DR. RONNIE COFFMAN

Professor at Cornell University

Ronnie Coffman serves as International Professor of Plant Breeding and Director of International Programs of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University. He also serves as Principal Investigator of the Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project (ABSPII), the Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat project, the Agricultural Innovations Partnership, and the NextGen Cassava Project. Previous positions include Associate Dean for Research and Director, Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station; Chair of the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, and Plant Breeder at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). Coffman is the recipient of the 2013 World Agriculture Prize.

DR. ANTHONY SHELTON

Professor at Cornell University

Anthony Shelton is an applied insect ecologist Professor at Cornell University who works on developing knowledge for national and international insect pest management programs. He works with public and private sectors but more closely with regulatory agencies and public policy issues in agriculture. Since 2015, he has been the Director of a USAID-funded project for insect-resistant eggplant in Bangladesh and the Philippines. He was recognized with many prestigious awards such as IPM Team Award (2013) Entomological Society of America, L. O. Howard Award (2011) Eastern Branch Entomological Society of America, Outstanding New Extension Publication (2011) NYS Assoc. of Ag Agents, Plenary Speaker (2011) Entomological Society of Canada.

Dr. Jiban Krishna Biswas

Executive Director at Krishi Gobeshona Foundation

Dr. Jiban Krishna Biswas is working with Krishi Gobeshona Foundation (KGF) as Executive Director. Before working in KGF, he worked as a national Consultant with International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). He has over 31 years of experience in many dignified positions of Bangladesh government service. Recently, he has retired from government service as Director General, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI). He has played as Focal point in Preparation of Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR), Lead researcher in Livelihood Adaptation to Climate Change (Focal Point-BRRI component: FAO-project), Investigator (BRRI-component): Impact Assessment of Climate Change on Production and Market of Agriculture Products: A joint Research between JIRCAS and BRRI, Investigator in Cereal System Initiative for South Asia: Objective 3 (High temperature and Cold), Collaborating researcher: with Rainfed Lowland Rice Research Consortium (IRRIBRRI project) Collaborating researcher in Upland Rice Research Consortium (IRRI-BRRI project) and Collaborating researcher in Use of Azolla as nitrogenous fertilizer. He has done many researches and publications on plants, rice, soil and biodiversity

Michelle Adelman

Founder & Managing Director at Accite Holdings

Michelle Adelman is a seasoned strategist, recognized business leader, and fierce advocate for mission-driven investing. She is the founder of Accite, a boutique firm focused on building sustainable food and agriculture technology businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa and growth markets that spur economic diversification and employment of youth and women, enabling the continent to be more food-secure. In 2017, Ms. Adelman was named by CEO Global as Africa’s Most Influential Woman – Business & Professional Services and in 2019, Ms. Adelman was named to the Forbes Africa “20 New Wealth Creators” list. Ms. Adelman is a speaker and consultant on agricultural transformation in emerging markets and serves on the advisory board to Cornell University’s Dean of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Ms. Adelman serves on the Boards of Directors Sir Ketumile Masire Foundation and the Impact Fund. She graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Agricultural & Environmental Engineering.

Dr. Mahaletchumy Arujanan

Executive Director at Malaysian Biotechnology Information Center (MABIC)

Mahaletchumy Arujanan works as the Executive Director at Malaysian Biotechnology Information Center (MABIC). She was listed as the 100 most influential person in biotechnology in the world by Scientific American WorldView in 2015. She was also listed as Women in Biotechnology Law and Regulation in 2015 by Biotechnology Law Report. In addition, she is a recipient of 2010 TWAS Regional Prize for Public Understanding of Science for East, Southeast Asia and Pacific Region. She sits on various panels and committees at both the national and international level; and is a regular speaker at biotechnology events.

Abraham Manalo

Executive Secretary at Biotechnology Coalition of the Philippines (BCP), Inc

Abraham Manalo, DPA is a Policy and Planning Specialist. He obtained his doctorate degree in public administration from UP Diliman, where he also took his Master in statistics and in the public administration major public policy. He is currently a Professorial Lecturer at the same university where he handles undergraduate and graduates courses on research methods and public policy. He is currently Executive Secretary of the Biotechnology Coalition of the Philippines (BCP), Inc.

Vijay K Ragavan

Chairman at Sathguru Management Consultants

Vijay K Ragavan is the chairman of Sathguru Management Consultants firm established to integrate proficiencies in science and management to help create and nurture innovative enterprises, by adopting next generation technologies. He is a Chartered Accountant and a certified Management Consultant. He has helped structure governance and leadership models for global consortiums, corporate enterprises and non-profit organizations. For over two decades, he has led several collaborative partnerships in research, technology transfer and regional capacity building with Cornell University for the Asian region. He is a member of the International Advisory Committee of AUTM and Honorary President of the Society for Technology Management (STEM), the Indian association of technology management professionals. He is also a fellow member of Institute of Management Consultants of India and he is on the advisory board of Cornell Center for Hospitality Research.

