Connect with the Innovators
Front 40 Tech is a producer-focused event designed for farmers and ranchers who are curious about what’s next in agriculture and want the opportunity to connect with AgTech founders. Hosted in partnership with the Nebraska Ag Expo, The Nebraska Corn Board, and The Combine, this half-day conference brings together practical farm technologies, Agtech startup demos, and real-world insights from producers who are already testing and adopting new tools.
Whether you’re tech-savvy or just tech-curious, Front 40 Tech is your chance to connect with peers, see what’s working in the field, and help shape the future of farm and ranch innovation.
Who is Front 40 Tech for?
- Tech-Minded Producers and Farmers
- AgTech Startup Founders and Teams
Conference Speakers
Why Attend?
-
See AgTech in Action
Watch startups and ag companies demo real tools designed for production agriculture — from livestock sensors to crop management platforms. Have the chance to ask questions directly to the founders and provide practical feedback.
-
Hear from Fellow Producers
Learn directly from Nebraska farmers and ranchers who are testing new technology and can speak to what’s working (and what’s not) on their operations.
-
Shape the Future of Farm Innovation
Participate in conversations where your feedback matters — tell startups what you actually need and where tech falls short.
-
Get Ahead of the Curve
Stay competitive by understanding what’s coming next in agtech — automation, precision tools, remote monitoring, and more — and how it fits your operation.
-
Make Meaningful Connections
Meet peers, innovators, and local ag professionals who are just as interested in practical, problem-solving tools as you are.
Nebraska Ag Expo
The Front Tech 40 is embedded in the Nebraska Ag Expo as a separate ticketed event, on location Please register for the Front Tech 40 if planning to attend. You do not need to also register for the Nebraska Ag Expo.
Attendees of the Front 40 Tech Conference will have a comp'd ticket to the Nebraska Ag Expo.
Nebraska Ag Expo
Where Agriculture Meets Innovation
December 9-11, 2025
Tuesday/Wednesday 9:00am - 4:00pm Thursday 9:00am-3:00pm
Sandhills Global Event Center, Lincoln NE
Nebraskaagexpo.com
Startup Demos (Coming Soon)
_edited.png)
Seismi
Seismi is an animal health technology company building products for livestock and pets. Seismi's first products are an ear sensor for heart and respiration rates in cattle and a mat for dogs and cats recovering from surgery in animal clinics.
Conference Agenda
8:30 AM - 9:15 AM
Meeting Room A, South Hall of NAE
Networking, Coffee, Welcome
9:15 - 9:45 AM
Meeting Room A, South Hall of NAE
Keynote Session - The People on your Path
Taking an idea from the farm to the factory and back to the farm again.
Chad Johnson, CEO of Grain Weevil
Grain Weevil - Website
10:00 - 10:50 AM
Expo EDu
Producer to Producer Panel - A panel of tech-minded Nebraska Producers discussing real-world tech adoption stories: successes, challenges, and lessons learned.
Clark and Kerry McPhetters, Gothenburg
Roric Paulman, Sutherland
Quinten Connealy, Tekamah
11:00 - 12:00 PM
Innovation Hub
Startup Demos - Quick pitches from upcoming Startups
Seismi
The Pennycress Company
12:30 - 1:15 PM
Meeting Room A, South Hall of NAE
Lunch & Keynote - Confronting Broad Threats in Agriculture
Wade Greening, FBI Omaha Field Office
Wade Greening - LinkedIn
1:15 - 1:45 PM
Meeting Room A, South Hall of NAE
Keynote Session - Landoption
Eric Dinger, Co-Founder
Ben Paige, Co-Founder
2:00 - 2:50 PM
Expo EDU
Startup + Producer Panel - A panel of Nebraska Founders and Producers who partnered on new Ag Tech Startups
Jessi Korniek - Nave Analytics, Website
Justin Strasburg, Crop Tech Solutions
Jackson Stansell, Sentinel Ag - Website
Jason Richters, Producer
Dusty Reynolds, Birds Eye Robotics - Website
December 9th, 2025
At the Nebraska Ag Expo
Lincoln, Nebraska
Contact
Questions?
Reach out to jessica@investnebraska.com
Directions and Parking
Directions to Sandhill Global Event Center
The Nebraska Ag Expo is located at the Sandhills Global Event Center at 4100 North 84th Street in Lincoln, Nebraska. Conveniently located on the eastern edge of Lincoln, this show offers easy access without the traffic hassles typically associated with urban shows.​
​
-
From Interstate 80: Follow Interstate 80 and take Exit 409. Continue southwest on Highway 6. Turn left on N 84th Street. Turn left on Havelock Avenue, then turn right into the parking lot.
