In this episode of Founders in Focus, we pass the mic to three powerhouse mentors guiding the next generation of innovators in animal health, agtech, and pet nutrition. Recorded live at the Plug and Play Agtech and Animal Health June Expo in Topeka, Kansas, hear from Dr. Trish Jackson, Dr. Kevin Hahn, and Cole Ahlvers as they share candid advice on founder mindset, navigating regulation, understanding risk, and reading investor signals. From regenerative agriculture to veterinary care and pet food trends, their insights are as practical as they are thought-provoking. Whether you're building your first startup or mentoring one, this episode is packed with wisdom you won't find in a pitch deck!

Helpful Links

🔗 Learn more about Link Innovation Labs, a multi-use innovation space designed to support agtech, animal health, and deep-tech entrepreneurs: https://www.gotopeka.com/link-innovation-labs/

📺 Check out local news coverage of the Link Innovation Labs groundbreaking event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EmXSTbYpAY

🐱 Explore some of the cat food innovations mentioned by Cole Ahlvers:

• Made by Nacho, a cat food brand by Chef Bobby Flay
• Petlibro Smart Feeder
• BistroCat Smart Feeder

🌱 Learn more about Soil Regen, a regenerative agriculture company mentioned by Dr. Trish Jackson in the episode: https://www.agsoilregen.com/

🤝 Connect with Dr. Trish Jackson, Dr. Kevin Hahn, and Cole Ahlvers on LinkedIn.

Show Notes

00:00 – Welcome back!

02:13 – Introducing the panel

04:21 – Ideas the needle in agtech and animal health

10:48 – True innovation vs chasing trends

13:11 – Balancing research needs with the breakneck pace of innovation

16:49 – What the industry has gotten wrong on sustainability

21:41 – Selling regenerative ag to farmers

23:52 – Hardest lessons learned in the startup ecosystem

29:29 – Common misconceptions for first-time founders

32:25 – Making data-driven decisions

34:11 – Strategic hiring tips

40:36 – The power of cross-industry collaboration

44:56 – If your career had a theme song…

47:10 – Wrap-up and stay tuned!

The last time you sat down for a meal, did you think about where that food came from? What about the farmers who tended those fruits and veggies, or raised that cow? Modern agriculture is facing an age-old problem—a lack of streamlined record-keeping to keep up with the expensive equipment and assets necessary to grow and raise our food. This is where Tracey Wiedmeyer, founder of Gripp, comes in. In this episode, we sit down with Tracey to explore how one deceptively simple platform is tackling the overlooked pain points of farm management. We’ll discuss how Gripp is helping bridge the generational knowledge gap with tools that are as intuitive for grandkids as they are for grandparents, as well as the underestimated power of solving “schlep work,” the role of professionalization in the future of farming, and why Gripp's simplicity is its greatest strength—and strategic moat.

Helpful Links

🌱 Learn more about Gripp: https://www.gripp.ag/

🤝 Connect with Tracey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wiedmeyer/

📖 Read Paul Graham’s essay on “Schlep Blindness” here: https://www.paulgraham.com/schlep.html

💸 Check out C2 Venture’s fund for startups investing in jobs that are “dull, dirty and dangerous:” https://techcrunch.com/2022/07/12/c2-ventures-raises-new-fund-to-invest-in-the-dull-dirty-and-dangerous/

Show Notes

00:00 – Welcome back!

01:18 – Introducing Tracey Wiedmeyer

04:11 – Getting a Gripp

08:02 – Bringing digitalization to agriculture

11:03 – Solving the “schlep work”

16:02 – Keeping it simple

17:54 – Building a brand around those who need it

21:00 – The Plug and Play accelerator experience

22:56 – Taking good (and critical) feedback

25:18 – Balancing startup life with personal life

28:16 – Painting the future of agtech

30:24 – Gripp today, tomorrow, and beyond

33:28 – Where to learn more about Gripp

34:06 - Wrap-up and stay tuned!

Join co-hosts Jordan Tyler and Mark McAllister as they sit down with three visionary startup teams transforming the future of animal health, food innovation, and sustainability. Inside the episode, Barry McDonogh of Hinalea Imaging shares how his AI-powered hyperspectral imaging platform is finding unexpected applications; Dr. Daphne Preuss and Francesca Gallucci of Nataur reveal how microbial fermentation is unlocking cleaner, petroleum-free ingredients like taurine for pets, people, and beyond; and Sebastian Doyle of Medipups takes us inside the journey of building a transparent, human-grade supplement brand for dogs—balancing science, branding, and palatability. From resilience in the face of personal sacrifice to lessons in building the right partnerships, this episode captures the raw, real, and rewarding path of entrepreneurship.

Helpful Links

Learn more about Hinalea Imaging: https://hinalea.ai/

Learn more about Nataur: https://www.nataur.com/

Learn more about Medipups: https://medipups.com/about-us/

Read more about the Plug and Play Topeka June Expo: https://www.gotopeka.com/plug-and-play-expo/

Tune in to this Barking Mad episode about the Plug and Play Tech Center.

Connect with Barry McDonogh on LinkedIn

Connect with Dr. Daphne Preuss and Francesca Gallucci on LinkedIn

Show Notes

00:00 – Welcome back!

01:40 – Checking in with Barry McDonogh and Hinalea Imaging

04:52 – Barry’s commercialization strategy

06:43 – Getting Hinalea ready for the Plug and Play Topeka June Expo

08:47 – On-shoring production

10:30 – Family First

13:54 – Checking in with Dr. Daphne Preuss and Francesca Gallucci of Nataur

17:07 – Surprising applications for microbial taurine

20:41 – Prioritizing consumer education

22:15 – Recent business updates from Nataur

26:10 – How Nataur is preparing for June Expo

27:26 – Daphne’s personal passion for impactful innovation

29:25 – Checking in with Sebastian Doyle and Medipups

30:31 – How Medipups formulates its dog supplements

32:07 – How Sebastian measures success beyond revenue

34:48 – Maintaining a solid ingredient supply amid tariff threats

36:00 – How to be an opportunistic entrepreneur

37:56 – Recent updates from the Plug and Play program

39:50 – Rehearsing for the big pitch at June Expo

41:10 – If you could solve one current challenge with Medipups, what would it be?

42:23 – Wrap-up and stay tuned!

Show Notes