evokeag

The food and beverage sector is Australia’s largest manufacturing industry, worth more than $132 billion, accounting for 32% of total manufacturing turnover, and employing more than 270,000 people. Yet, the advent of COVID-19, rising climate volatility and geopolitical tensions, have underscored the imperative for more resilient and innovative food systems.
 
 A recent opportunity listed on AgriFutures growAG sought to identify forward-thinking startups, SMEs or large companies with innovative solutions that can deliver ‘really clear benefits’ to Australia’s food and beverage manufacturing sector.
 
In this bonus episode, contributor Samantha Noon sat down with Dr Chris Downs, Founding Director of Australia’s Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA), to discuss the launch of their $20M second investment round developed to take Australia’s food and beverage manufacturing sector forward.

Watch the webinar recording of FaBA's Accelerator Second Investment Round Launch here: https://faba.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2023.08-Second-Investment-Round-Launch_FINAL.m4v

If Malkah wasn’t a Relationship Credit Analyst, she would use her love of problem solving be an entrepreneur. Oli and Malkah chat about her unique upbringing, moving throughout South America, Europe and Australia which is absolutely fascinating. Her Mum (also her hero) actually started a career as a professional tennis player before going back to her roots in agriculture.

Malkah was always exposed to agriculture, but she didn't necessarily always know that it was the career path she wanted to pursue. Now, she is immersed in the corporate ag world and spends her free time developing Lymbo, an app that’s putting a creative twist on connecting employers and employees.

“Firstly, I love a challenge. And I think that I thrive off actually building something, like I'm very creative in that sense. And I just once I think about a problem, I just really want to fix it... And I think this problem just really stuck with me."

Malkah was a finalist of the 2023 AgriFutures evokeAG Future Young Leader. 

This week we bring you an interview with a young trailblazer and an evokeAG Future Young Leader Alumni, George Chapman. 

George was selected back in 2020, to be part of the AgriFutures evokeAG Future Young Leader Program, where he took to the stage at evokeAG in Melbourne, to talk about the importance of soil health and share part of his regenerative agriculture journey. 

Originally from Coraki on the Northern Rivers, George now lives on the edge of the Nairobi National Park in Kenya, where he runs an organic broiler chicken farm and uses regenerative practices at his family's safari lodge 'Ololo Farm', where he also trains and educates Kenya's youth in organic and regenerative farming practices.  

Here he shares his experience from the evokeAG Future Young Leaders Program, and how it helped him expand his network and shape his agricultural journey.

We hope you enjoy their conversation and if you or someone you know, would like to be a part of the evokeAG. 2023 Future Young Leaders Program, head to evokeAG.com to find out more. Applications close Sunday 3 July 2022. 

With more than 40 years in the venture capital game, Andy Ziolkowski – the Managing Director of US-based food and agriculture-focused venture capital firm, Cultivian Sandbox and Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Cultivian Ventures – knows a good investment when he sees one.

With evokeAG. 2022 around the corner Andy reflects on the bounty of opportunities in food and agriculture coming out of Australia, the important connections he’s made on his past visits, like the 2020 evokeAG. Investor Dinner, and why co-investing with Australian founders, with local knowledge, has been critical for success.

Here he shares his experiences and advice for startups seeking to stand out from the pack, with our evokeAG. contributor Megan Woodward. We hope you enjoy their conversation. 

Fleur catches up with Brad Jones (Bungulla Farms) at evokeAG. and talks about evolving technologies, the process of bringing agtech on farm. 

Ian Reilly (e-Shepherd by Agersens) explains that their new product is in the early-adoption phase and they are at a stage where they are getting a greater understanding of their customer's, the farmer's, needs. 

Bruce Creek (Thomas Elder Consulting) talks about what he thinks we need to consider when making agtech adoption work and his observations over the last 12-months. 

Darryn Keiller (AutoGrow) talks about how Autogrow has changed how solutions are developed for growers utilising crop science, data and A.I