Speakers
Trust our Speaker Bureau to create high impact for your audience.
Brenda Tjaden
Brenda Tjaden is not just a seasoned market analyst; she's a force of nature in the world of agriculture and food economics. Starting her career as a grain trader in 1997, Brenda quickly realized she could make a bigger impact by going solo. She founded a groundbreaking grain marketing advisory, brokerage, and technology firm in 2004, based on her Master’s thesis model for maximizing farm profits through optimized selling decisions.
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Passionate about agricultural policy, Brenda has been a tireless advocate for effective farm leadership and innovative approaches like monetizing regenerative agriculture. Her latest venture, Prairie Routes, is a consultancy that dives deep into farmland management, supply chains, market development, and the economics of modern agribusiness, including hot topics like climate finance and ESG reporting.
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Over her 25-year career, Brenda has not only led businesses but also educated the industry. She's delivered hundreds of courses, keynotes, and panel discussions and has been the driving force behind numerous conferences, workshops, and focus groups.
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Whether you're interested in commodities, market development, carbon pricing, or the intricacies of food supply chains, Brenda has the curiosity and research savvy to make sense of the future.
She publishes twice-weekly, 100% independent and purpose-driven economic analysis on Substack: https://brendatjaden.substack.com/
From predicting the next big food trend to decoding the secret language of consumer behaviour to making sense of the latest AI-based developments, Andreas is the go-to speaker for all things related to food and drink innovation and insight.
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Currently, Andreas is a co-founder and COO at 6 Seeds, heading up the North American business.
Originally hailing from London, Andreas swapped the UK's bustling ad and tech scene for Canada's vibrant food and drink market, and he hasn't looked back since. He started his career working with some of the UK's top ad agencies as a Creative Director and Brand Strategist, lending his talents to technology giants like Canon, Cisco, Sony, and Xerox.
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After relocating to Canada, Andreas co-founded Nourish Food Marketing. Under his leadership, it transformed into the country's largest full-service agency dedicated solely to food and drink brands. After 12 rewarding years, he exited Nourish to launch a drinks startup, Auralis Botanical, bringing botanical tonics brewed with functional mushrooms to market.
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Andreas then teamed up with Google alumni to co-found 6 Seeds, a global tech driven powerhouse dedicated to helping Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) companies Innovate, Connect, and Thrive.
6 Seeds blends data from top global sources to create a tech foundation that, combined with a mix of human and AI analysis, powers innovation, connections, and growth in the food business—from field to fork (or fingers or chopsticks, for that matter).
When he's not brewing botanical tonics or diving into data, Andreas is passionate about helping brands find their unique flavour in the marketplace.
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Ready to talk about the future of food and drink? Andreas is all ears.
Andreas Duess
Scott Kemp
Meet Scott Kemp. Hailing from southwestern Manitoba, Scott has become a prominent figure in regenerative agricultural finance.
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His approach? Merging practicality with profitability, all while championing sustainability. Scott's roots in farming give him a unique perspective, allowing him to understand both the broad vision and the day-to-day intricacies of the industry.
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With a solid foundation in finance, economics, and international relations, Scott bridges the gap between theory and practice. He's adept at navigating the financial intricacies of regenerative agriculture and is attuned to the evolving consumer demand for sustainable food and wellness.
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Beyond his professional pursuits, Scott is an accomplished athlete. He's competed at the national level in rowing, and internationally in triathlon and ultramarathons. These experiences underscore his appreciation for the role of nutrition and sustainable food systems in overall well-being.
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Scott's true strength? Communication. He has a talent for making complex topics like regenerative agriculture understandable and relevant, whether he's addressing farmers, athletes, or business leaders.
Outside of his work, Scott is an avid nature enthusiast. He often explores the outdoors with his family, drawing inspiration from the land that fuels his passion and work.
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As a speaker, Scott combines his vast experience with a genuine commitment to regenerative agriculture. He's dedicated to fostering a sustainable future for agriculture, engaging audiences one conversation at a time. Join Scott as he shares insights, knowledge, and a deep-rooted passion for the land and its promise.
From a small mixed farm to pioneering regenerative agriculture, Arlie LaRoche's journey has been about growth, sustainability, and a passion for food. A native of eastern SK, her roots are deeply intertwined with the farming culture.
After exploring the world and immersing herself in environmental consulting, she was drawn back to the soil. Alongside her husband, Brett, they transformed a personal passion project into the thriving Farm One Forty.
