A Path to a Stronger Minnesota Agriculture and Food Economy

Nicole Atchison is CEO of PURIS Holdings, where she leads the company in partnership with her brother, Tyler Lorenzen. As second-generation owners, Nicole and Tyler have built on their family’s legacy to position PURIS at the center of Minnesota’s sustainable food and agriculture economy. Under their leadership, PURIS has expanded its Minnesota footprint, investing in local communities and driving growth in plant protein, ingredients and specialty crops. Nicole is passionate about innovation, stewardship, and creating resilient food systems—values that guide PURIS as it delivers high-quality, non-GMO, and organic ingredients to customers globally.

Darin Broton is Executive Director of Minnesota AgriGrowth leading the statewide coalition of farm and commodity organizations, agribusinesses, allied industries, and community leaders committed to advancing agriculture and food in Minnesota. Darin brings more than 30 years of strategic communications, public policy and advocacy expertise to the organization. Prior to joining Minnesota AgriGrowth, Darin served as senior advisor to the commissioner at Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Darin also previously served as the head of public affairs at Tunheim, a strategic communications and public affairs firm based in the Twin Cities, as well as in various roles in the Office of Minnesota Attorney General, Minnesota Legislature and then U.S. Congressman Bill Luther. 

Peter Daniels has over 20 years of consulting experience where he has focused on industrial and municipal wastewater treatment. Peter has been involved in projects from permitting and planning through construction and startup. He has experience with surface water discharge systems, spray irrigation of wastewater, and industrial facilities that discharge to municipal wastewater treatment facilities. Most of Peter’s industrial experience is at food processing facilities in Minnesota and the upper Midwest. He has held leadership positions with the Central States Water Environment Association over the years and has also participated in several permitting task groups with the MPCA.

Travis Frey, Ph.D., is Chief Technology Officer at Pivot Bio, one of the world’s leading innovative agtech companies. Pivot Bio delivers patented crop nutrition technologies directly to the plant by harnessing the power of nature to turn air into Nitrogen that doesn’t leach or run off. Recognized globally for its impact, Pivot Bio has been honored by TIME (Best Inventions, three times), Fast Company (World Changing Ideas, World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies), CNBC (Disruptor 50), Fortune (Impact 20), and MIT Technology Review (15 Climate Tech Companies).

With over 20 years of experience in agtech and biotechnology, Dr Frey has a strong track record of scientific and strategic leadership. Dr. Frey holds degrees in horticulture, plant breeding, plant biotechnology, and business, and is a named inventor on numerous patents.

Cheryal Hills is the Executive Director at Region Five Development Commission (R5DC). Through her leadership, R5DC has earned national recognition for advancing rural food systems, workforce training, mental health support for farmers, cultural inclusion, and regional economic development, including co-founding Sprout MN—the only rural brick-and-mortar food hub in Minnesota, serving on the USDA Equity Commission, and securing a $15 million grant for a Regional Food Business Center.

Brian Ingram is the Chief Executive Officer and Chef with Purpose Restaurants. With over 30 years in the restaurant industry, Brian has done it all. From creating new brands to setting trends to innovating the world of restaurant design, he brings his unique skillset to every aspect in his collection of restaurants. But ideation is his specialty. As a senior member of some of the biggest hospitality groups in the country—MGM Resorts International, Brinker International, Restaurants Unlimited and the Alain Ducasse Group—Brian created concepts across the country.

Before opening Hope Breakfast Bar in 2019, Brian knew his first restaurant as an owner would be a departure from the corporate restaurant settings that he had built his career in. His new venture with his wife, Sarah, promised to be a team that emphasizes charitable contributions and cultivates a culture that prioritizes the well-being of workers. It would be a fast-growing family of restaurants driven by its promise and purpose to serve the community. Purpose Restaurants was formed in 2019 as an act of good faith by the Ingram family. It weathered a pandemic; fed health care workers, protesters and the unemployed; and served as a free community kitchen and food bank.

Paul Kohls is the Chief Administrative and Mission Officer at Compeer Financial, overseeing lending operations, legal, compliance, legislative affairs and Compeer’s Rural Vitality initiatives. His leadership has been vital to key projects, including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and technology advancements such as a new loan origination platform and the consolidation of systems following Compeer’s 2017 merger, advancing the organization’s mission to support agriculture and rural communities.

