Dr. Fariba Assadi-Porter is the Founder and CEO of Isomark Health Inc., a Wisconsin-based company developing non-invasive, breath-based tools for early detection of metabolic and infectious diseases in dairy cows-days before clinical signs appear. With over 20 years of research experience as a scientist and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she has led projects at the intersection of biochemistry, nutrition, and technology.

Her passion for bovine metabolism and herd health drives Isomark's mission to equip farmers with practical, real-time diagnostics to improve animal wellbeing, productivity, and sustainability. She holds multiple patents, has secured over $14 million in grant funding, and has authored more than 40 scientific publications. Her work is focused on making cutting-edge science accessible and actionable for the dairy industry.

Dr. Jeffrey Bewley is from Rineyville, Kentucky where he grew up working on his grandfather's dairy farm. He received a B.S. in Animal Sciences from the University of Kentucky in 1998. In 2000, he completed his M.S. in Dairy Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison under the direction of Dr. Roger Palmer with a focus on dairy modernization. His PhD work under Dr. Mike Schutz at Purdue University focused on the application and economics of Precision Dairy Farming technologies. For 9.5 years, Jeffrey was on the faculty at the University of Kentucky as an Extension Dairy Specialist. He has also worked with IceRobotics, PerforMix Nutrition, BoviSync, and Alltech. Dr. Bewley is currently Dairy Analytics and Innovation Scientist with Holstein Association USA.

Jeffrey's professional interests include Precision Dairy Monitoring Technologies, Dairy Records Management and Analytics, Dairy Cattle Genetics and Genomics, Economic Decision Support, Animal Health Economics, Compost Bedded Pack Barn Management and Construction, Freestall Barn Management and Construction, Mastitis Management and Prevention, and Dairy Farm Financial Analysis. Jeffrey Bewley received the American Dairy Science Association Foundation Scholar Award in Production and American Dairy Science Association Cargill Animal Nutrition Young Scientist Awards in 2015. He was named to the Vance Publishing 40 Under 40 for Agriculture Award in 2014. He has published and presented extensively around the world. He is an active member of the International Committee for Animal Recording, the National Mastitis Council, and the American Dairy Science Association. Dr. Bewley is also a certified CowSignals trainer, a MEX udder health coach, and a Lean Farming trainer. Jeffrey pursues his passion for dairy cattle genetics as a partner in IceBlue Genetics and Fit Genetics. He serves on the advisory boards of multiple dairy technology companies.

Tom Breunig is a business advisor representing Metha.ai. Metha.ai leverages advanced AI to unlock the hidden potential of the microbiome to result in superior feed additive performance.

With deep roots on a Wisconsin dairy farm and a degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Tom brought both firsthand agricultural experience and strategic insight to every role he held. Tom led cross-functional innovation teams across livestock genetics, animal health, reproduction, specialty feed, and electronic health monitoring. Notably, he played a central role in the development and expansion of electronic health monitoring solutions, spearheading the SCR North America business during its foundational years. His ability to bridge the gap between technical innovation and practical application made him a trusted partner across sectors. Tom retired from Merck Animal Health in 2023, leaving behind a legacy of leadership, collaboration, and forward-thinking innovation that continues to influence the industry today.

Dr. Cabrera is a leading expert in data-driven decision support for dairy farm management, integrating applied research, interdisciplinary approaches, and participatory methods to develop practical, user-friendly tools that enhance farm profitability, environmental stewardship, and long-term sustainability. He leads the Dairy Brain project, a pioneering initiative in data integration and analytics for dairy farming, and actively contributes to the RuFaS project, which advances resilient and climate-smart agricultural systems. Dr. Cabrera and his research team have developed over 50 decision support tools, published more than 100 refereed articles and 12 book chapters, and his work has had a global impact through research and extension. He has presented at over 100 scientific sessions and delivered more than 400 extension talks across Wisconsin, the U.S., and internationally. Over the past 15 years, Dr. Cabrera has secured over $5.5 million in funding to support his research and extension initiatives. His contributions have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including the Excellence in International Activities Award from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the DeLaval Dairy Extension Award from the American Dairy Science Association, the Vilas Faculty Mid-Career Investigator Award, and several other distinctions from UW-Madison, the Wisconsin Association of County Agricultural Agents, the University of Florida, and the American Dairy Science Association.