It was a workshop with renowned sustainable agriculture expert, Joel Salatin, that catapulted Farm One Forty from a hobby farm to a recognized local business. Farm One Forty isn't just a farm; it's an experience. Nestled near Saskatoon, it boasts pasture-raised pork, grass-fed beef and lamb, the sweetest honey, and vibrant yields of seasonal vegetables and grains.
For Arlie, Farm One Forty is more than a business; it's a movement. With agritourism becoming a significant pillar of her business, immersive experiences and exquisite on-farm dinners offer visitors a taste of the land's bounty. She's on a mission to bridge the divide between bustling cities and tranquil farms, aiming to reintroduce people to the origins of their food.
Embracing the global trend of farm-to-table dining and the renaissance of local produce, 2019 marked a new chapter with the launch of Odla Restaurant & Market on Broadway in Saskatoon. A gastronomic celebration of the province's rich produce, Odla sources its ingredients predominantly from Farm One Forty and other local farms, epitomizing Arlie's vision: simple, delicious, and deeply rooted in the land.
Arlie
LaRoche
Ben Adolph
Ben Adolph, a devout environmentalist and a champion of regenerative farming practices, co-founded Merge Impact in 2023, bringing a game-changing perspective to the global food system.
Growing up on a farm in Northwest Illinois, Adolph’s deep-rooted connection to the land ignited a passion for creating a food system that is transparent, sustainable, and nourishing for the Earth, its communities, and human health.
With over a decade of experience in agronomy and sustainability management in the fertilizer industry, Adolph’s expertise spans plant nutrition, sustainability validation, and advanced data analytics.
Adolph’s journey in sustainable agriculture was profoundly influenced by his observation of the local farmlands’ paradox – abundant yet disconnected from the nourishment of its stewards and nearby communities. This insight, coupled with the recognition that a significant portion of a crop’s environmental impact originates at its source, catalyzed the creation of Merge Impact. This platform is a testament to his commitment to revolutionizing the agricultural sector.
Under Adolph’s leadership Chief Impact Officer, Merge is setting new standards in the agricultural sector, empowering farmers and food brands alike to make significant strides in environmental stewardship and sustainability. His work is not just a business endeavor but a mission to transform the way the world produces and consumes food, fostering a healthier planet for future generations of healthier humans.
Beth Robertson-Martin brings over a decade of deep food supply chain relationships to her position as co-founder and CEO at Merge Impact.
Robertson-Martin recently served as Director of Commodities and Risk Management at General Mills, where she worked with brands like Annie’s, Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen, Epic Snacks, Larabar, and Nature Valley. During her tenure, she focused on creating strategies to deliver a high-quality, cost-effective, and more sustainable regenerative supply chain. In addition to her work at General Mills, she founded SHINE Sourcing and Supply Chain Solutions, which created insights-driven sourcing to meet the needs of small and mid-size food brands, ingredient companies, restaurants, and school lunch programs.
As CEO of Merge Impact, Robertson-Martin is focused on connecting food brands to fully verified regenerative supply chains by creating new alliances and breaking down barriers. She utilizes her diverse and extensive experience to assist mission-based brands in delivering traceable, verifiable, scalable, and credible data to achieve their climate goals.
Currently, Robertson-Martin is the president of the Xerces Society Board, which is an international nonprofit organization that protects the natural world through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitats.
Beth Robertson-Mart
Tamara
McLellan
Tamara is a lionhearted woman, mother, sister and daughter, living in the beautiful Okanagan.
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She works as a yoga + meditation teacher, visualization guide and astrologer, weaving into her work all the ways that nature is part of who we are. That we are not outside of nature, but that we are nature and that what we see in our outer life is often a reflection of what is going on inside of us. She created a Listening to your Inner Voice series for Prairie Routes and has taught yoga at conferences to farmers and Agricultural professionals, in jeans nonetheless, who connected with the offbeat and casual way she teaches.
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She has raised thousands of dollars and spent innumerable hours fundraising and working with causes such as women empowerment, girls education and nature stewardship organizations. In 2019, Tamara did a TEDx talk for Kelowna Women barefoot, to stay connected to her message. Shortly after, she organized the First Canadian Summit on Climate Action in Food Systems with her co-creator Brenda Tjaden. In 2020, she built a tiny offgrid cabin by hand and hammer. She has a big spirit, but a light touch.
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Tamara has the highest level of respect for those that work in reverence to the land and all living things. Her big message is to remember the interconnection we weave with everything around us and to live our lives so that each breath has meaning: to live our lives so that we are fully alive.
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Tamara is passionate about bringing depth to the speaker events she is invited too and to help those listening to tune inwards and listen to their Inner Voice.