Best U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council Podcasts (2025)

1
Blueberry Boost Accelerator – President of US Highbush Blueberry Council and North American Blueberry Council Kasey Cronquist 21:53

3d ago21:53

21:53

Since 2019, Kasey has been the President of both the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council and the North American Blueberry Council where he is dedicated to making blueberries the world’s favorite fruit through strategic marketing, industry collaboration, and innovation. He has led initiatives like the "Grab a Boost of Blue" campaign and launched "The Bu…

1
Outside The Norm – Founding Partner of Outside VC Ethan Austin 27:57

10d ago27:57

27:57

Ethan Austin is the Founding Partner of Outside VC, a pre-seed venture fund dedicated to backing “outsider” founders. He is a seasoned entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and advocate for financial inclusion. Before Outside VC, Ethan co-founded GiveForward, the world’s first medical crowdfunding platform, which raised over $200 million to help famili…

1
Inside Corporate Venture Capital - Editor-In-Chief of Global Corporate Venturing Maija Palmer 28:00

17d ago28:00

28:00

Maija Palmer is the Editor-in-Chief of Global Corporate Venturing (GCV), a community and media platform that helps corporations drive innovation through strategic investments and partnerships with startups., Maija is one of the top leading voices in corporate venturing and we talk about the evolution of Corporate Venture Capital (CVC), how corporat…

1
The Power of Blues: Nutrition, Policy and Public Health 41:53

21d ago41:53

41:53

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is once again joined by Leslie Wada, Ph.D., and Alyssa Houtby. Dr. Wada is our very own senior director of nutrition and health research at the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council. She’s resp…

1
Transforming Healthcare – Former Chief Strategy Officer John Muir Health Authors George Sauter 25:24

24d ago25:24

25:24

George Sauter is an accomplished healthcare executive with decades of experience driving innovation to transform legacy systems with meaningful results. As the former Chief Strategy Officer at John Muir Health, George has been at the forefront of integrating cutting-edge technologies through impactful partnerships to improve patient care and operat…

1
Expo West 2025 - Key Insights and Emerging Trends 17:02

27d ago17:02

17:02

In this episode, we dive into the breakthrough trends and innovations unveiled at Expo West 2025. Our very own Innovation team members, Katrina Zheleznyak and Beau Bergman break down the highlights from this massive event, which brought together over 65,000 industry professionals and more than 3,000 exhibitors. From game-changing products to sustai…

1
Harvesting Innovation – FEI’s Seth Adler 23:43

1M ago23:43

23:43

From Clayton Christensen to Steve Wozniak to Mookie Wilson, we cover a lot of ground with Seth Adler who is the head of IMI Media at Informa and a driving force behind All Things Insights and All Things Innovation. Seth has spent his career bringing people together through dynamic content, including events, podcasts, and written works. He’s also pl…

1
Expanding Global Blueberry Trade: Success Stories and Strategies With Haiying Zhang 42:07

1M ago42:07

42:07

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Haiying Zhang, USHBC director of global business development. Zhang has a strong background in the agriculture industry and was previously the senior director of global marke…

1
The AI Marketing Canvas – Kellogg School of Management Professor Jim Lecinski 32:46

1M ago32:46

32:46

Jim Lecinski, Clinical Professor of Marketing at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, has over 30 years of marketing experience, including a distinguished 12-year tenure as Vice President of Customer Solutions for the Americas at Google. He is a leading expert in marketing strategy and digital transformation, best known for pione…

1
Talking Trade With Brian Kuehl of the Agriculture Trade Education Council 43:52

1M ago43:52

43:52

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council, is joined by Brian Kuehl, executive director of the Agriculture Trade Education Council. The Agriculture Trade Education Council is the premier resource for education on the value of a…

1
Midwest Dairy Accelerator - Research and Innovation Manager Sidney Herr 18:58

1M ago18:58

18:58

Midwest Dairy represents over 4,000 dairy farms across a 10-state region, including Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, and eastern Oklahoma. Their mission is to build dairy demand by inspiring consumer confidence in dairy products and production practices. Sidney Herr, the Research & Innovat…

1
Unlocking Microsoft's Innovation Secrets – Authors JoAnn Garbin and Dean Carignan 29:14

2M ago29:14

29:14

Dean Carignan and JoAnn Garbin, authors of The Insider's Guide to Innovation at Microsoft, delve into the strategies and practices that have driven Microsoft's most groundbreaking innovations over the past 50 years. From the Xbox revolution to the rise of Bing in AI, Dean and JoAnn share behind-the-scenes stories and insights into the company's app…

