The 2025 Summit Speakers

Stay tuned for new speaker announcements

Meet the 2025 Salinas Biological Summit Speakers

Jerry Baron

Jerry is the Executive Director, The IR-4 Project

Frederic Beudot

Frederic is Vice President Biologicals, Corteva Agriscience

Carl Casale

In 2018, Carl helped launch Ospraie Ag Science, the venture arm of Ospraie Management. In this role, he leads successful venture campaigns for select companies that help farmers do more with less environmental impact.

Meghan Diaz

Senior Director, Strategic Sourcing and Innovation, Sprouts Farmers Market

Dennis Donohue

Dennis is Director of the Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology and co-convenor of the 2025 Salinas Biological Summit

Lauren Fann

Lauren manages The Pest Management Research portfolio at the Almond Board of California.

Bonnie Fernandez-Fenaroli

Bonnie Fernandez-Fenaroli is Executive Director, Center for Produce Safety

Gifford Gillette

Gifford grew up on an Idaho potato farm and pursued his passion for science through degrees in Ecology (BS), Biology (MS), and Natural Resources (PhD) from Idaho universities.

Matthew J. Grieshop

Matthew J. Grieshop is the founding director of the Grimm Family Center for Organic Production and Research at Cal Poly.

François Lamoureux

François is President, CXC

Claire Lee

Claire is Director, Growth Strategies, Wharf42

Pam Marrone

Pam is Co-founder & Executive Chair, Invasive Species Foundation and Invasive Species Corporation

Rick Melnick

Rick Melnick, Partner and VP Global Business, DunhamTrimmer

Dr. Karen Morrison

Karen is Director, California Department of Pesticide Regulation

Tim Nuss

Tim is the Co-Founder of AgList.com, the leading independent discovery platform for agricultural biologicals.

Secretary Karen Ross

Secretary Karen Ross, California Department of Food & Agriculture

Larry Taylor

Larry is the Co-founder & Managing Partner of The Yield Lab, Asia Pacific.

Stuart Woolf

Stuart is President and CEO of Woolf Farming & Processing and Chair, Western Growers

Peter Wren-Hilton

Peter is the founder & CEO of New Zealand-based Wharf42 & convenor of the 2025 Salinas Biological Summit

Nick Young

Nick Young is the Environmental Program Manager for the California Department of Food & Agriculture's Fertilizing Materials Inspection Program.