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Austin Vaillancourt

Senior Business Manager, Biofuels and Bioproducts | Verity Tracking

Austin Vaillancourt is a business development professional with 15 years of experience in the renewable fuels and energy space. Since joining Gevo, a next-generation “low-carbon” fuel company focused on the development and commercialization of renewable alternatives to petroleum-based products, Mr. Vaillancourt has held several roles within the business, both technical and otherwise. In his current role as a Senior Business Manager, Mr. Vaillancourt leads the biofuels and bioproducts channel as part of the Verity Carbon Solutions business unit where he works to identify and nurture strategic relationships with partners or potential customers as well as assist in the development of a strong pipeline of new business opportunities through direct or indirect customer contact and prospecting. Prior to joining Gevo, Mr. Vaillancourt held several positions at Southern Research Institute where he served as the Analytical Leader on Fulcrum BioEnergy’s pilot-scale process development unit designed to catalytically convert synthesis gas to mixed alcohols. Mr. Vaillancourt has a BS in Chemical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

    Ben Conner

    Partner | DTB AgriTrade

    Ben Conner is a partner at DTB AgriTrade, an agricultural trade policy consulting firm that helps clients pursue their international policy goals, including assistance with trade negotiations, monitoring and analyzing compliance with trade commitments, trade enforcement, and policy advocacy. Before joining DTB AgriTrade, he was the Vice President of Policy at U.S. Wheat Associates, where he worked to address tariffs, trade-restrictive sanitary and phytosanitary measures, and other non-tariff barriers to U.S. wheat exports. Prior to that, he served as the agriculture and trade legislative assistant for U.S. Senator Mike Johanns of Nebraska. Conner holds a joint MS-MBA in food and agribusiness management from Purdue University and Indiana University. He also has a master’s degree in international commerce and policy from George Mason University and was an undergraduate at Miami University in Ohio.

      Casey Peterson, Ph.D.

      Program Development Manager | Northern Crops Institute

      Dr. Casey Peterson is the Program Development Manager and Co-Interim Director of the NCI. Some of his responsibilities include coordinating educational programming, leading the development of educational programming, assisting with long-term strategy development and implementation. Dr. Peterson has 25 years’ experience in higher education administration at NDSU and Concordia College prior to his time with NCI.

        David Ripplinger

        Associate Professor/Extension Bioproducts/Bioenergy Economist | NDSU

        David Ripplinger is an Associate Professor, Extension Bioproducts, and Bioenergy Economist with North Dakota State University (NDSU). Ripplinger received his B.S. in Agricultural Economics from NDSU, his M.S. in Agricultural Economics from Iowa State…

          Jacob L. Shapiro

          Partner & Director of Geopolitical Analysis | Cognitive Investments

          Jacob oversees geopolitical analysis at CI, working with the CI research team to integrate geopolitics into CI’s investment strategies. He also authors the “Global Situation Report,” a weekly intelligence brief on the world’s most…

            Larry LeMaster

            Partner | Elevar Partners

            Larry LeMaster has been a Partner with Elevar Partners since 2018 where he has focused on Renewable Fuels and their further transition into the Transportation Fuels pool.  With Renewable Fuels becoming a more integral…

              Megan Rock

              Vice President of Sustainability and Innovation and the Chief Sustainability Officer | CHS

              Megan Rock is the Vice President of Sustainability and Innovation and the Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) at CHS, the nation’s leading farmer-owned cooperative and an agronomy, global energy, grains and food company. In 2022,…

                Ty Eschenbaum

                Managing Partner | A1 Development Solutions

                Ty Eschenbaum is a Managing Partner at A1 Development Solutions, a Midwest consulting firm specializing in site selection, permitting, overall site development, financing, and operations for agricultural, food, commercial, and bioenergy projects.  He remains…