30 / SEEDWORLD.COM JUNE 2019 2019 | TOP 20 UNDER 30 CURTIS VAN LAECKE Curtis Van Laecke knew agriculture was his calling. He grew up on a tobacco farm in Western Ontario. When heading to school, he knew he wanted to stay in agriculture, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to be a farmer or join the indu- stry. Van Laecke ended up going to the University of Guelph, where he majored in plant science. He said combining the numbers side and science side of agri- culture to make the genetics side was his favorite. In 2006, Van Laecke and his wife along with his parents established Horizon Seeds, where he took the role of head of research and product advance- ment. Van Laecke is always looking to self- improve; his role is an evolving role, and he looks at every opportunity to better himself. He has attended the University of California Plant Breeding Academy to better develop new lines of corn — his favorite part of the job! Van Laecke is looking forward to seeing where corn is growing in Canada. He wants to see farm- ers push the envelope on maturity. One of the most important aspects of communication isn’t about speaking clearly. It’s about listening well, too. –Josh Earll JOSH EARLL Josh Earll grew up on a hobby farm with a little bit of everything. Before head- ing to Iowa State University, he never imagined going into the seed industry. Originally, he pursued his degree in agri- cultural communication and journalism. In today’s world, it’s important to focus on communicating what we really do, he says. He still works to communicate well every day — currently, he is a district sales manager at Bayer, and chair of the American Seed Trade Association’s Future Seed Executives subcommittee. Earll says one of the most impor- tant aspects of communication isn’t just speaking clearly, it’s about listening well, too. By listening to people with more and different experiences than you, you excel in your professional life. In the future, Earll is excited about watching new research and development come into play in the market, and he’s excited to see how the United States continues to battle through tough times, especially in light of these trade agreements popping up. JOSH MILLER Josh Miller didn’t grow up on a farm, but while he was in high school, he worked on a small farm. He didn’t know that farm would be where he drew his inspiration for FarmShots, a satellite imagery service provider that Syngenta acquired in 2018. Miller’s background is in electrical engi- neering and computer science, and when he graduated, he didn’t like his slate of options for careers. While working for the International Farming Corporation, Miller saw that following his idea for FarmShots seemed like the perfect opportunity, because at the time, there weren’t a lot of people bringing digital tools to farming. He worked side-by-side with the agronomists at the International Farming Corporation to develop the tool that was most valuable to them. Miller says that starting a company is probably one of the scariest things you can do, but it’s a great way to grow yourself. He recommends for anyone thinking about jumping in, to just go for it and to see what happens. In the future, he wants to see more adaptable variable-rate seeding. JESSICA BUBERT Jessica Bubert’s passion for agriculture was cultivated on her family’s corn and soybean farm. She loved the commu- nity surrounding her and discovered at a young age that along with her passion for farming, she had a love of science. Becoming a plant breeder was the way to combine her two loves. Bubert focused in on corn breeding, because she thinks corn is fun to work with! She enjoys the freedom of working with a crop that can be freely crossed, instead of naturally self-pollinated (and she doesn’t have to crawl on the ground to work). After leaving school, Bubert went on to become AgReliant Genetic’s first female corn breeder. Bubert has been so thankful for a community that’s willing to accept her — she mentioned at AgReliant, no one treats it like a big deal that she’s the first female corn breeder in the com- pany’s history. She’s excited that she has opened the doors to all the women who will come behind her.