Growing Solutions: U.S.-Japan Agri-Tech Innovations for a Carbon Neutral Future

Event Details

Date & Time:
Monday, March 10th from 3:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M.
*Doors open at 2:30 P.M.

Venue:
Digital Garage
717 Market Street, Suite 100
San Francisco, CA 94103

Price:
FREE!

Agenda:
2:30 – 3:00       Registration
3:00 – 3:05       Opening Remarks, Yo Osumi | Consul General of Japan in San Francisco
3:05 – 3:10       Keynote Speaker 1 “Video Message related to Japan California legislative forum”, Robert Rivas | Speaker of the California State Assembly
3:10 – 3:20       Keynote Speaker 2 “Status of State Government Initiative for Agri-Tech”, Maria Onorato | Associate Deputy Director for Industry Engagement and Development, California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz)
3:20 – 3:30      Keynote Speaker 3 “Innovation in Agriculture in Silicon Valley/California”, Gabriel Youtsey | Chief Innovation Officer, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources
3:30 – 3:40      Keynote Speaker 4 “Innovation in Agriculture in Silicon Valley/California”, John Hartnett | Founder and CEO of SVG Ventures
3:40 – 3:55      Break & Networking
3:55 – 4:25      Panel Discussion, Investment for Agri-Tech in Silicon Valley, Collaboration between Japanese companies and startups in Silicon Valley

• Masayuki Kimura | Board Director & Chief Operating Officer, Deloitte Tohmatsu Venture Support
• Kenichi Katsuhara | Senior Manager, Norinchukin Bank
• Hiro Ueda | Executive Officer Global Agri Research and Business Center, Kagome
• Akiko Kawai | Senior Manager of Kubota Innovation Center Silicon Valley
• Moderator: Richard (Rickie) Koo | Principal, DNX Venture Partners

​4:25 – 4:45      US-Japan Startup Introduction

• 4:25 – 4:30      Josh Silverman | Chief Executive Officer, Windfall Bio
• 4:30 – 4:35      David Yocom | Director of Strategy, EarthOptics
• ​4:35 – 4:40      Koichiro Tachibana | Head of Business Development, Ac-Planta
• ​4:40 – 4:45     Shogo Okishio | Sales and Business development, TOWING

​4:45 – 4:50      Closing Remarks, Steve Pollock | President, Japan Society of Northern California
4:50 – 6:00      Networking

