Who We Are
After meeting at the Women in Ag Tech Alliance at Tech Hub Live, Wendy and Joyce realized there was a need for a North American BioEconomy Data Alliance and NABDA was born. Soon they were joined by other liked-minded folks interested in advancing the bioeconomy. NABDA’s primary goal is: to advance collaboration across North America around data literacy, valuation, and accessibility—starting with biomass data.
- Mission: To optimize feedstock management, advancing circularity and sustainability through data collaboration.
- Vision: Transforming North America’s bioeconomy through innovation, equity, and environmental stewardship.
- Value Proposition: Empowering a sustainable future through data-driven decision-making and inclusive partnerships.
To learn more about NABDA, download the slides from our recent Tech Hub Live Roundtable.
Our Team
Brooke Blessington
Director of Operations at Tempest Droneworx
Brooke Blessington leads efforts to deploy advanced solutions that drive efficiency, precision, and sustainability in agriculture. With a strong foundation in agricultural science and technology, she works to bridge the gap between emerging innovations and practical on-farm applications.
Previously, Brooke served as the founding director at LANDWERX, where she connected agricultural challenges with cutting-edge technological solutions from various industries. With a background in plant genetics research at Pioneer, Brooke has spent her career at the intersection of science, technology, and agriculture. Her tenure at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach further solidified her commitment to equipping farmers and rural communities with the latest innovations to improve productivity and resilience.
Growing up on a family farm in Iowa, Brooke developed a deep-rooted passion for agriculture and the transformative power of emerging technologies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology, a master’s in plant breeding and genetics, and a doctorate in organizational leadership, bringing a multidisciplinary approach to advancing the future of farming.
Wendy Ell
President, Industries in Transition
Wendy Ell offers three decades of marketing expertise coupled with government and industry relations and a long list of successful fundraising endeavors. Her three decades of work in energy and agriculture have impacted special interest groups in Alberta, Canada-wide and internationally.
By working with some of Canada’s most respected media and communications firms, Wendy has had the pleasure of working closely with individuals and organizations working up and down some of the most prized business sectors, leading and launching hundreds of consumer marketing, B2B and cause marketing programs. In the course of her work, she has orchestrated dozens of live and digital events, workshops, ad and PR campaigns, special reports, and webinars – all serving the needs of a wide array of special interest groups that in many cases have differing motivations, agendas and viewpoints.
She is a board member for Canada’s Women and Wealth organization, an advisor to Ag for Life, Regeneration Canada, Ten Peaks Innovation Alliance and volunteer for the Calgary Stampede and past advisor to the Clean Resource Innovation Network, the Petroleum Technology Alliance of Canada and organizing lead for Canada’s Energy Technology conference and Energy Supply Chain Conference, each pulling in over 900 attendees annually.
Joyce Hunter
Joyce Hunter is a renowned technology, cybersecurity, and data science leader with a distinguished career, including key roles at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where she served as Deputy Chief Information Officer for Policy and Planning and interim Chief Information Officer, responsible for management of a $4 billion dollar information technology portfolio.
A passionate advocate for diversity in tech, Joyce founded Data Science Camp Inc. to enhance STEM education by preparing the youth of today for the workforce of tomorrow, and she actively contributes to industry organizations like Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) International, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Multi-Cloud Zero Trust Working Group, and the NIST Open Security Controls Assessment Language (OSCAL). She currently serves as Chair of the Advisory Board for CyberAg, sits on the Emergent Connecxt and Charm City Strategic Advisory Boards, and co-chairs the North American Bioeconomy Data Alliance (NABDA). Among her many industry awards, Joyce is the recipient of the 2024 Cyber Defender Award.
Joyce holds a BA from Villanova University and an MBA in Marketing from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and her expertise is featured in publications such as The Handbook of Federal Government Leadership and Administration (Routledge, 2017), “Securing the Nation’s Critical Infrastructures: A Guide for the 2021 – 2025 Administration” (CRC Press, 2022) and Mission Critical interviews and podcasts.
Nancy Bohl Bormann, Ph.D.
Researcher, University of Minnesota, and Farm Owner and Operator, Bormann Ag, Ltd.
Nancy Bohl Bormann is a Manure and Nutrient Management Researcher at the University of Minnesota in the Soil, Water, and Climate Department. She received her B. S. from Iowa State University, M.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Her main research project is working on the development and implementation of a nationwide manure test database called ManureDB. Previously she worked in the nutrient management field for fourteen years as a CCA with The Maschhoffs. Nancy is the Kossuth Soil and Water Conservation District Chair, an Iowa State University Northern Research Farm Board Member, and a member of the AgGateway Laboratory Data Standardization Working Group. She has a passion for the intersection of agriculture and the environment, especially in nutrient management, agricultural data management, and soil and water quality areas.
Tom Buman
CEO, Precision Conservation LLC
Tom Buman, CEO, Precision Conservation LLC has 40 years of experience and is highly regarded in the agricultural and environmental industry as a passionate visionary and thought leader. He led his own firm for more than 22 years. After selling his company, Tom established Precision Conservation LLC to help others achieve their sustainability goals. Tom earned his bachelor’s degree in agronomy and MBA from Iowa State University.
Tom’s deep commitment to agriculture and concern for the environment stems from his early years, working alongside his father and four brothers on the family farm in southwest Iowa. Today, he continues to build on that commitment by working to create innovative solutions for pressing problems that affect farmers and the environment. Widely recognized for his leadership expertise, passion, and vision in conservation planning, Tom spent early career with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and is knowledgeable of both historical and current EPA and USDA policies. Tom’s ability to convey technical data to diverse groups of community leaders, farmers, researchers and legislators makes him an influential leader and respected liaison when securing commitment of partners and collaborators from agencies, associations, and organizations confronting complex environmental issues on the national, state, and local levels. Tom enjoys working in his wood shop, traveling, and following Iowa State sports. He and his wife Peggy have 4 married children and 7 grandchildren.
Kathleen Glass
VP Marketing, AquaSpy
Kathleen Glass leads the global marketing efforts at AquaSpy, bringing farmers a way to improve nutrient use efficiency by continuously measuring and monitoring the physical, biological, and chemical properties of soils. A native Californian, Kathleen joined AquaSpy in 2020, bringing over two decades of sales and marketing experience in SaaS and managed services for emerging technologies. She’s played a key role in launching new technologies like PCSI’s cell towers (a rival to Qualcomm), FICO’s AI system for detecting credit card fraud, and Lytx’s DriveCam, a smart video system used around the world to help manage vehicle fleets and improve driver safety.