Born in Elmhurst, Ill., and raised in New Hope, Minn., Paul holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of St. Thomas and a Juris Doctor from the University of Minnesota. He began his career clerking for a judge on the Minnesota Court of Appeals before joining the law firm Rider Bennett. Paul later served as Vice President of State Government Affairs at Allianz Life Insurance and spent eight years in the Minnesota House of Representatives.

Kaleb Kromann is the P&L Leader of Solentra, a Cultura Technologies company providing digital solutions for the agriculture industry. With more than 20 years of experience in agricultural innovation and supply chain leadership, he focuses on driving operational excellence and sustainability through data and technology.

A lifelong member of the farming community, Kaleb also operates a small hobby farm in Corcoran, Minnesota. He serves on the U.S. Grains and Bioproducts Council Advisory Team for Innovation and Sustainability, contributing to the advancement of developing export markets. Kaleb is also helping shape how the industry understands and captures market opportunities around carbon intensity (CI) scoring and data-enriched commodities—linking verified on-farm data to measurable value, new revenue streams, and competitive advantage across the agri-food value chain.

Mike Metzger has worked at Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative since 2001. Serving as the Cooperative’s Executive Vice President, he oversees and manages the agronomic research, production, harvest, storage and delivery of sugarbeets for processing from 500 shareholders raising sugarbeets on 105,000+ acres. Mike also serves as a technical specialist and educator in areas of current sugarbeet production and future technology to the cooperative’s Ag Staff, shareholders and growers.

Mike currently serves as a Board Member and Chairman of the Beet Sugar Development Foundation, Past President of the American Society of Sugarbeet Technologists, and a Director of the Sugarbeet Research and Education Board of Minnesota and North Dakota. Mike holds both a master’s degree and Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from North Dakota State University with research projects focused upon fungal and bacterial root rots of sugarbeet.

Shashank Priya is the University of Minnesota vice president for research, a position he has held since September 2022. In this position, he oversees a $1+ billion research enterprise across all campuses and facilities. He manages units responsible for administration of sponsored projects, research and regulatory compliance, and technology commercialization, as well as 10 interdisciplinary academic centers and institutes. He also oversees a growing corporate engagement portfolio for the University. Among his priorities are creating and growing UMN systemwide research initiatives, including an International Institute for BioSensing (IIB), a Discovery to Innovation Fund, a MN Bioimaging Center, and better access to shared research facilities.

Tina Potthoff is Senior Vice President, Communications at Hy-Vee. She oversees multiple areas of communications that affect nearly every aspect of Hy-Vee’s operations. Tina’s teams manage public and media relations efforts, corporate and employee communications, community relations, crisis response and management, and Hy-Vee’s Customer Care operations that handle customer questions and issues.

Tina has extensive communications experience, ranging from broadcasting to media relations to corporate communications. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a double major in marketing and communications from the University of Notre Dame.

Beth Richardson was appointed Consul General of Canada in Minneapolis in August 2023. As Canada's Consul General in the Upper Midwest, Ms. Richardson works with a team of 17 Consulate staff to strengthen trade and economic ties; reinforce our security alliances; enhance political, academic and cultural links; and assist Canadians visiting or living in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Beth Richardson joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (Global Affairs Canada) in 1996, where she has worked in in the Eastern Europe and Eurasia Division, on the Afghanistan Task Force and at the Canadian International Development Agency. Her assignments abroad include Seoul, London, Moscow, Miami and Vilnius, Lithuania.

Chuck Tryon’s roots in the food and agriculture industry run deep. Inspired by his father’s career in the grocery business and his overall love of food, Chuck earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations with a focus on international commerce and agriculture trade, followed by an MBA in marketing from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Business. He spent two decades at food giants Pillsbury and General Mills and joined Rahr Corporation in 2020 as President of Bushel Boy Farms, applying his 30 years of experience in branded premium vegetables, agriculture, and food safety to help the brand meet its significant growth initiatives and navigate an increasingly competitive fresh produce and greenhouse industry.

Dana Vanderbosch is the Assistant Commissioner for Water Policy and Agriculture at the MPCA. In this position, she often works with Minnesota’s municipalities, businesses, and Tribal nations to coordinate work within the agency’s water programs. Her past work experience includes supervising and later managing the MPCA’s lake and river monitoring program and directing the Municipal Division, which houses the municipal stormwater, wastewater and septic system programs. She holds a B.S. in Ecology and an M.S. in Water Resources Science.