-
From Interstate 29: Follow Interstate 29 and take Exit 10. Continue west on Highway 2 toward Lincoln. Turn right on S 84th Street and continue north for 8 miles, then turn right into the parking lot.
-
From Beatrice on Highway 77: Follow Highway 77 north for 30 miles. Turn right on Old Cheney Road. Turn left on S 84th Street, then turn right into the parking lot.
-
From Fremont on Highway 77: Follow Highway 77 south for 44 miles. Turn left on Cornhusker Highway, then turn right on N 84th Street. Turn left on Havelock Avenue, then turn right into the parking lot.
Parking at the Sandhills Global Event Center
Parking in the lots surrounding the Sandhills Global event Center is free! ADA accessible parking spots are located near the entrances of the Ag Society Hall and Currency Pavilion. RV and camper parking is allowed on the east side of LivestockMarket Pavilion. Contact the Sandhills Global event Center at 402.441.6545 for specific details and fees.​​​​
Speaker Bios
Jessica Korinek, Co-Founder and CEO, Nave Analytics
Jessi has 12 years of experience in the agriculture industry, carrying out small plot research as well as managing commercial field trials directly with growers. She has spent a great deal of those 12 years having candid conversations with farmers and learning about the intricacies of irrigation operations across many regions, as well as the gaps in the information available to make irrigation decisions. She has previous experience driving innovation forward in a startup at HydroBio, which went through a successful acquisition. After the acquisition, Jessi worked as a Field Product Specialist, where she was responsible for carrying out research trials with farmers and being a source of technical knowledge for the Climate FieldView platform. Jessi brings a wealth of real field experience as well as a potentially unhealthy fascination with the use of water in crop production.​​​​
​
Jackson Stansell, Founder and CEO, Sentinel Ag
Jack Stansell is the Founder & CEO of Sentinel Ag. Originally from Dothan, AL, and a graduate of Harvard with a bachelor’s in engineering sciences while playing football for the Crimson, Jack received his master's in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. During that program, he led the development of an image-based nitrogen management software system called N-Time which became Sentinel's flagship solution. Since founding Sentinel in September of 2021, Jackson has led the Sentinel team in improving farm profitability and efficiency through better nitrogen management.
Chad Johnson, Founder and CEO, Grain Weevil
Chad Johnson is the CEO and co-founder of Grain Weevil, an award-winning ag-tech startup developing a grain bin safety and management robot that does the work no human should. A lifelong educator and innovator, Chad has led programs in energy education, youth technology, and STEM outreach across Nebraska. His passion for empowering others and merging hands-on ingenuity with robotics is helping farmers reimagine grain management—starting right inside the bin.
Quentin Connealy, Q Connealy Farms
Quentin Connealy is a fifth-generation farmer from Tekamah, Nebraska, where he grows corn and soybeans along the Missouri River bottoms. Born and raised in a farming family, Quentin returned to farming after college, integrating precision agriculture technologies like GPS, variable rate technology, and irrigation management systems into his operation. An advocate for AgTech, he influences audiences on platforms like X and TikTok and was named a top 10 finalist for the 2024 National Outstanding Young Farmers of America award.
Roric Paulman, Paulman Farms
is a third-generation, retired ag producer growing his 40th crop. He is an avid user of new technologies to make his operation sustainable and profitable.
​
Wade Greening, Supervisory Intelligence Analyst, FBI
Wade Greening is a Supervisory Intelligence Analyst with the FBI Omaha Field Office covering the states of Iowa and Nebraska. Over the last seven years in this role, he has supervised the analysis of all National Security-related information across Iowa and Nebraska, including counterterrorism, counterintelligence, cyber, and weapons of mass destruction matters. In addition to his role as Supervisory Intelligence Analyst, SIA Greening is also the FBI Omaha Field Office Private Sector Coordinator, responsible for coordinating the FBI’s interactions with private sector companies across Iowa and Nebraska. Prior to his supervisory role, SIA Greening was the Intelligence Analyst supporting Omaha’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, responsible for all analysis of counterterrorism and weapons of mass destruction in the Omaha, Nebraska, metropolitan area. SIA Greening was responsible for authoring hundreds of analytic reports informing the US Intelligence Community, local law enforcement, and foreign partners of emerging threats. This involved interviewing multiple terrorism subjects domestically and abroad, and producing reports for senior US Government decision makers regarding matters in Iowa and Nebraska. SIA Greening joined the FBI in 2008, being first assigned to FBI Headquarters before transferring to Omaha. He graduated from Kansas State University with a Bachelors in Microbiology, then earned a Masters from Georgetown University in Biohazardous Threat Agents and Emerging Infectious Diseases. Before joining the FBI, he interned with the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, and the Kansas Department of Transportation in Topeka, Kansas. SIA Greening is married with four children.
​
.png)