Three-Day Conference to Feature 36 Industry Leaders Addressing the Future of Agriculture

ALPHARETTA, Ga., May 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The AgTech Conference of the South, a premiere conference dedicated to the innovation, entrepreneurship and investment that is shaping the future of agriculture, announces its keynote speaker lineup. Focusing on the farm-to-fork value chain, the three-day conference will feature 36 thought leaders from an array of companies driving the industry's technological revolution.

Hosted by Tech Alpharetta, in partnership with the City of Alpharetta, the conference will address the explosive growth in agtech that has resulted from the intersection of agriculture and technology. Taking place July 23-25, 2018, at the new Alpharetta Conference Center at The Hotel at Avalon, the keynote lineup features:

Paul Bonnett, Digital Agriculture at Syngenta
Naveen Singla, Data Science Center of Excellence Lead at Monsanto
Gary Black, Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture
"The quality of our conference content and the caliber of our speakers have been our highest priorities in planning this inaugural conference," shares Karen Cashion, CEO of Tech Alpharetta and host of the AgTech Conference of the South. "We could not be more excited about our speaker lineup and the leading-edge topics they will be covering. This is a must-attend event for agtech leaders and the agricultural industry."

In addition to the keynotes, the conference will feature 22 panels, presentations and breakout sessions covering topics such as big data, logistics and supply chain, innovation, plant genetics, investment opportunities, biotech and more. The session topics include:

Big Data in Ag Panel Discussion

Five Logistics and Supply Chain Breakout Sessions

Southeast as an agtech Leader, presented by Kent Wolfe, Director of Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development

Agtech Industry and Investor Perspective Panel

Eight Innovation Breakout Sessions

Plant Genetics Panel Discussion

Five Biotech Breakout Sessions

AgTech Startup Pitch Off
Registration for the AgTech Conference of the South is now open. Agtech business executives and leaders, investors, enterprise farmers, agtech startups, university faculty, government and other agtech enthusiasts will not want to miss this first-time conference and can register here. Advanced ticket pricing is available through June 30, 2018. For information relating to sponsorship opportunities, visit www.agtechsouth.com.

Speaker Bios:

Paul Bonnett, Portfolio Delivery Manager, Digital Agriculture at Syngenta

With over 20 years of technology development and sourcing within agriculture in multiple international markets, Paul Bonnett brings lessons and context from chemical synthesis & formulation, germplasm and trait development, precision agriculture, knowledge management and IS systems to agtech innovation and delivery. As part of Syngenta's Global Digital Agriculture team based in Research Triangle Park, N.C., Paul focuses on bringing the potential of Syngenta agronomy to the hands of growers and trusted advisors to maximize yield potential, mitigate crop damage and grow food sustainably.

Naveen Singla, Data Science Center of Excellence Lead at Monsanto Company

Naveen Singla leads the Data Science Center of Excellence for Monsanto. His team is passionate about driving better decisions using data and analytics. Singla has more than a decade of experience finding meaning in data for applications in the areas of biometrics, high-frequency stock trading and agriculture. During his tenure at Monsanto, he has served as the director of analytics, where he helped grow the value realized from data science and establish a data-driven mindset by developing strategies, influencing leaders and implementing solutions for improving food security. Prior to that, Singla led Predictive Analytics and was a strategic scientist working to improve decision-making processes in the R&D pipeline. He also established a learning program and culture for Monsanto's data science community of 500 employees.

Gary Black, Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture

Serving his second term, Commissioner Gary W. Black is the sixteenth Georgian to hold the office of Commissioner of Agriculture since the department's inception in 1874. Black earned a degree in Agricultural Education from the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Throughout his 35-year career in agriculture, he has championed sound state and federal policies impacting food safety, science-based environmental stewardship and agricultural marketing.

About AgTech Conference of the South

The AgTech Conference of the South, Georgia's first event dedicated to the entrepreneurship, innovation and investment that is shaping the future of agriculture, will be held in Alpharetta, Georgia - the region's epicenter of technology-fueled entrepreneurship and investment. The conference is taking place July 23-25, 2018, at the new Alpharetta Conference Center. Led by Tech Alpharetta, with the support of the City of Alpharetta, the conference exemplifies Alpharetta's ongoing commitment to building a strong, vibrant and resilient economy throughout the region.

About Tech Alpharetta

Tech Alpharetta (previously the Alpharetta Technology Commission), the first organization of its kind in Georgia, was established in 2012 by the City of Alpharetta and is an independent, 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization today. The organization includes a strategic advisory board of Alpharetta's leading technology companies, a technology events pillar, and the Tech Alpharetta Innovation Center, a flourishing incubator that is home to more than 45 local tech startups.