1
Farming, Finance and The Future With JC Clinard of Frutura 31:07

2M ago31:07

31:07

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by JC Clinard, a third-generation farmer and CEO of berries at Frutura. Clinard is also very active in the councils, serving as the USHBC Finance Committee chair, USHB…

1
The 3 Jobs of Corporate Innovators – Innov8rs Chief Hans Balmaekers 21:59

2M ago21:59

21:59

Hans Balmaekers is the Chief of Innov8rs, a global community dedicated to empowering corporate innovators. Hans has spent over a decade collaborating and learning about how to innovate within the world’s top organizations and shares some of his top tips with us, such as how the best corporate innovators have a day job (innovation, the work), a nigh…

1
Wade Jackson on Berry Genetics at Family Tree Farms 38:48

3M ago38:48

38:48

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Wade Jackson of Family Tree Farms. Jackson is a third-generation family farm owner and a board member at Family Tree Farms. He has also developed expertise in genet…

1
Driving Innovation Through Collaboration: Insights from VentureFuel Visionary of the Year Finalists 7:12

3M ago7:12

7:12

In this episode of VentureFuel Visionaries, we explore how collaboration drives innovation with five visionary leaders. From AWS’s Charlotte Newman on global founder support to LG’s Marita McGinn on equity-free startup models, we dive into the power of partnerships. MassRobotics’ Sokwoo Rhee shares insights on public-private alliances, REI’s Dan Ki…

1
Harvesting Change: Women Leading the Way in Blueberries 35:44

3M ago35:44

35:44

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Amanda Griffin, vice president of engagement and education for the USHBC, celebrates International Women’s Day by featuring three women leaders from the blueberry industry. Ellie Norris is the owner/manager of Norris Blueberry Farms; Anna Jesse is the vice president of Forest Hills Farm; and Shelly …

1
The Impact of Genetics on Blueberry Quality With Greg Willems 32:08

3M ago32:08

32:08

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Greg Willems, the President of G & M Farms Inc. and President of the California Blueberry Nursery. Willems established his production as a self-starting, vertically…

1
Preserving the Shelf Life of Blueberries With George Lobisser 39:13

3M ago39:13

39:13

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by George Lobisser, CEO & Co-Founder of RipeLocker. RipeLocker is a science-based, data-driven company that has been testing the efficacy of its containers to extend t…

1
Newly Appointed NABC Chair Teddy Koukoulis and USHBC Chair Bryan Sakuma Look to the Future 45:21

4M ago45:21

45:21

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Bryan Sakuma and Teddy Koukoulis, the incoming chairs of the USHBC and NABC. Together, they discuss what interested them in these new roles, the value the two organ…

1
Al-Ran to Interconnected Realities - Nokia Head of Trend and Innovation Scouting Leslie Shannon 23:14

4M ago23:14

23:14

On today's show, we have Leslie Shannon, the Head of Trend and Innovation Scouting at Nokia, where she specializes in identifying disruptive technologies that are shaping the future of connectivity. She is an accomplished author of two influential books:"Interconnected Realities," which explores the Metaverse, and "Virtual Natives." We discuss ever…

1
Pat Goin Looks Back on Her Time as NABC Chair 33:00

4M ago33:00

33:00

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Pat Goin. Goin and her husband, Kevin, own Goin’s Blueberry Lane in Indiana. Before her tenure as chair of the NABC Board of Directors, Goin served as board vice ch…

1
Health Trends and Consumer Preferences in Dairy 37:27

4M ago37:27

37:27

Dive into the latest health trends and shifting consumer preferences in the dairy industry with a dynamic panel featuring John Crawford, SVP of Client Insights for the Dairy Category at Circana; Donna Berry, Editor & Consultant at Dairy & Food Communications Inc.; Patrycja Kotowska, Category Strategy Manager at Sprouts Farmers Market; and Fred Scho…

1
Reflections of a Chair: Shelly Hartmann on Her Legacy, Lessons 39:24

4M ago39:24

39:24

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Shelly Hartmann, who is making her fifth appearance on the podcast. Hartmann served as chair of the USHBC from 2021 to 2024. This year, she leaves the position in t…

1
Balancing Tradition and Innovation in Dairy 33:45

4M ago33:45

33:45

In this thought-provoking episode, John Talbot, CEO of the California Milk Advisory Board and Fred Schonenberg, Founder & CEO of VentureFuel; sit down with Elizabeth Crawford, Senior Editor at FoodNavigator-USA, to discuss the balance between tradition and innovation in the dairy industry. Recorded at the Real California Milk Excelerator’s Future o…