Aidan Chang, the founder and CEO of iCHASE, is an experienced engineer with over 10 years in product development. He has led technologies from development to launch, specializing in product design and technology integration. Aidan graduated from National Taiwan University of Mechanical Engineering. Previously, he worked at Foxconn as a mechanical engineer and later as VP of Engineering at Cardio Ring Technologies. His family business is a leading provider of cultivators in Taiwan. This background gave Aidan unique industry insights and networks, which have become the foundation for iCHASE.

Dr. Matt Clover is the Agronomy Innovation Data Leader at Corteva Agriscience. Matt Leads a team that works with stakeholders from across the Corteva North American seed sales and marketing teams to identify critical agronomic and product performance information needs. His team delivers analyses and reporting to facilitate informed decision making that drives business growth. Matt first joined Pioneer in 2017 as an Agronomy Research Manager within the Pioneer Agronomy Sciences group. Prior to that, he spent 9 years in the fertilizer industry with various roles in agronomy and research and development. Matt earned his B.S. in Crop Sciences and M.S. in Soil Fertility from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign, and a Ph.D. in Soil Science from Iowa State University and is currently a Certified Professional Soil Scientist.

Aidan Connolly is President of AgriTech Capital, a resource for new and established companies working at the interface of agriculture and technology.

AgriTech Capital (ATC) has aided governments, fortune 500 food companies and large agri-businesses on their Agtech strategy. ATC have supported over a dozen startups.

Previously, Aidan was CEO of Cainthus, a computer vision and artificial intelligence company specialised in monitoring key farm management practices that impact nutrition, health and the behaviour of livestock.

Prior to that, Aidan held the position of CIO at Alltech. With 30 years of experience in strategic analysis and planning, Aidan adds the innovative thinking and capital investment needed to go from possibility to reality.

Aidan is a Principal at Kincannon Reed, the world's leading food and agribusiness executive search company and is also a Senior Advisor at McKinseys.

He has a strategic understanding of the marketplace and the regulatory parameters that set the environment.

Aidan has worked in over 100 countries and speaks five languages. He has worked in political associations, with state and national governments in the US, China, Europe and Brazil, international organizations such as the European Union and the United Nations.

Recently Aidan became President of the International Food & Agribusiness Management Association, a global organization drawing members from both academy and industry to address the bigger issues in agriculture.

Aidan also contributes to a wide range of publications in agriculture and business, including Forbes and has published two books, the latest 'The Future of Agriculture' is now available in 4 languages.

Walt Cooley got his start in agriculture at a young age moving sprinkler pipe, stacking hay and working on his grandfather’s dairy in Utah. He graduated with a degree in journalism from Brigham Young University – Idaho and earned his MBA from Boise State University. He served as editor-in-chief of the industry-leading publication Progressive Dairy (www.progressivedairy.com) for 16 years. He is currently vice president of publishing for Progressive Publishing in Jerome, Idaho. He is the founder and editor of The Cow Tech Report (www.cowtechreport.com), a regular newsletter covering all things related to emerging technologies for cows. He is a learner and futurist who is passionate about technology and its application for farms and livestock.

Chris Cunningham is the Co-Founder and COO of Dairy Performance Network. Chris consults for multiple farms ranging from 1200 milking cows to 40,000 milking cows across the United States. Chris has a passion for collaborating with farms to improve all aspects of the operation through data and technology.

Dr. Anne Marie Elwing received her DVM from the University of Missouri. Dr. Elwing spent 3 years in a multi person practice in Viroqua, WI and then for the last 35 years in her own private practice focusing on preventative food animal medicine and consultation. Also during her career she was a veterinary consultant for Monsanto and as a Beef Tech Vet for Zoetis. Dr. Elwing has always had a passion for cows and finances. She grew up showing Polled Herefordsand for many years had 50 registered cows of her own. Dr. Elwing also spends time on her family dairy with her husband and one of her sons where they milk 1500 cows and crop 2600 acres. Her twin sons are graduates of UW-Madison Dairy Science program. William is a partner in their dairy operation, Wall-Stone Holsteins, LLC and has a business management degree as well. Emil is a DVM and has a PhD in research. Wall-Stone Holsteins places a significant emphasis on all things technology which play a huge role in managing reproduction, genomics, data processing, agronomy, and sustainability. At Wall-Stone Holsteins change is inevitable; they strive to provide the best for their cows. Wall-Stone’s tagline is 'Harvesting food for our community and our world.'