Dr. Vijay Paranjape

Vice President, Life Science Advisory at Sathguru Management Consultants

Dr. Vijay Paranjape is an experienced Seed Industry professional with over 25 years of techno-commercial-regulatory experience in diverse areas of Agricultural Biotechnology. Provided leadership as well as contributed towards different phases of plant biotech product development pipeline starting from gene discovery to product development, intellectual property protection, PPV&FR, stewardship/regulatory compliance governing product approval, and product stewardship (ETS) to enable the delivery of high quality of seeds to farmers. Over 17 years of experience in Monsanto (now Bayer) – a leading agriculture Biotech company. Vijay has a Ph. D in molecular biology from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and post-doctoral research experience in plant molecular biology from Imperial College, London, UK, and Washington State University, Pullman, USA. He is Visiting Fellow, International Programs, Cornell University, USA

Brantley Browning

Senior Program Officer at Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Browning is a member of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, where he serves as a Senior Program Officer. A former international social programs manager at Starbucks Coffee Co., he was responsible for integrating social development into coffee, tea, and cocoa procurement practices. He received an M.A. in public policy from Harvard University`s Kennedy School of Government.

Dr. Sarah Davidson Evanega

Director at Alliance for Science

Sarah Davidson Evanega serves as International Professor of Plant Breeding (adjunct) and Senior Associate Director of International Programs of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University. She is the Sr. Associate Director of the Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat Project a 66 million dollar project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the UK Department for International Development that is based in International Programs (IP-CALS) at Cornell University, but involves project partners from over 20 institutions around the world, all working together to protect the world’s wheat from stem rust. Sarah also leads IP-CALS gender working group, AWARE (Advancing Women in Agriculture through Research and Education.

Dr. Karim Maredia

Professor at Michigan State University (MSU)

Dr. Karim Maredia is a Professor and Senior Associate to the Dean in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Michigan State University (MSU). He serves as the Director of the World Technology Access (WorldTAP) Program. Dr. Maredia has worked in numerous international development projects funded by the USAID, USDA, UN-FAO, the World Bank, Rockefeller Foundation, Winrock International, and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Prior to joining MSU in 1989, Dr. Maredia worked with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Mexico as a Research Scientist for three years. For his contributions to International Human Resources Development, Dr. Maredia was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree (Doctor Honoris Causa) by the University of Ricardo Palma in Lima, Peru in May 2009. In March 2010, Dr. Maredia received the prestigious Ralph Smuckler Award for Advancing International Studies and Programs at Michigan State University. Since 2017, Dr. Maredia has been serving as a Member of the African Union (AU) High Level Panel on Emerging Technologies. In December 2018, this panel received the Science Diplomacy Award at the Science Forum in South Africa.

KBD. Hamidur Rahman

Member at Annual Performance Expert Pool, Ministry of Agriculture

Agriculturist Md. Hamidur Rahman is the former Director-General of the Department of Agricultural Extension of Bangladesh and currently, he is a member of the Annual Performance Expert Pool, Ministry of Agriculture. He graduated in Agricultural Science from Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh in 1981 and started his career as a Thana Extension Officer in the Department of Agricultural Extension. During his working life, he worked as a field officer in the Seed Certification Agency from 1985 to 1996 and in various projects of the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation-funded inter cooperation in Liaoning from 2001 to 2010. Prior to joining as Director-General, he was the Project Director of the 2nd ADB-funded Crop Diversification Project under the Department of Agricultural Extension. He has participated in various training and workshops in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Madagascar, Uganda.

Dr. Sheila Ochugboju

Executive Director at Alliance for Science

Dr. Sheila Ochugboju is a futurist, international development expert and communication specialist who has been working in research science and international development for more than 15 years. She most recently served as Head of Strategic Communications for the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). In addition to senior management roles in Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria, she has worked with international think tanks, various United Nations agencies, multilateral institutions and philanthropic organizations across Europe, Africa and Asia. Sheila is an inaugural TED Africa Fellow and co-founder of Africa Knows, a knowledge management and media consultancy. She earned a Bachelor of Science in medical biochemistry and a Ph.D. in plant biochemistry from the University of London and completed a post-doctoral research fellowship in baculovirus expression at the University of Oxford. Sheila, who has four grown children, currently resides in London and will be relocating to Ithaca, New York.