1
British Columbia Blueberries With Paul Pryce 35:25

4M ago35:25

35:25

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Paul Pryce, the new executive director of the British Columbia Blueberry Council. Pryce previously served for nearly three years at the British Columbia Agriculture…

1
The Opportunity for Lactose-Free Milk to Retake Share from Plant-Based 39:28

5M ago39:28

39:28

Can lactose-free milk reclaim market share from plant-based beverages? This engaging panel discussion, captured live at the Real California Milk Excelerator’s Future of Dairy Expo, explores how lactose-free milk can win back thecoffee occasion with its functional benefits and versatility. Featuring Veronique Lagrange, Director ofthe California Dair…

1
Blueberry Industry Growth Drivers - Part 2 With Hector Lujan 26:23

5M ago26:23

26:23

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Hector Lujan,CEO at berry giant Hortifrut and the leader of its global operations. Lujan’s career spans over 20 years in the berry industry, with previous roles at …

1
The Future of Health and Wellness in Dairy with Lauren Twigge 35:04

5M ago35:04

35:04

In this insightful keynote, media nutritionist and founder of Nutrition at Its Roots Lauren Twigge explores dairy's natural functional benefits and exciting potential for innovation in health and wellness. Delivered live at the Real California Milk Excelerator's Future of Dairy Expo in November 2024, Lauren discusses why dairy is uniquely positione…

1
Exciting Re-Release: External Innovation For Internal Stakeholders — LG Electronics EVP Sokwoo Rhee 31:04

5M ago31:04

31:04

In this special re-release timed for CES 2025, we revisit a powerful conversation with Sokwoo Rhee, EVP at LG Electronics, and the Head of LG's North America Innovation Center, LG NOVA. Sokwoo shares his expertise on how external innovation can drive significant internal value, offering a unique perspective on aligning cutting-edge technologies wit…

1
Hector Lujan on Bringing Berries to the World Every Day 26:43

5M ago26:43

26:43

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Hector Lujan, the new CEO at berry giant Hortifrut and the leader of its global operations. Lujan’s career spans over 20 years in the berry industry, with previous …

1
2024 Unwrapped – VentureFuel CEO Fred Schonenberg 28:45

5M ago28:45

28:45

Reflections on the innovative transformations of 2024 and looking ahead to uncover What's Next for leaders, innovators, and changemakers. VentureFuel VP of Growth, Vanessa Rosado, dives in with CEO and Founder, Fred Schonenberg, on 2024’s top technologies and startups (from Gen AI to Frozen Cottage Cheese), to 2025 predictions of industries to thri…

1
Space Strategy - Seraphim Space Enterprise Managing Director Alexander Holt 30:47

5M ago30:47

30:47

What is your space strategy? Yes, space. As the cost to launch has plummeted and satellites have proliferated, we now interact with data from space every day, and as Alexander shared, “every company in the future will become a space company.” Alexander is the Managing Director of Seraphim Space Enterprise (SSE), the global insights and acceleration…

1
Meet Inez Be: Building the Blueberry Brand 28:29

6M ago28:29

28:29

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Inez Be, the new USHBC Director of Marketing. Be is a marketing, PR and communications expert who’s passionate about food and agriculture, and has years of experien…

1
The Most Fundable Companies – Pepperdine Graziadio Business School Program Manager Amy Wood 29:30

6M ago29:30

29:30

What are VCs looking for? Is your startup fundable? What do you need to improve to get financing? On today’s show we have Amy Wood, the Program Manager for the "Most Fundable Companies" initiative at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, a groundbreaking program that empowers early-stage startups by providing critical insights into their readiness …

1
Value-Added Blueberry Opportunities With Steve Ware of Naturipe 41:10

6M ago41:10

41:10

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Steve Ware, vice president and general manager, value added, at Naturipe Farms. Naturipe is known for its sustainable practices and innovation in the berry ind…

1
Visual Data - Coactive AI Co-Founder Will Gaviria Rojas 24:09

6M ago24:09

24:09

On today’s show, we have Will Gaviria Rojas, co-founder of Coactive AI, a groundbreaking startup transforming how organizations interact with unstructured visual data. With a robust background in electrical engineering from MIT and a PhD in materials science from Northwestern University, Will and the Coactive AI leverage advanced artificial intelli…

