Agricultural innovation doesn't fail for lack of ideas—it fails for lack of connection.
California has world class research universities, a diverse and productive agricultural sector, ambitious climate economic development goals, growing ecosystem entrepreneurs building solutions. But too often, these pieces don't come together. Researchers develop promising technologies that never leave the lab. Startups build products without grower input. Growers hear about innovations they can't access or evaluate. Policymakers invest in programs infrastructure to turn funding into outcomes.
The ideas are there. The connection is what's missing.
UC ANR Innovate exists change that. As arm University Agriculture Natural Resources, we connect people, ideas, resources around real challenges agriculture, food, biotechnology. We work across full pathway, from early stage technology development to grower engagement to commercialization support. What makes us distinct is our position as a trusted, neutral platform within the land grant system. We're not a funder, a VC, or an accelerator. We're a convener: aligning resources, brokering relationships, and creating the conditions where startups engage directly with growers, research is shaped by practical need, and innovation delivers measurable impact for California agriculture, its workforce, and its communities.
How We Work
UC ANR Innovate works across four areas, each designed to move innovation closer to adoption.
Advancing Practical Technologies
We find high-potential innovations and help them get to the field, connecting startups to growers for testing, linking researchers to commercial partners, and creating pathways to capital.
Generating Use-Inspired Research
We produce research and analysis that shapes how innovation happens, data on technology performance, policy guidance, and ecosystem mapping.
Enabling an Innovation-Ready Workforce
We train students and workers for careers that don't fully exist yet, through competitions, academies, and hands-on programs.
Building Regional Innovation Ecosystems
We help regions organize around shared goals, aligning institutions, capital, and infrastructure so innovation doesn't depend on luck.
2025 Impact
UC ANR Innovate’s role is to turn connection into outcomes. We focus on translating research into practice, aligning innovation with real agricultural needs, and ensuring that public investment results in measurable progress across California.
In 2025, our work moved beyond planning and pilots into delivery. Programs across our portfolio emphasized field validation, workforce readiness, and ecosystem coordination, reducing friction between ideas and implementation while operating at regional and statewide scale.
$16M+
State funding secured
595
Field day attendees
25
Startups engaged
374
FRC participants
10,000+
Educators and students reached
60
Byproducts sampled
Our Foundation
Mission
UC ANR Innovate drives agriculture, food, and biotechnology innovation in California. We connect people, ideas, and resources to tackle real-world challenges, empowering entrepreneurs, strengthening industries, and building an inclusive future for California agriculture.
Vision
A California whose agricultural innovation ecosystem is the global model, where researchers turn discoveries into solutions, entrepreneurs find the support they need to scale, and farmers shape the technologies that serve them.
Values
Collaborative
The best ideas come from shared knowledge and teamwork across experts, workers, policymakers, and entrepreneurs.
Forward Thinking
We bring actionable ideas to life that address real-world agricultural needs.
Action-Oriented
We focus on practical outcomes and measurable difference.
Inclusive
We ensure small farmers, farmworkers, and historically underserved groups are part of innovation and benefit equally.
Environmentally Conscious
We balance economic growth with environmental responsibility.
Our Team
The people behind UC ANR Innovate.
Gabe Youtsey
Chief Innovation Officer
Kelly Scott
Director, Farm Robotics Challenge
Hanif Houston
Director, Communications and Marketing
Lucie Cahierre
Program Manager
Fraser Smith
Program Manager
Terri White
Administrative Assistant
Eric Dyer
Workforce Coordinator
Eli Newell
Staff Research Associate
Damaris Camarena
Financial Analyst
Contractors
UC ANR Innovate is supported by a team of contractors: Hannah Johnson, Connie Bowen, Nat Irwin, Micki Seibel, Deborah Tucker, Penny McBride, Sarah Masterson, Nick Popadopolous, and Ignacio Rodriguez.
Partners
Our work depends on collaboration.
Funders
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Institutional Partners
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Ecosystem Partners
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