The National Steinbeck Center, Salinas, Calif., is highlighting its exhibit on women innovators in California ag-tech with a panel discussion.
The center’s virtual exhibit, “From Farms to Incubators, Women Innovators in California Agtech,” looks at how women entrepreneurs are transforming agriculture through technology. While technology and agriculture have long histories in California, the intersection of the two is relatively recent, according to a news release.
“One commonality is that women and individuals with diverse cultural/ethnic backgrounds have historically been underrepresented in both industries,” according to the release. “Now, a new generation of startups led by women, with a diversity of backgrounds and ethnicities, are seeking to provide novel perspectives and solutions to agriculture’s problems with tech innovation.”
The event is from 4-6 pm. Nov. 12; registration is online.
Scheduled speakers are:
- Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce;
- Michele Speich, director of the National Steinbeck Center;
- Dennis Donohue, director of the Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology;
- Anna Caballero, California State senator;
- Jacob Martinez, founder of DigitalNEST;
- Ray Corpuz Jr., former Salinas city manager;
- Andy Myrick, Salinas economic development manager;
- Becky Bazabal, owner of Bazabal Consulting Inc.
Panelists lined up for the discussion are:
- Amy Wu, creator and chief content director of From Farms to Incubators;
- Pam Marrone, founder and director of Marrone Bio Innovation;
- Ros Harvey, founder and managing director of The Yield;
- Thuy-Le Vuong, founder of The Redmelon Co.; and
- Penelope Nagel, chief operating officer of Persis.
The exhibit is a companion to Wu’s upcoming book “From Farms to Incubators: Women Innovators Revolutionizing How Our Food Is Grown.”
“I hope my work serves to inspire the next generation, just as the previous generation of women inspired my work and this exhibition,” Wu said in a news release. “Frieda Caplan is a personal hero of mine, and it is inspiring to see what she and her daughters have done for the industry. I am incredibly grateful for Frieda’s Specialty Produce’s generous support and thrilled to have Karen (Caplan) as the featured speaker.”
