The Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI) will host its first AURI Connects: Fields of Innovation event of 2025, sponsored by Bremer Bank and Minnesota Farmers Union.
The webinar, “Risky Business: Planning for Risks On the Path to Commercialization,” will be hosted via Zoom from noon to 1 p.m. CT on Thursday, February 20. The hour-long event will give entrepreneurs and professionals in the food and ag industry an overview of how to bring new products and processes to market, including discussions about financial investments, time needs, and risks involved. The event is free, and participants must register to attend.
“Entrepreneurs will encounter challenges and risks on the way to building their business. During this webinar we will share resources about planning for and managing through adverse situations,” says Alexandra Ostlund, business development director of novel supply chains at AURI. “There is much opportunity for innovation in the food and ag industries, and we want to make sure business owners are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to be able to move their enterprise forward.”
The three-person moderated panel will offer an audience question-and-answer format and discuss topics such as securing capital, due diligence in scaling up, often-overlooked costs leading up to commercial operations, and real-world examples of how to prepare for and mitigate risks.
Panel members include:
· Cristine Handel, Ph.D., Global Sustainability Head, Valent BioSciences
· Skip Wyer, Chief Investment Office, RuralWorks Partners, LLC
· Danny Way, Venture Partner, Carrot Ventures
“Each of these panel members brings a wealth of knowledge in building businesses that can help other innovators excel,” says Jennifer Wagner-Lahr, senior director of business development and commercialization at AURI.
AURI Connects: Fields of Innovation is a platform focused on convening Minnesota’s regional ag and food value chains to build capacity and successfully accelerate the commercialization of new crop and livestock opportunities, including new traits for existing crops. With its focus on connecting innovation and market development with value chain partners, Fields of Innovation aims to build a strong ecosystem in Minnesota and border states that will provide ag producers and value chain partners with new market opportunities.
To attend the “Risky Business: Planning for Risks On the Path to Commercialization” webinar, register here.
ABOUT AURI
The Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI) is a nonprofit whose mission is to accelerate the expansion of the agricultural economy by empowering expanded uses and markets of agriculturally derived products. It accomplishes this by using science and technology to help develop new uses for agricultural products. It collaborates globally, acts regionally, and is known as an economic catalyst for Minnesota with a focus on bioindustrial products and food. AURI provides a broad range of services, including applied research and development, scientific assistance, and a targeted network across the value chain to foster collaboration. To learn more, visit auri.org.