1
Farm2Food Accelerator – NASDA Foundation Senior Director Chris Jones 25:20

6M ago25:20

25:20

On today’s show, we have Chris Jones, who is the Senior Director at NASDA (National Association of State Departments of Agriculture), where he runs the Farm2Food Accelerator, a 15-week training program built to empower and educate small-scale farmers and food entrepreneurs to become more resilient through food production. The program helps take cur…

1
Autonomous Harvesting With Sam Gray and Laina Gray 44:30

6M ago44:30

44:30

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by blueberry producer and innovative farmer Sam Gray, and Laina Gray, U.S. operations manager for FineField. Sam is the farm manager for his family’s business, PineBlo…

1
Blueberry Assessments: What You Need to Know With Crystal Wills 27:49

7M ago27:49

27:49

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by USHBC Compliance Coordinator Crystal Wills. In her role as compliance coordinator, Wills ensures the timely and fair collection of all assessments from imported and…

1
Raising the Bar - All Real Nutrition CEO Niall Harty 25:39

7M ago25:39

25:39

Started in a small kitchen in Ireland, Niall Harty wanted to see if he could create nutritious protein bars made from real food ingredients. We explore how Niall and Co-Founder Ross McDowell have grown the company since we first met him as a participant in Bord Bia’s innovation program with VentureFuel. Now in over 2,000 stores across Ireland and t…

1
Delivering Crop Protection Solutions for Blueberry Growers With Jerry Baron, Ph.D. 29:11

7M ago29:11

29:11

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by the Executive Director of the IR-4 Project, Jerry Baron, Ph.D., and NABC Director of Government Affairs Alyssa Houtby. The IR-4 Project was established in 1963 by t…

1
Re-Release: Excelerating Dairy – CMAB VP of Business Development Bob Carroll 24:06

7M ago24:06

24:06

In this special re-release of VentureFuel Visionaries, we’re excited to welcome Bob Carroll, Vice President of Business Development at the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB). As we count down to the 6th year of the Real California Exceleator on November 14th, Bob shares insights on how CMAB—backed by California’s pioneering dairy farm families—l…

1
United To Solve the Blueberry Puzzle With Steve Magami 27:35

7M ago27:35

27:35

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Steve Magami, Agrovision’s co-founder and executive chair. Agrovision is a leading vertically integrated global healthy snacking superfruit platform with operations…

1
Empowering Growth: Marlene Orozco on Latino Entrepreneurship and Access to Capital 30:13

7M ago30:13

30:13

Marlene Orozco, lead research analyst at the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative, joins us to discuss the unique challenges faced by Hispanic entrepreneurs, particularly in accessing capital. With her background in sociology, Marlene highlights the initiative's role in advancing Latino entrepreneurship, shares key insights from impactful re…

1
Expanding Blueberry Export Demand With Haiying Zhang and Kevin Hamilton 38:41

7M ago38:41

38:41

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC) is joined by Kevin Hamilton, USHBC’s vice president of communications and marketing, and Haiying Zhang, USHBC’s director of global business development. Zhang previously represen…

1
Building on the Foundation of USHBC’s Health Research 31:39

8M ago31:39

31:39

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by April Stull, Ph.D. RDN, associate professor of nutrition sciences in the Department of Human Sciences and Design at Baylor University, and Leslie Wada, Ph.D., senio…

1
Re-Release: Philanthropic Venturing — Valiente Fund's Maria Rodriguez 20:12

8M ago20:12

20:12

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we are re-releasing this episodefeaturing Maria Rodriguez, Executive Director of the Valiente Fund, a collaborativefocused on increasing philanthropic investment in Latine leaders, organizations,and communities. Maria shares insights on the importance of innovation in criticalmoments, scaling bold solutions, and…

1
Navigating the Industry's Crossroad: Matching Our Means to Our Dreams 30:19

8M ago30:19

30:19

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” you’ll hear a live recording of U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and North American Blueberry Council (NABC) President Kasey Cronquist’s keynote address to the blueberry industry, which was recorded live at the 2024 Blueberry Summit in Denver. He was joined by Brad Moorer, CEO of MBG Marketin…

1
NFL to Venture - Champion Venture Partners Founder Marques Colston 25:29

8M ago25:29

25:29

Former NFL star (one of the top 50 wide receivers in NFL historyand the New Orleans Saints’ all-time leader in every major statistical category for hisposition) and entrepreneur Marques Colston joins us to discuss the future of sportsand the new value chain in sports. As the Founder of Champion Venture Partners,Marques has created a new investment …

Podcasts Worth a Listen

U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen