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2018 AGENDA 

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8TH | MINNESOTA HISTORY CENTER 

Sessions begin promptly at the times listed below. Doors open a half hour before each session begins.

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

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GROW NORTH FREE EVENT: Opening Keynote: The Time Is Now

A fireside chat conversation with Jeff Harmening, CEO and Chairman of the Board, General Mills and Kerri Miller, MPR News

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Free event, but registration is required.

10:00 AM - 11:15 AM

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GROW NORTH: SESSION 2a: The Future of the Retail Model

Speakers: Josh Resnick (CEO, The Wedge Co-Op), Rachael Vegas (Chief Merchant, Brandless), Jeanine Silberblatt (Head of Retail, Stockwell)

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Moderated by: Allison Kaplan (Editor in Chief, Twin Cities Business)

 

This event is possible through the support of  Schwan's

OR

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GROW NORTH: SESSION 2b: Hemp, MN, and the Creation of a New Industry

Speakers: Andrea Vaubel (Deputy Commissioner, Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture), John Strohfus (Founder and CEO of Minnesota Hemp Farms, Inc.), Charles Levine (Owner, Hemp Acres LLC & Equichill LL), Anne Thompson, (VP of Marketing, Manitoba Harvest) 

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Moderated by: Jennifer Wagner Lahr (Sr. Dir. of Innovation & Commercialization, AURI)

Roundtable Lunches

11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

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GROW NORTH SESSION 3: Roundtable Networking Lunches 

Making Your Brand Stand Out

to the Media 

led by Stephanie Hansen, Makers of MN podcast and talk show host for Weekly Dish myTalk 1071

Scaling Your Startup 

led by Erin Newkirk and Frank Jackman of Localcrate 

Innovation, Opportunity, and

International Trade
led by the Canadian Consulate General of Minneapolis and Minnesota Dept of Agriculture

1:00 PM - 2:15 PM

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MAKER TO MARKET: SESSION 4: Maker to Market Demo Day - FREE

Entrepreneurs: Jen's Jars (Jennifer Alexander), Lost Capital Foods (DJ and

Anastasia Bocchetti), 3 Bear Oats (Therese Moore), ProCured (Jessica Olson)

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Free event, but registration is required.

2:30 PM - 4:15 PM

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GROW NORTH: SESSION 5: Re-Imagining School Nutrition 

Speakers: Stephanie Heim (Associate Program Director, University of Minnesota Extension and state lead for National Farm to School Network),  Bertrand Weber (Director, Culinary & Nutrition Services, Minneapolis Public Schools), Pakou Hang (Executive Director, Hmong American Farmers Association)

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Moderated by: Emily Paul (Director of Programs, The Good Acre)

2:30 PM - 4:00 PM

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4:00 PM - 7:00 PM

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REDWING IGNITE: Connecting Innovators to Advance Ag Technology - FREE - WALK-INS WELCOME

Panelists will highlight the latest innovations and opportunities available to entrepreneurs and startups at the Food and Ag Tech Challenge launch. It is an opportunity to learn, network and hear more information on the challenge with cash awards

TECHSTARS Farm to Fork Demo Day - CLOSED

Speakers include Doug Baker, CEO of Ecolab and David MacLaren, CEO of Cargill
Companies: Big Wheelbarrow, dishq, EIO Diagnostics, HeavyConnect, IFS, 

pepr, Renewal Mill, TradeLanes, Traive

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Free event, but regisration is required

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9TH | GUTHRIE THEATER 

Sessions begin promptly at times listed below. Doors open a half hour before each session begins.

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

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10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

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GROW NORTH SESSION 7a: Continued Rise of Small Food Brands

Speakers: Steve Young (EVP, Managing Director, Sunrise Strategic Partners),
Angie Bastian (Founder, Angie's Boomchickapop) and Cristina Rohr (Vice President at S2G Ventures)

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Moderated by: David Iverson (Managing Director,
Head of Consumer, Food & Retail, Lazard Middle Market)

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This event is possible through the support of  Lazard

 

OR

 

GROW NORTH SESSION 7b: Disrupting the Food Value Chain with
Techstars Farm to Fork

Featuring Brett Brohl (Managing Director) and Claire Schlemme, CEO Renewal Mill, Kishan Vasani, Co-Founder, Dishq, Patrick Zelaya, Founder, HeavyConnect and Fabricio Pezente, Founder, Traive

11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

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GROW NORTH SESSION 8: Roundtable Lunches 
 

Local Food as an Economic Driver in Rural Minnesota 

Led by Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) and Renewing the Countryside

Solving the Problem(s) of Food Waste 

Led by JoAnne Berkenkamp, National Resource Defense Council

A Conversation with Techstars Farm to Fork  - 

Led by Brett Brohl, Managing Director and Lawrence Wang, Cargill

Partnering with Farmers to Scale Your Business Idea 
led by the Sustainable Farming Association

Making Your Brand Stand Out

to the Media 

led by Stephanie Hansen, Makers of MN podcast and talk show host for Weekly Dish myTalk 1071

Scaling Your Startup - SOLD OUT

w/ Erik Brust from Jonny Pops

Mental Health

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

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2:30 PM - 4:00 PM

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GROW NORTH SESSION 10a: A Conversation on the Future of Farming

Speakers: Alise Sjostrom (President and Cheesemaker at Redhead Creamery), Jack Hedin (Owner, Featherstone Farm), Rodrigo Cala (Co-founder, Cala Farm), and Harold Wolle (President, Grogan Ranch)

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Moderated by: Pat Christie, Founder, Conservis

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This event is possible through the support of  The McKnight Foundation

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GROW NORTH SESSION 10b: MN Craft Brewing, Community Building and Agriculture Innovation

Speakers: Lauren Bennett McGinty  (Executive Director, MN Craft Brewers Guild), and Joseph Wells, (Brewer Fair State Brewing), Derrick Taylor,  (President & Co-Founder, Lakes & Legends), Ryan Mihm, (Head Brewer, FINNEGANS), and Sarah Bonvallet, (Co-Founder & Creative Director, Dangerous Man Brewing)

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Crash the Networks HH

5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

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GROW NORTH FREE EVENT 'Crash the Networks' Ecosystem
Happy Hour 

Location: FINNEGANS Brew Co.

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This event is possible through the support of:

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Free event, but registration is required.

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10TH | EXPERIENCES ACROSS MINNEAPOLIS & ST. PAUL

9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

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GROW NORTH SESSION 11: Building Mission-Driven Brands 

Speakers: Elizabeth Stein (Founder and CEO, Purely Elizabeth), Kathryn Lukas (Founder, Farmhouse Culture), Neka Pasquale (Founder & President at Urban Remedy)

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Moderated by: Angie Bastian (Founder, Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP)

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Location: Impact Hub MSP | FINNovation Lab

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

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GROW NORTH SESSION 12: Open Office Hours with 301 Inc. 

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Location: Impact Hub MSP | FINNovation Lab

1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

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GROW NORTH SESSION 13: Food Manufacturing Tour 

Email hello@grownorthmn.com to be added to the waitlist

Starting Location: Northeast Food District

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This event is led by FoodOps (formerly Costello Solutions)

and made possible through the support of CliftonLarsonAllen

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THE NICK SUMMITThe first annual NICK Kitchen Summit geared at the nation's premier shared-use, incubator, and co-cooking kitchens. 


This day-long Summit will bring together shared kitchen professionals to exchange learnings, forge new relationships, and play a part in the future of our industry.

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Our Global Kitchen Exhibit hosted by the Bell Museum

Special Events: 

Petri Dish: Super Foods or Super Frauds (Oct 10)

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Location: The Bell Museum

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11TH AND FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12TH

EVENTS, EXPERIENCES AND CONFERENCES | LOCATIONS ACROSS MINNEAPOLIS, ST. PAUL

Thursday
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

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Thursday

7:45 AM - 4:45 PM

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You Are What You Eat: The Nexus of Food and Health Conference

by AURI, LARTA and MyFormulary 

Location: Le Meridien Hotel

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Friday

8:00 AM - 2:00 PM

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Twin Cities Farm to School Forum hosted by The Good Acre

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Invite-only event. For access to the event, please email The Good Acre. 

Sessions will begin promptly at the times listed below. Doors will open a half hour before each session begins.

Sessions, speakers, and times are subject to change. 

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