Throughout the summer, Skandalaris Center Summer Internship Program participants will be writing guest blog posts about their internship experience. Following is one such post.
By Zachary Sorensen (LA ’21)
Hello! I’m Zachary Sorensen, I am a rising junior studying economics in the College of Arts and Sciences. This is my second year in the Skandalaris Internship Program and this summer I have been interning with the Yield Lab Institute—a non-profit, agricultural technology (agtech) think tank. You can read more about the YLI’s mission and initiatives here.
Much of what I have been doing is learning about agricultural technology (agtech) and helping with the organization and diligence process of a manure technology impact challenge (Manure Challenge 2019). What we are trying to do is promote the commercialization of manure management technologies that enable recapture of nutrients that would otherwise be wasted, solve a challenging and expensive issue for farmers, and reduce the environmental impact of livestock production. What this involves on my end is reviewing and distilling some of the applications or due diligence materials submitted by various ventures and helping to determine which would be suitable for the challenge. This has involved learning a lot about the process that many venture capital firms use to evaluate companies (even though the YLI does not make investments) as well as about the technology solutions being put forward and the issues that are pressing in the world of manure management.
One of the most interesting things I have been able to do has been listening in on numerous board meetings, several pitches, and the Yield Lab programming day—allowing me to learn a lot about how decisions are made both in the non-profit and venture capital sectors.
More recently, I had the opportunity to attend AgTech Day organized by the St. Louis Regional Chamber, an event meant to inform state legislators and help connect agtech organizations with rural communities. Alongside state representatives, I was able to learn about other agtech organizations that are elevating agtech as a growing industry in both St. Louis and Missouri as a whole. I was also able to watch my boss, Connie Bowen, present on some of what the YLI does to encourage innovation and investment in agtech—including the Manure Challenge.
It has been great to work with a fantastic founder and learn about an industry that does not get nearly as much attention as it should. Over the next couple of weeks, I’m looking forward to the Manure Challenge moving deeper into the selection process and helping with the process of organizing steps beyond that.
Connie’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/conniebowen_
YLI Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheYieldLab_I
