Robert Riley, Jr., has been involved in domestic/international sales & marketing, laboratory supervision, research & development, & executive/corporate management. Feed Energy was built on a discipline of using science-based solutions to create high performance energy and essential nutrition products for livestock/poultry producers. Bob’s interest in the environment has resulted in his extensive involvement in rural development, sustainable agriculture, & funding Iowa's Water and Land Legacy.
Kay Riley, along with husband Bob Riley, is a Founder and past Board member of Feed Energy Co. She has a BA degree from the University of Iowa and an MA in Christian Spirituality from General Theological Seminary. Kay has been a spiritual counselor and teacher of spiritual formation programs at The Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center and Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ. She has served on the Board of Trustees of the Des Moines Public Library, the Honorary Board of Des Moines Metro Opera, the Board of Spiritual Growth at Plymouth UCC, and currently on the Board of the Black Child Development Institute – Iowa. Kay is an avid reader and loves spending time with her and Bob’s six grandchildren.
Ms. Garst manages a family farm near Coon Rapids Iowa and oversees two family-owned community banks. She has worked for the World Bank, her family’s seed company and as a bank president. Liz has a BA from Stanford, a MS in Agricultural Economics from Michigan State and a MBA from Harvard. She currently serves on the board of Whiterock Conservancy founded by her family. She has a long career in civic engagement on behalf of agriculture, the environment, rural development and civil liberties.
Mr. Jacobi spent much of his career at DuPont Pioneer, during which he served as Corporate and then General Counsel for Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., then as Associate General Counsel for DuPont Ag & Nutrition, and finally, as Pioneers Vice President for Asia, Europe, and Africa. Dan received his undergraduate and Law degrees from Drake University, where he now serves on the University’s Board of Trustees. Dan remains committed to the idea that modern agricultural technologies, including biotechnology, are the keys to improved global health and nutrition, political stability, and environmental sustainability. He continues to closely watch the geo-political developments in regions such as Europe, China, South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, where he still has friends and former Pioneer colleagues.
Joe Riley is the CEO of the Riley Resource Group. Joe has led several businesses in his career, including Rantizo, Iowa Steel Fabrication, FEC Solutions and Corn Oil One. Joe earned a BA in Entrepreneurship from the University of St. Thomas and is a graduate of the University of Loyola’s Quinlan School of Business NGLI Program. Joe currently sits on the Des Moines Public School’s Animal Science Advisory Board and has worked as an instructor with ISU’s AgEI Incubator. Joe and his wife Sarah spend most of their free time wrangling their four sons.
Nadilia Gomez is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for the Digital and Precision Agriculture Bioscience Platform at Iowa State University. As CTO, Gomez works closely with research teams at ISU to identify ag technologies with commercial potential. Gomez most recently served as executive director for the Iowa AgriTech Accelerator. For the decade prior to that, she served in a variety of roles in digital ag innovation and commercialization for DuPont-Pioneer and Corteva Agriscience, including managing a portfolio of research initiatives in digital innovation and training scientists on principles of innovation-driven entrepreneurship. Gomez is a graduate and mentor of the Community Connect program of the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute. She served on the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council, and currently serves on the board of ViClarity, the Whiterock Conservancy, and the Ivy Women of Business Council.
Scott Harrington is the Chief of Staff for the Riley Resource Group. RRG is a 35-year-old multigenerational family business in Des Moines, IA. RRG’s core business is Feed Energy, an animal nutrition company specializing in fats and oils. Feed Energy is responsible for feeding over 80 million animals, translating into over 1 billion meals. Before joining Riley Resource Group, Scott was a marketing executive for Red 5 Interactive and Porter Novelli. Scott enjoys spending time with his wife Katherine and two children, as well as fly-fishing and photography.
Mr. Reiher leads global activities for the world’s largest independent seed and soy genetics company and formerly led smart industrial technology alliances and investments for the world’s largest agriculture equipment manufacturer. For 12 years, he had key roles in several Deere technology acquisitions and, earlier in his career, conducted similar activities for a division of Thermo-Fisher. Reiher has significant leadership experience in the seed, genetics, and plant-derived pharmaceutical ingredient industries. He currently serves as a board director for Two Rivers Financial Group and Stine Seed Company. He earned a B.S. in Agricultural Business from Iowa State University, an MBA in Finance from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and is an FAA instrument-rated ASEL private pilot.