Brenda Fessenden is the Technical Services Lead with Zoetis Precision Animal Health. Brenda works with dairy producers and field colleagues to implement successful genetics programs that recognize herd-specific strengths and opportunities. In addition, Brenda dairy farms with her husband, 3 kids and parents in southeastern Minnesota.

A graduate of Michigan State University, Shawnna Finnerty combines technical expertise with a passion for agriculture, bringing a unique perspective to the dairy industry. With 15 years of experience with dairy technology, she currently serves as the Technical Program Manager, Dairy Technology & Analytics at fairlife LLC. In this role, Shawnna oversees the Care Verif-AI program for the animal welfare team, leveraging camera and AI technologies to ensure the highest standards of animal handling.

Matt Heisner’s lifetime of experience in the dairy industry has brought a very unique and energetic perspective to Nedap’s US dairy team for nearly four years. Coming from the Dairy equipment space where he has experience from front line support to multi divisional management, his experience is helping to guide Nedap’s efforts in customer support, channel support and development and guiding future business development and product placement. You can catch Matt at one of the many industry events that Nedap attends or on a farm working on future developments. In his spare time, Matt enjoys his two daughter’s travel softball schedule, his sons soccer games and his wife’s home cooking.

Brian Houin was born and raised on his family farm in Plymouth, Indiana. He graduated from Purdue in 2003 with a degree in Meteorology and a minor in Spanish. Even though he doesn't practice forecasting the weather, it gave him a passion for analyzing data. Faced with the challenge of staying competitive in the dairy industry, the Homestead Dairy family decided to build automated calf feeders, a new robotic facility, and a indoor feed center to take advantage of new technologies and improve efficiencies.

Kolten Kittleson is the Senior Product Manager with VAS, leading a team of highly talented Product Managers to advance the mission of VAS and continue supporting farms worldwide. In addition, Kolten works on his family beef farm, is authoring a series of children’s books based on the farm, a dedicated volunteer in his community working at the local food pantries and children's hospital, and training for his next upcoming bodybuilding competition in his beloved state of Hawaii.

Andy Lenkaitis, PE, MSc, brings a wealth of experience to the dairy industry working as a Senior Herd Management Engineer at GEA Farm Technologies, while also co-owning a dairy farm that milks with two GEA robots, alongside his wife Sarah. Andy dedicates his time educating dairy producers about the technology implemented on their farm and how it can best meet their individual needs. By helping farms find solutions to becoming more efficient in their day-to-day activities and maximizing their milk production, Andy plays an integral role in setting operations up for future generations. Andy has a master’s degree in Agriculture and Biological Engineering. He has worked at GEA for over 17 years covering areas from the manure management side of the business to herd health and management.

Clay McCarty is a 4th generation dairy farmer from Northwest Kansas where he owns and operates McCarty Family Farms alongside his three brothers. McCarty Family Farms is made up of four dairy farms and an onsite evaporative milk condensing plant that supplies non-GMO project verified milk and cream to Danone North America.

In addition to overseeing operations at the Rexford Dairy, Clay is actively involved in designing and facilitating dairy upgrades and innovation to further support a sustainable future for his farm, family and community. The farms implement stringent animal welfare programs, progressive genetic improvement plans along with regenerative agricultural practices in feed production and water conservation.

In 2018, the McCarty Family partnered with VanTilburg Farms of Celina, Ohio to build MVP Dairy (McCarty-VanTilburg Partnership) which was named the 2020 IDFA Innovative Dairy of the Year and is a 2021 US Dairy Sustainable Farm Award Winner. Recently, McCarty Family Farms built their most innovative dairy to date in Rexford, Kansas where they milk 10,000 registered Holsteins and have an on-farm visitor center, the Judy McCarty Dairy Learning Center. Most recently, McCarty Family Farms was named World Dairy Expo Dairy of the year for 2025 for their continued leadership in the dairy community.

MoDak Dairy is a dairy, beef, and cropping operation located near Goodwin, in Northeastern South Dakota, that has been part of the Moes family for 130+ years. It is owned and operated by two brothers, a son, and 40 other families involved in making the operation a success.

MoDak Dairy currently milks 2600 Holstein cows 3 times a day, farms 5000 acres and raises wet calves including Dairy on Beef calves, they also raise all Beef crosses from birth to finish weight.