Keynote Speakers
John Hartnett | Founder & CEO, SVG Ventures | THRIVE SVG Ventures | THRIVE is a leading AgriFood Innovation and Investment platform headquartered in Silicon Valley, and comprised of top agriculture, food & technology corporations, universities and investors. With a community of over 10,000 startups from over 100 countries, SVG invests, accelerates and creates unparalleled access for entrepreneurs to scale globally to solve the biggest challenges facing the food and agriculture industries.
Robert Rivas | Speaker of the California State Assembly Robert Rivas took the oath of office as Speaker of the California State Assembly on June 30, 2023. He was first elected to the body in 2018. Prior to being elected Speaker, Rivas served as the Chair of the Assembly Agriculture Committee and as Vice-Chair of the influential Latino Legislative Caucus. A lifelong resident of the 29th Assembly District, Rivas previously served two terms on the San Benito County Board of Supervisors prior to becoming an Assemblymember.
Maria Onorato | Associate Deputy Director for Industry Engagement and Development, California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) Maria Onorato is the Foreign Direct Investment Program Manager at the California Governor’s Office of Business & Economic Development (GO-Biz). The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, or GO-Biz, serves as the State of California’s leader for job growth, economic development and business assistance efforts in the world’s fifth largest economy. It offers no-cost consultation to business owners for attraction, retention and expansion services, site selection, permit streamlining, clearing of regulatory hurdles, small business assistance, international trade development, assistance with state government, and much more.
– Gabriel Youtsey | Chief Innovation Officer, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources Gabriel Youtsey is a pioneering leader in agrifood innovation, driving technology commercialization and sustainable growth in agriculture, food, and biotech. As Chief Innovation Officer at UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, he leads statewide efforts to accelerate climate-smart solutions, strengthen rural economies, and build a resilient food system.A co-founder of The VINE, Youtsey has launched major initiatives to advance AI-driven food systems, regenerative agriculture, controlled environment farming, and workforce development. He is leading the creation of a globally competitive agrifood technology hub, uniting industry, research, and communities to tackle food security and climate challenges.
Panel Speakers
Akiko Kawai | Senior Manager of Kubota Innovation Center Silicon Valley Kubota provides solutions leveraging a diverse range of products, technologies, and services in the fields of food, water, and the environment, all of which are indispensable parts of our lives. We are engaged in a wide range of businesses: agricultural solutions that support the world’s diet, water-related solutions that regenerate and deliver safe water, and living environment solutions that support comfortable lifestyles and industry.
Kenichi Katsuhara | Senior Manager, Norinchukin Bank The Norinchukin Bank is a leading financial institution in Japan, serving as the central cooperative bank for agricultural, forestry, and fishery cooperatives. Its primary mission is to support and promote the sustainable development of these industries, which are vital to Japan’s economy and society.
Masayuki Kimura | Board Director & Chief Operating Officer, Deloitte Tohmatsu Venture Support Innovation is the key to driving business success and revitalizing the Japanese and the world economies in the 21st century. At Deloitte Tohmatsu Venture Support (DTVS), our mission is to “create the future alongside innovators”, by collaborating with startups, large corporations and government agencies. Our main activities include: startup support, consulting for large corporations, open innovation and government agency support.
Hiro Ueda | Executive Officer Global Agri Research and Business Center, Kagome Kagome Co., Ltd. is a Japanese food company that was established in 1899 and specializes in products based on vegetables and fruit. It is widely known for its tomato-related products such as tomato juice, ketchup and pasta sauce. We place importance on and has built its business on a value chain that creates value from agriculture. We are developing vegetable varieties, advanced cultivation techniques, products that contribute to human health and longevity, and health research.
Startup Speakers
Josh Silverman | Chief Executive Officer, Windfall Bio Windfall Bio has developed the first-ever solution to remove climate-harming methane emissions with its nature-based solution that harnesses mems (methane-eating microbes) to transform methane from any source into valuable outputs, like fertilizer for organic farming, carbon credits, or progress toward sustainability goals.
Koichiro Tachibana | Head of Business, Development for the Americas, Ac-Planta  Ac-Planta is an agri-biotech company leveraging cutting-edge epigenetic technology to enhance plant resilience and increase agricultural productivity. Our flagship product line, “Skeepon,” enhances crop resilience to heat and drought, leading to increased yields and cost savings in agriculture.
Shogo Okishio | Sales and Business Development, TOWING Founded in 2020, TOWING Co., Ltd. develops and sells a high-performance biochar product called Soratan. (Biochar is a carbon-rich material produced by heating organic biomass such as agricultural and forestry waste in a low-oxygen environment) Soratan is created using advanced microbiology technology, combining biochar with organic fertilizers to enhance soil quality.
David Yocom | Director of Strategy, EarthOptics EarthOptics is a cutting-edge soil data and services platform that leverages vertically integrated soil sampling, technology, testing and data services to provide actionable insights into soil health. Our platform integrates physical, chemical, and biological soil data, enabling farmers, landowners, and sustainability-focused enterprises to optimize land management practices to improve yields and environmental outcomes.
MC & Moderator
Richard (Rickie) Koo | Partner, DNX Venture Partners Founded in 2011, DNX Ventures is a B2B focused early stage VC fund investing in Retail and Commerce, Cybersecurity, Enterprise Infra/AI, Climate Tech, and Deep Tech. In partnership with our 30+ Japanese corporate partners, DNX actively seeks B2B startups that are transforming the way we live and work, including in the energy transition and agri-tech.

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