Panel Memers:
Dr. Adam Abramson, Farmster Ltd. Founder and CEO
Farmster is a digital platform that connects smallholder farmers with local buyers, without requiring internet access. Our SMS Chatbot enables farmers to publish their crops onto the Farmster Mobile Application, where buyers can connect with farmers before the harvest, reducing post-harvest losses and boosting profits.
Dr. Adam Abramson graduated from Harvard in 2004 and moved to Israel shortly after, where he completed his MSc and PhD at Ben Gurion University and focused on drinking water challenges in rural Africa. He made the leap into entrepreneurship in 2016 after receiving a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant exploring the use of mobile phones to accelerate information sharing among farmers in Zimbabwe while a postdoc at UC San Diego. Adam travels extensively between Israel and East Africa and plans to launch Farmster in Kenya in October.
Dr. Daria Feldman, Kinoko-Tech Co-Founder and CTO
Kinoko is a food technology start-up in the area of alternative protein. The company offers food products based on an edible mushroom tissue called mycelium, which grows on legumes and grains. The company's vegan protein has a meat-like texture and umami flavor. Kinoko has developed a sustainable and ecologically friendly growing system to produce a variety of tasty products. All of the company's products are allergen free, gluten free, cholesterol free, and non-GMO.
Dr. Daria Feldman has a Ph.D. in the field of fungal molecular biology from the Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Daria has spent her entire academic career in the Faculty of Agriculture focusing on biotechnology
Mr. Hanan Lepek, Senecio Robotics CEO
Senecio Robotics builds solutions to automate the production and release of billions of sterile, non-biting male mosquitoes to suppress diseases such as malaria, dengue, Zika, and others. Senecio utilize deep learning and automation technologies to automate the manufacturing and release of sterile mosquitoes on wide scale.
SIT (sterile insect technique) has already been proven as an effective tool, while it faces scaling challenges associated with complicated manual processes, being solved using Senecio's proprietary AI technology.
Mr. Hanan Lepek is the Founder and CEO of Senecio Ltd., developer of AI and automation technologies fighting dengue, zika, malaria and other mosquito born diseases, with more than 12 years experience in aerospace technologies. In his different roles managed groups of engineers working on cyber security, robotics, aviation systems, software & algorithms development, aircraft production line optimization and more. There are more than 20 pending patents as Hanan being the lead inventor, including mechanical systems, algorithms, aerial devices, AI systems etc. Hanan holds a Bsc. Computer engineering and MBA investment and banking, both from the Hebrew University.
Panel Moderator:
Mr. Tomer Malchi, CultivAid Executive Director and Co-Founder
CultivAid emphasizes the need to develop a knowledge based infrastructure. Technology must be accompanied by professional development and enable government agencies, local NGOs and stakeholders to facilitate the transfer of technology. CultivAid stress the importance of hands on practical experience with on going trainings and development of local experts and wide ranging capacity building.
Mr. Tomer Malchi holds a B.Sc., in Industrial and Labor relations from Cornell University. He holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc., Agr in Soil and water science from the faculty of Agriculture at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and is currently working towards his Ph.D in the field. Tomer has extensive experience in national and international development work in the field of agriculture, water and energy.