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PANEL

Technical Innovations in Botany, Gardening, & Agriculture

We're assembling an online advisory panel to explore the current and future developments that are impacting botany, gardening, and agriculture. We will discuss a range of topics including current & emerging trends, areas of disruption, developments in plant & insect biologies, innovative solutions, and beyond.

A professional facilitator will be leading an open and honest discussion. You will have the unique opportunity to learn collaboratively with 20 equal-caliber peers, gain recognition for advancing the industry, and demonstrate your thought-leadership -- in addition to earning merit-based compensation.

Activities include:
1. Explore a variety of themes
2. Map the competitive landscape (i.e. emerging trends, disruptive tech, etc.)
3. React to the latest media/reports in this space
4. One-to-one engagement with other panelists

Participation is 100% online and at your convenience. By applying here, you are agreeing to participate once per week or as inspired.

peopleExpert participation

Looking to engage experts in, but not limited to, the following:
- Technical Product Development & Strategy
- Botany & Plant Biology
- Entomology Research
- Organic Farming
- Chemistry Research
- Regulatory Policies

Applicants
Rob Bickfo
COO, SVP, CIO and President
My family has been farming for many decades. I have an educational background steeped in agricultural economics and botany. As a financial consultant, I have investment, PE/VC experience in agricultural companies and assiciated industries for more than 35 years. I would very much enjoy participating on this Stream.
Jerry Barker
Ecologist
I have degrees in botany and plant ecology. I am a gardner
Gus Olson
Owner, Avatron LLC
I am a retired Farmer with extensive experience in growing tree fruit, grapes, and various vegetable crops. I started using Microbial Inoculants in my farming operations in the early 1980’s. I became interested in soil microbiology and it became an active hobby. Since I retired from farming, I have developed and licensed biological fertility products for three companies. I am currently a partner in a firm that manufactures biological fertility products. In the course of product development and quality control we have been using the services of a DNA sequencing company.. We have found the DNA analyses of our products to be interesting and useful but initially time consuming due to the report forms. We researched each identified microbe ourselves using our own methods and measures to look at the potential impacts of our products. Our initial tests looked at the identified biomes of our products, the identified biome of a soil to be treated and then the same soil after treatment. A statistical analysis of the results, using our own standards gave us valuable insights as to what impacts the products had made and gave us valuable insights as to how they occurred. This information allows us to explain how our products work. We could always point to results but could not give a sound scientific explanation of how they work. We now have the beginnings of a sound scientific analysis. As the research into soil DNA progresses, we should be able to refine our products and expand our impacts on sustainable farming.
Pratibha Prasha
Postdoctoral Fellow
I'm a Postdoctoral Scientist in the area of sustainable food productions, and hold more than 6 years of research experience in this field. I'm involved in developing sustainable agricultural practices in order to meet the growing food demands in a way to ensure safer and quality food-production. I carry substantial experience and expertise in organic/biological based farming practices that can ensure safer, higher and healthier agricultural outputs.
Keith Leight
Agronomy Branch Manager
I feel that I can provide a farm gate perspective on technical innovations in these topic areas. In retail we deal with many areas of disruption including chemical resistance, negative media, and an ever changing marketplace. In my everyday job I work with many of these issues or solutions to ensure the longevity of my location, company, and my career.
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lockThis panel is now closed to new applicants.

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Engage with equal-caliber peers any time you want.

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Enhance your knowledge on this subject.

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Gain recognition as a thought-leader in your industry.

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Earn cashable rewards through points.

“I like that I can do this when I have time,
and there is no set schedule.”


Eric Allen, Senior Manager, Supply Chain at EY

“I find the topics engaging and I love the
flexibility of checking in and providing insights
at my convenience.”

Kimberly Underwood, Consultant at Underwood Consulting

“Great platform, great questions and topics.
The potential to earn a little more money for
participating is nice as well.”

Oren Birks, Sr. Director of IT at PBI-Gordon

“I really enjoy being on the panels, sharing
information and reading the perspective of the
other panelists. It is quite intriguing and most
all of the panelists are quite bright.”

