Dominic Barton is currently Chair of both Rio Tinto and of LeapFrog Investments, the latter being a pioneering impact investment firm for health care and climate solutions in emerging markets. Dominic is also a Senior advisor and partner at Radical Ventures, a leading AI investment firm. He served as Canadian Ambassador to China and spent over 30 years at McKinsey & Company, including nine years as Global Managing Partner. Dominic’s keen interest in developing responsible investing strategies and impact investment metrics stretches back decades. He brings a wealth of global business experience, as well as a deep insight into geopolitics, corporate sustainability, and governance. Over the course of his career, Dominic has authored more than 80 articles on the role of business in society, leadership, financial services, Asia, history, and the issues and opportunities facing markets worldwide.

Dr. David Babson has extensive experience in government, academic, and non-profit roles promoting advanced technology programs, evidence-based public policy, and sustainable investments to achieve ambitious climate change mitigation and clean energy aims. He is currently the Executive Vice President of the Climate & Energy domain at the XPRIZE Foundation, where he develops and leads initiatives to address global climate and energy challenges. Prior to joining XPRIZE, David served as the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Climate Grand Challenges Initiative, which manages focused programs and grand challenges that seed advanced research aimed at developing impactful solutions for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

David is passionate about finding transformative solutions to global challenges that can scale rapidly for impact while aligning with a vision for a sustainable global economy that meets its climate and environmental obligations to future generations.

Dr. Paul Gauthier is a plant scientist and global expert in controlled environment agriculture. He leads the Australian Indoor Farming Lab at The University of Queensland, where he focuses on climate-resilient strategies to grow staple and specialty crops such as cacao, coffee, and rice indoors.

For more than a decade, Dr. Gauthier has acted as an international academic and industry consultant for controlled environment agriculture industry, supporting leaders in developing vertical farming solutions around the world. He previously led R&D at Bowery Farming and cofounded Kêr Farms, where he pioneered sustainable, pesticide-free berry production. He also founded the Princeton Environmental Ideathon and helped launch the Asian Pacific Indoor Farming Consortium to address global food system challenges.

Dr. Gauthier’s work bridges science, business, and policy, with a focus on advancing food security and sustainable agriculture through innovation.

Henry Gordon-Smith is the founder and CEO of Agritecture, a global consulting firm advancing climate-smart agriculture through cutting-edge farm planning, agtech strategy, and food systems design. A recognized leader in controlled environment agriculture and urban farming, Gordon-Smith has advised hundreds of projects across 60-plus countries. He is a sought-after speaker, panel moderator, and published author on sustainable agriculture and is committed to helping the global food system adapt to climate change through innovation, policy, and collaboration.

Dr. Jennifer Grenz is an assistant professor and Indigenous scholar (Nlaka’pamux, member of the Lytton First Nation) in the Department of Forest Resources Management at the University of British Columbia, jointly appointed, in the Faculty of Forestry and Faculty of Land and Food Systems. Through her Indigenous Ecology Lab, Dr. Grenz applies a food systems lens to restoration ecology and invasion biology, with a focus on the relationships between native and invasive plants and soil microbes. The lab works entirely in service to the land-healing research needs of Indigenous communities, particularly in the context of climate resiliency and land healing after major events like wildfires. Dr. Grenz is also the author of Medicine Wheel for the Planet: A Journey Toward Personal and Ecological Healing, a national bestseller published by Knopf Canada and the University of Minnesota Press.

Sarai Kemp is an accomplished investment professional with over 20 years of experience in agricultural and consumer goods and high-tech industries. She has been making waves in the agri-food tech investment sector for over a decade, starting at Afimilk, a leading Israeli agtech company, where she played a pivotal role in expanding business across East Asia.

Subsequently, Sarai transitioned to investment positions within venture funds and incubators, primarily based in Israel and Singapore. Her expertise lies in identifying groundbreaking startups and supporting their growth. As an investor, active board member, mentor, and hands-on operator, Sarai collaborates closely with early-stage ventures specializing in agtech, foodtech, and climate tech.

She also serves as a mentor for the Mass Challenge accelerator, the Slingshot competition in Singapore, and judge at other various competitions and programs. Sarai received an MBA from Haifa University and a B.A. from Tel Aviv University and is currently nurturing a new and exciting agtech investment venture.

Dr. Shardendu Singh is the assistant director of Research and Demonstration at Central State University, where he leads efforts to expand research infrastructure and build a culture of innovation and outreach. With experience spanning academia, government, and industry, Dr. Singh has held key roles at North Carolina State University, the USDA Agricultural Research Service, and AeroFarms, where he advanced vertical farming technologies and the commercialization of indoor-grown berry crops. Dr. Singh’s expertise bridges technical knowledge and project management across research, education, and stakeholder engagement. He also serves as a science advisor and panel manager at USDA-NIFA, with a focus on bioenergy and environmental sustainability. Dr. Singh holds a PhD in agronomy from Mississippi State University, along with degrees in agriculture and plant physiology from India.

Alison Sunstrum is an influential agricultural leader, entrepreneur, and executive. She invests in profitable, sustainable food systems and technologies that minimize agriculture’s impact on the environment. As the former CEO and co-founder of GrowSafe Systems Ltd., she grew its research and development skunkworks from an Alberta garage to global operations receiving international recognition for science-based innovation.

Alison is currently the CEO of CNSRV-X Inc., a Canadian company researching and applying emerging technology in agriculture. She is also the Managing Partner of The51 Food, a trail-blazing Canadian venture capital firm led by women and committed to revolutionizing the agricultural landscape through groundbreaking technology.

Alison is an advisory council member of Ivey Business School’s Centre for Building Sustainable Value, an advisor to the Arrel Institute, the University of Guelph’s Feeding the Future pan-Canadian strategy, and a steering committee member for the University of Lethbridge’s Hub for Neuroengineering Solutions. She holds patents for innovative technology and has published and presented widely.