Spring '23 Newsletter - From the Desk of Dr. Allan Gray
The Spring Residency trip was simply amazing! Witnessing the inspired and enthusiastic Fellows as they soaked up the problems we uncovered in the agriculture and food industries on this trip was quite the experience.
From The Desk of Allan Gray
Spring Fellows Cohort
The Spring Residency trip was simply amazing! Witnessing the inspired and enthusiastic Fellows as they soaked up the problems we uncovered in the agriculture and food industries on this trip was quite the experience. We traveled across Indiana and Arizona to visit a wide range of partner companies, and the Fellows are now using what they learned to create innovative solutions for the food supply chain.
It has been wonderful watching these entrepreneurs collaborate with our valued corporate partners. It reminds us of all of the limitless potential that DIAL Ventures holds in not only making a significant impact in the rapidly evolving agri-food sector, but also instilling lifelong practical skills in these brilliant young professionals. It thrills me to know that our program is nurturing the brightest minds that will lead the way in bringing about a positive change in the world we live in.
The Spring 2023 Fellows are an extraordinary group. Their experience ranges from blockchain technology, law, heads up display design, e-commerce, automotive, AI and robotics and more! They all enjoyed the Residency trip and are excited about the next steps in the Fellowship process.
Learn more about our Spring Cohort Fellows
Take a look at some of the stops we made
Mrs. Klein’s Pickle Company
At Mrs. Klein’s, the Fellows experienced food manufacturing with a look into how cucumbers become pickles. The fermentation process is fascinating! We observed how a family run business competes in the marketplace and delivers healthy snacks to consumers all over the country.
Indianapolis Fruit
At Indianapolis Fruit, the Fellows received a behind-the-scenes tour of the impressive cold chain that ensures fresh fruit and produce remains at the perfect temperature. Indianapolis Fruit has been a staple in the northwest Mass Avenue district for over 60 years, and is still run by the original family who started it.
Belstra Milling
Belstra Milling was an amazing stop on our Indiana tour and included a visit with the DeKryger family, who now run Belstra Milling. The Fellows had the chance to watch corn, oats and many other Indiana commodities be processed and blended with other minerals to create the perfect animal feed for much of the livestock produced across the U.S.
Digital Innovation Opportunity Assessment Workshop
We were fortunate to assemble a large group of exceptional subject matter experts, who helped us brainstorm the key areas of digital innovation potential in the agriculture and food industry. These workshops have proven to be crucial in guiding DIAL Ventures and our partner, High Alpha Innovations, in identifying the most pressing industry problems that we should focus on solving through innovation. The Fellows also brought their learnings from the Residency trip to this workshop.
The workshops have also been an excellent opportunity for networking, allowing us to catch up with some of the most prominent leaders in the industry while sharing exciting ideas about the future of food and agriculture. For example, our keynote speaker, Matt Barrington, Emerging Technologies Leader at EY provided his insights on the digital transitions we will experience over the next several years.
We would like to express our gratitude to everyone who attended and enriched our discussions with their valuable insights. With the collective expertise and passion of our community, we are confident that we will continue to drive progress and make a positive impact on the industry we serve. Once again, thank you to all who made this event a huge success!
I am excited to announce that the first episode of my webcast DIALed IN is now available. Joining me is Elliott Parker, CEO of High Alpha Innovation. We discuss how corporations and startups can work together and create innovation together and more. The episode also is available on a variety of podcast streaming platforms. Thanks for listening!
Once again, we thank you for all the support you provide in making DIAL Ventures the premier venture studio driving innovation in the digital space for the agri-food industry!
-Allan Gray, Executive Director of DIAL Ventures
From The Desk of Allan Gray
Spring Fellows Cohort
The Spring Residency trip was simply amazing! Witnessing the inspired and enthusiastic Fellows as they soaked up the problems we uncovered in the agriculture and food industries on this trip was quite the experience. We traveled across Indiana and Arizona to visit a wide range of partner companies, and the Fellows are now using what they learned to create innovative solutions for the food supply chain.
It has been wonderful watching these entrepreneurs collaborate with our valued corporate partners. It reminds us of all of the limitless potential that DIAL Ventures holds in not only making a significant impact in the rapidly evolving agri-food sector, but also instilling lifelong practical skills in these brilliant young professionals. It thrills me to know that our program is nurturing the brightest minds that will lead the way in bringing about a positive change in the world we live in.
The Spring 2023 Fellows are an extraordinary group. Their experience ranges from blockchain technology, law, heads up display design, e-commerce, automotive, AI and robotics and more! They all enjoyed the Residency trip and are excited about the next steps in the Fellowship process.
Learn more about our Spring Cohort Fellows
Take a look at some of the stops we made
Mrs. Klein’s Pickle Company
At Mrs. Klein’s, the Fellows experienced food manufacturing with a look into how cucumbers become pickles. The fermentation process is fascinating! We observed how a family run business competes in the marketplace and delivers healthy snacks to consumers all over the country.
Indianapolis Fruit
At Indianapolis Fruit, the Fellows received a behind-the-scenes tour of the impressive cold chain that ensures fresh fruit and produce remains at the perfect temperature. Indianapolis Fruit has been a staple in the northwest Mass Avenue district for over 60 years, and is still run by the original family who started it.
Belstra Milling
Belstra Milling was an amazing stop on our Indiana tour and included a visit with the DeKryger family, who now run Belstra Milling. The Fellows had the chance to watch corn, oats and many other Indiana commodities be processed and blended with other minerals to create the perfect animal feed for much of the livestock produced across the U.S.
Digital Innovation Opportunity Assessment Workshop
We were fortunate to assemble a large group of exceptional subject matter experts, who helped us brainstorm the key areas of digital innovation potential in the agriculture and food industry. These workshops have proven to be crucial in guiding DIAL Ventures and our partner, High Alpha Innovations, in identifying the most pressing industry problems that we should focus on solving through innovation. The Fellows also brought their learnings from the Residency trip to this workshop.
The workshops have also been an excellent opportunity for networking, allowing us to catch up with some of the most prominent leaders in the industry while sharing exciting ideas about the future of food and agriculture. For example, our keynote speaker, Matt Barrington, Emerging Technologies Leader at EY provided his insights on the digital transitions we will experience over the next several years.
We would like to express our gratitude to everyone who attended and enriched our discussions with their valuable insights. With the collective expertise and passion of our community, we are confident that we will continue to drive progress and make a positive impact on the industry we serve. Once again, thank you to all who made this event a huge success!
I am excited to announce that the first episode of my webcast DIALed IN is now available. Joining me is Elliott Parker, CEO of High Alpha Innovation. We discuss how corporations and startups can work together and create innovation together and more. The episode also is available on a variety of podcast streaming platforms. Thanks for listening!
Once again, we thank you for all the support you provide in making DIAL Ventures the premier venture studio driving innovation in the digital space for the agri-food industry!
-Allan Gray, Executive Director of DIAL Ventures