ANNUAL KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Re-Imagining & Catalyzing the Future of Health & Medicine
DANIEL KRAFT M.D.
Stanford and Harvard-trained physician-scientist, inventor, entrepreneur, and investor
Daniel Kraft is a Stanford and Harvard-trained physician-scientist, entrepreneur, and investor with over 25 years of experience in clinical practice, biomedical research, and healthcare innovation. He is the founder and chair of NextMed Health, a program focused on exploring emerging technologies in healthcare, and serves as General Partner at Continuum Health Ventures, supporting early-stage healthtech startups.
Kraft is also a longtime faculty chair for Medicine at Singularity University, where he drives conversations about the intersection of technology and biomedicine. His medical expertise spans multiple disciplines, including internal medicine, pediatrics, hematology, oncology, and bone marrow transplantation, and he has held prestigious roles at institutions like Stanford and UCSF.
FEATURED SESSION SPEAKERS
Louie A. Brown, Jr. | Partner, Kahn Soares & Conway, LLP
Louie A. Brown, Jr. manages the firm’s Sacramento office and the Government Relations Group, representing clients before the California State Legislature and various state administrative agencies. Louie specializes in providing clients with expert advice in maneuvering through California’s complex legislative and regulatory process and played key roles in negotiating legislation and regulation on a variety of topics.
Alexandra Macedo | California State Assemblywoman, District 33
Alexandra, a fourth-generation farmer with roots in her family’s livestock market and almond farm, holds a Juris Doctorate from San Joaquin College of Law and has actively participated in various regulatory advisory boards and committees focused California agriculture. Since 2021, she has been assisting clients with environmental compliance and project management through her company, Macedo Environmental Consulting. She was recently appointed to California State Assembly, serving the 33rd district.
Joshua C. Walters | Chief of Strategy, Alliance of California’s Farmers & Ranchers
Joshua C. Walters is a resourceful political professional and attorney with nearly two decades of experience in politics, campaigns, legislative processes, and issue advocacy. As a proven crisis manager, he develops successful campaigns and innovative solutions for elected leaders, political coalitions, and various organizations in high-stakes environments. Walters specializes in campaign strategy, coalition building, and crafting effective messaging across media platforms.
AJ Cisney | General Manager, Rancho Guadalupe, LLC
Aaron “A.J.” Cisney is General Manager for Rancho Guadalupe, LLC and Managing Partner of Blair Crop Services. He is Chair Emeritus of the AgSafe Board of Directors and Chairman of the Board of the Grower-Shipper Association of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties. A past Chairman of the UnitedAg Board of Directors, A.J. was appointed to the UnitedAg Board of Trustees in 2022 and was appointed Treasurer in 2024.
Jayson Welter | General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, UnitedAg
Jayson Welter has over 20 years of legal and healthcare experience both in the private and public sectors serving in key management roles. Throughout his career, he honed his skills by understanding health plans from A-Z, combining this with a deep understanding of healthcare operations, and finally adding the legal and compliance aspects to his vast set of skills. Jayson recently worked at BeneSys, as their Compliance Officer, and prior to that, he worked at Employee Health Insurance Management, a TPA, where he served as the Business Administration Officer.
Jonathan Adams | President, SALIX Data
Jonathan Adams is the President of SALIX Data, a company that has served over 2,500 clients since 1999, including top global companies, healthcare providers, and law firms. SALIX specializes in digital transformation strategies, offering AI, business process outsourcing, and litigation support. Known for making enterprise solutions accessible to small and midsized organizations, SALIX is an award-winning company dedicated to its clients, employees, and the community.
Karthik Krishnan | CEO, International Finance Facility for Education
Karthik Krishnan is the Founding CEO of International Finance Facility for Education (IFFEd), an organization that launched with $1.5 Billion to fund education and skills development in lower-middle-income countries and unlock potentials of children and young adults. Karthik is also President @ Purple Patch, an organization helping CEOs and founders close the gap between potential and performance, and an adjunct professor at NYU Stern School of Business.
Daniel Nelson | President & CEO, Latin Berry Plants
California native Daniel Nelson grew up around his family’s cattle ranch and plant breeding operations in the berry and artichoke business. In addition to his role at Latin Berry Plants, he has founded several successful startups including The California Bee Company, LLC, Veritas Substrates, Inc., Innovative Organic Nursery, LLC, and others. Daniel joined the UnitedAg Board of Directors in 2017.