In 2021 MoDak Dairy built and finished their new Calf and Heifer facility. At this time, MoDak switched to Akaushi crossed with Holstein breeding. 70% of beef on dairy is Akaushi cross.

In 2022 MoDak Dairy invested in a corn grinding facility which is used to store crops from their harvest. Currently MoDak Dairy is raising 2600 replacement heifers on their new facility.

Jonathan Pare is the Canadian Dairy Strategic Lead at Cargill, where he leverages cutting-edge technologies to promote healthy cows, thriving economies, and top-quality dairy products. With a Bachelor's degree in Animal Science from McGill University and deep-rooted experience in the dairy industry, Jonathan combines practical knowledge with strategic insight.

From a young age, Jonathan has been immersed in the world of dairies, fueling his passion for the field. His career is marked by leading cross-functional teams and pioneering projects that drive innovation and excellence. Jonathan has played a pivotal role in developing and implementing digital strategies across the US and Canada, empowering dairy farmers with the tools and insights needed to enhance profitability and efficiency.

Dr. Barb Petersen owns and operates Sunrise Veterinary Service PLLC, serving the Texas Panhandle since 2011. Her passion is supporting humans in agriculture that care for dairy and beef calves, heifers, and cattle. She grew up on an 80-cow Holstein dairy farm cropping corn, alfalfa, soybeans, and wheat in Eastern Iowa. Barb puts the Animal Science (2005) and DVM (2009) degrees she earned at Iowa State to good use by focusing on the basics of animal husbandry. She earned additional business and marketing skills via an MBA degree in 2020 at West Texas A+M. Her professional experience includes industry, marketing, diagnostics, technology, and nutrition.

Dr. Michelle Schack is a dairy veterinarian and co-founder of DairyKind, a company focused on improving on-farm animal well-being through high-quality training and resources. With a passion for connecting farmers, consumers, and animals, she is committed to fostering sustainability and compassion in dairy farming. Through her online platform @DairyDoc, she educates a wide audience on the care and well-being of dairy cattle.

Colton Schrempp serves as the Director of Precision Farming at Midwest Machinery Co. With over six years of experience in precision agriculture through John Deere, he has developed a deep understanding of the industry across Minnesota.

He earned a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Systems Management and Agribusiness from the University of Minnesota before gaining hands-on expertise at two different dealerships. His journey led him to his current leadership role as Director, expanding his knowledge across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa.

Colton is passionate about making precision agriculture accessible to farms of all sizes. His goal is to find the right solutions and provide the best possible support to farmers.

Jacob Twohey is a graduate of the University of Minnesota. He farms alongside his dad and brother outside of Stewartville, MN. Twohey Dairy milks 300 Holstein cows with 4 Delaval V300 robots and farms 1,400 acres of land. They also use multiple dairy technologies on the farm.

Nick Vande Weerd is a seasoned agricultural entrepreneur, finance strategist, and military officer with profound experience leading large-scale operations and shaping strategic direction. He owns and operates Pleasant Dutch Dairy, a 3,000-cow operation in South Dakota, where he has grown into a high-performing, innovative business focused on operational efficiency, sustainability, and team development.

In addition to his work in production agriculture, Nick serves on the Board of Directors for AgriBank, a $200 billion Farm Credit institution. Since joining the board in 2015, he has served as both Vice Chair and Chair, and he was recently elected Chair of the Governance Committee. Before serving at AgriBank, he served on the Farm Credit Services of America board. His knowledge of governance and finances continues to help AgriBank's goal of making rural and agricultural economies stronger.

Nick also serves as a Major in the South Dakota Air National Guard, where he is the Director of Personnel. His over 25-year military career includes multiple deployments, including to Iraq and to Dover AFB’s Port Mortuary, where he supported mortuary operations. These experiences have strengthened his leadership, operational adaptability, and strategic planning capabilities.

He holds three bachelor’s degrees and a master’s in economics from South Dakota State University. He brings a unique combination of academic training, field expertise, and boardroom insight to each leadership role.

Jim has worked in dairy all his life - from growing up on a small farm in northern Wisconsin to working with dairy in Turkey, Australia, Indonesia, southeast United States, and Wisconsin. Jim has been the dairy manager at Nehls Bros Farm LTD in Juneau, WI for the last 15 years. He also consults with Raffles Pacific Harvest where they are now milking 2400 cows. Jim and his wife Linda live in Beaver Dam, WI.