Patty Soltis, CX Strategist at Kinetic Edge Consultants

“Very interactive, informative and without
any inherent bias. This is as good a collaborative
platform as you can get.”

Pinaki Banerjee, Program Director at ITC InfoTech

“It is a perfect platform not just to share
but to learn and stay updated.”


Armando Leyva, HR Director at 360º HC

FAQ
  • add remove What is Currnt?
    Currnt is a “Knowledge Networking” platform where companies and professionals come to stay relevant on the latest advances in their industries in the face of the increasing pace of change. Companies sponsor panels to learn about where markets are headed or how to leverage new capabilities. Professionals join to demonstrate and develop their passions with equal caliber peers in expert-only facilitated online engagements. On Currnt, we take our passions seriously and ourselves lightly. See our Community Guidelines, to learn more of the rules of the road, here are some highlights

    • Be yourself. The authenticity of Currnt begins with the passion of people.
    • Be respectful. This applies to every person, at all times.
    • Be inclusive. Tolerate, welcome, and consider diverse people and perspectives.
    • Build empathy and understanding. Engage in debates that are in good faith.
    • Foster meaningful and genuine connections. This is what Currnt is all about.
    • Do not plagiarize or fail to cite other’s ideas.
    • Don’t game the points by trying to coordinate intentional recognition.
  • add remove How do Panels work?
    The panel is like a facilitated forum of hand selected experts on a topic sponsored by a company that wants to learn fast. Panels are organized in chapters called Themes that focus on one subtopic at a time. In some panels Themes are only 24 hours in duration, in others they are a week long, and in some they are two weeks long. When one Theme closes, a new one begins. You come in when you feel like it, but try to come in twice per Theme. You earn points from your peers and the facilitator when they react to your ideas. Likewise, others earn points when you interact on their posts. The more we discuss and debate, the better the insights, the more points earned by all.

  • add remove Why should I apply? Do I get paid?
    Professionals join Currnt because they want to remain relevant on subjects they’re passionate about and subjects that are shaping the future of their industry. They also:

    • Engage and connect with equal caliber peers in their industry
    • Learn and enhance their knowledge
    • Get recognized and rewarded for providing their inputs and thought-leadership
    • When specified above in the project description, you can earn honorarium payments and/or recognition points redeemable for cash. Learn more here.
  • add remove Are there specific times I need to participate?
    There are no set times for calls or meetings. Participation is 100% online on the Currnt platform and engagement between the all expert panelists is asynchronous in written form. Just come in twice per Theme, at your convenience.

  • add remove How do KnowledgeStreams and DesignSprints work?
    Streams are ongoing online engagements for exploration or working iteratively with a panel, and Sprints are on-demand engagement to get to actionable insights quickly. Both are facilitated and are always-on for participants to engage at-convenience. The conversations are segmented into Themes which are subtopics which are like chapters in a book. In a 4 Day Sprint, Themes are 24 hours, whereas a Theme in a Stream is every two week. Throughout the discussion, the facilitator highlights and categorizes the “key takeaways” to be voted and distilled into a summary report. It’s also common that other pieces of content (whitepapers, blogs, podcasts) are also prepared from the distilled insights.

  • add remove I’ve applied. Now what?
    Your application will be internally reviewed in the following 24-48hrs and screened for any conflict of interest, and general fit. Next your application will be shortlisted for the sponsor to accept, bookmark or reject. You will receive a notification each step of the way, but expect this may take a couple of days, or even weeks if the panel is new. Nevertheless, in addition to the notifications, you can always go back to the Apply page to view the status of your application.

  • add remove I’ve been selected. What am I expected to do when selected?
    Once you receive your Welcome Email, please RSVP by clicking the link in the notification. You can also gain access to the panel through your ‘My Currnt’ at the top of the page. Finally, once you have RSVP’d by logging into the panel, there is often a Welcome Tab where you can introduce yourself to the other panelists. If it’s a new panel, the first Theme will launch in a few days, if it’s an ongoing panel just jump right in by reacting to the question or to what the other panelists had to say.

  • add remove If I have other questions or issues, what should I do?
    Please contact support to answer any other questions or troubleshoot any issues via email or chat.

Technical Innovations in Botany, Gardening, & Agriculture