The Joy of Working alongside Future Young Leaders.

One of my absolute joys is facilitating groups of leaders (especially emerging leaders) and working in one-on-one and small-group settings. That is why I have loved working as the Chief Facilitator of the 2024 EvokeAg Future Young Leaders program.

They have been such a talented and profoundly reflective group, focusing on sustainability and improving access to innovation. As a cohort, they have their finger on the pulse—improving access to technology, international experience, and innovative approaches to improving the sustainability of farming, aquaculture, and livestock.

Meet our 2024 cohort:

Dr. Katia Taylor, Postdoctoral Researcher at CSIRO

Highlighting the importance of healthy soils for our healthy, we touch on one of our 2024 evokeAG Future Young Leaders, Dr Katia Taylor, 👩‍⚕️ a Postdoctoral Researcher at CSIRO, with a focus on enhancing cropping system resilience and sustainability. At evokeAG 2024 in Perth, Katia talked about the importance of nutrients and carbon in soil and how to restore missing soil carbon.

"Carbon is an important part of healthy soils, and takes hundreds of years to build up as plants, animals and microorganisms slowly decompose." Read more about Katia’s work here.

Sam Lambert, Co-Founder of zenGate Global

Sam Lambert went from starting a new graduate job in global consulting in March 2020, excitedly unwrapping a new work phone and laptop, (like Christmas for adults, he recalls 🎁) to completely changing his career direction when lockdown sparked endless hours of curious contemplation.

Today, he's the Co-Founder, zenGate Global, and shares how he's on a mission to provide equal access and opportunities for innovation in agriculture. Read more about Sam here.

Dr. Roberta Marcoli, postdoctoral aquaculture researcher at James Cook University

"I am a scientist, that’s my trade. I research and I love questions and I love using technology to answer questions"

Roberta Marcoli grew up in a small fishing village in Italy, regularly skipping holidays to Ibiza with friends to complete internships and volunteer in aquaculture operations. Her passion for the ocean and continually learning has evolved into a PhD and now fulltime career.

Roberta is now a postdoctoral researcher at James Cook University and uses cutting edge applied genomics to enhance the health and resilience of aquatic animals to offer practical and sustainable solutions for the future of aquaculture. 🐟

Roberta's belief is through science-backed research and effective communication, we can bridge the gap between the dietary needs of our growing population while protecting the welfare of our oceans. Read more about Robert’s work here.

Guy Coleman, creator of the OpenWeedLocator (OWL)

“Let's get agritech back to the fundamentals of farmer and community driven innovation, where farmers can continually hack the tools and technology to meet the conditions that they know better than anyone else.” 👏

Guy Coleman, evokeAG 2024 Future Young Leader and Founder of OpenWeedLocator (OWL), shares all things open-source innovation in agriculture – and the biscuits that won over the crowd at evokeAG 2024. Read more about Guy’s work here.

Natalie Bell, Founder of Hylo Ag

Natalie Bell has three big passions:

♻️ Finding ways to be sustainable that make good business sense without relying on planting more trees.

💰 Not asking producers to adopt something that costs them a kidney just to be accredited.

🐮 Leading a step change that starts with something small, relatable, that most livestock producers use.

And that's led her to ear tags.

The founder of Hylo Ag, a startup aiming to provide a recycling pathway for livestock ear tags, shares her mission, and the seven words from her wise Grandma that changed her life. Read more about Nat’s work here.

In conclusion, the Future Young Leaders represent the pinnacle of innovation and dedication within Australian agriculture. These young visionaries are not only addressing the pressing challenges of today but are also laying the groundwork for a more resilient and sustainable future. This is what gives me joy as a facilitator. . By providing these young leaders with a platform to engage with an international audience of investors, producers, corporates, researchers, government officials, and industry experts, the program is fostering an environment where groundbreaking ideas can flourish and gain the traction they need to make a significant impact.

Australia’s agrifood supply chain is poised for a bright and prosperous future, thanks in no small part to the contributions of these emerging leaders. AgriFutures Australia’s commitment to supporting and amplifying their voices underscores the importance of investing in the next generation of agricultural innovators. As these young leaders continue to push boundaries and explore new frontiers, they are not only shaping the future of our industry but also ensuring its success and sustainability for generations to come.