advice for other agricultural tech entrepreneurs, tune in to the Innovations at Research Park podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your preferred podcast network. The Innovations at Research Park podcast highlights Champaign’s thriving entrepreneurial and corporate innovation culture. It is hosted by Tanmay Shah, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumnus.  Is there something you want to know about Research Park? Do you have an idea for a guest for the show or a story we should pursue? Contact Laura Bleill at lwbleill@illinois.edu.

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    Community Features News Research Park

    New Podcast Episode: Year in Review 2025

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (Jan. 8, 2026) – Research Park leaders Laura Appenzeller and Laura Bleill join the Innovations at Research Park podcast to reflect on a milestone year celebrating the Research Park’s 25th anniversary. This episode, hosted by Tanmay Shah, explores the achievements that made 2025 unforgettable and the plans that will shape the next quarter century. When discussing the Research Park’s 25-year legacy, Appenzeller highlighted its lasting impact on student careers and the broader innovation ecosystem. “We’ve been able to employ thousands of students. The impact is really many people that have had some time that they’ve spent at the Research Park, whether that’s a startup or an intern or an employee that goes on to a successful career elsewhere,” Appenzeller said.  Looking to the future, Bleill discussed what’s ahead for Research Park, including plans for a new incubator facility and residential development. “We are at an inflection point. I think we have a lot of things that we are looking at as opportunities that could truly be transformational and, honestly, a generational opportunity for us looking forward,” Bleill said. To hear the full conversation about Research Park’s past, present and future, tune in to the Innovations at Research Park podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast network. The Innovations at Research Park podcast highlights Champaign’s thriving entrepreneurial and corporate innovation culture. It is hosted by Tanmay Shah, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumnus.  Is there something you want to know about Research Park? Do you have an idea for a guest for the show or a story we should pursue? Do you want to provide other feedback? Contact Laura Bleill (lwbleill@illinois.edu).

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    AgTech Summit News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    Nominations Sought for 2026 Glen “GB” Brandt Prize for Ag Entrepreneurism

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (Dec. 1, 2025) – Nominations are now being accepted for the sixth annual Glen “GB” Brandt Prize for Ag Entrepreneurism, recognizing an Illinois farmer for their role in advancing innovation and entrepreneurship in the ag sector. View the nomination form here. The deadline for submission is Feb. 2, 2026. Established in 2021 to honor the memory of GB Brandt, a legendary figure in the field of Illinois agriculture, the $10,000 cash prize will be awarded to a nominee who exemplifies an entrepreneurial spirit and advances innovation through their business practices, crop growing processes, or product usage. The prize is a partnership between the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and The BRANDT Foundation. The winner will be announced and recognized at the AgTech Innovation Summit, an annual event produced by the University of Illinois Research Park on March 10, 2026. Those eligible for the prize include Illinois farmers, growers and producers or those engaged with Illinois farmers, growers and producers. Nominees should be connected with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and/or its affiliates, including University of Illinois Extension. A full list of eligibility criteria is available in the nomination form. Roger Bock, fifth-generation farmer and owner of Wolf Creek Farm in Williamsville, Illinois was the fifth annual recipient of the Glen “GB” Brandt Prize for Ag Entrepreneurism. A University of Illinois alumnus, Bock works with the University of Illinois Extension and plant science department to optimize lesser growing areas by rotating in edible crops across his 1,200-acre operation of corn, soybeans, and specialty vegetables. Read the full story on the Research Park website. Past Brandt Prize Winners About The BRANDT Foundation The BRANDT Foundation was established in 2012 as a philanthropic extension of BRANDT, Inc. The Brandt family has always stood with their communities and as their company grew, so did the opportunities to give back. The BRANDT Foundation offers donations, grants, and support to the farms, charities, and organizations in the areas where the company does business. About the AgTech Innovation Summit Hosted by the University of Illinois Research Park, the AgTech Innovation Summit is an interactive conference where participants learn and share knowledge about the current state of AgTech and get a look into the future through dynamic panels, inspiring keynote presentations, and networking opportunities. One of the premier AgTech hubs in the nation, Champaign-Urbana is uniquely positioned to bring together entrepreneurs, investors, academics, and industry for learning, networking, and advancing this sector. Contacts Karl BarnhartThe BRANDT Foundation karl.barnhart@brandt.co Laura BleillResearch Parklwbleill@illinois.edu ###

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