The Make It in Brooklyn (MIIB) community gathered at GOLFZON Social in Downtown Brooklyn for an evening focused on the future of agriculture. The MIIB Ag Tech Pitch Contest brought together founders and industry professionals to explore how emerging technologies are reshaping how we grow food, manage land, and build more resilient supply chains. GOLFZON proved to be a lively and engaging venue, with attendees enjoying conversations and drinks throughout the night as they watched the pitches. 

Our Finalists: Shannen Henry, John Lancione, Oskar Schortz, Suma Reddy, Emma Forman (Emcee), Kristin Scholten.

Five founders presented a range of approaches that highlighted just how broad the ag tech landscape has become. CocoaFiber Inc. shared its work transforming cocoa pod waste into biodegradable fibers and climate-forward materials that both reduce emissions and create new income streams for farmers. OpenFields walked through its use of satellite data and crop science to help farmers and markets make faster, more precise decisions. Seasonal focused on the challenge of scaling small-farm direct sales, building infrastructure that turns local demand into predictable revenue while maintaining farm identity. Gather Agriculture introduced its autonomous modular farm robots designed to  increase harvest efficiency. Rounding out the group, GyroPlant presented its reusable substrates for greenhouses and indoor farms, offering means to reduce waste while increasing yields.

Our judges: Ariane Dagui, Austin Evarts, Andrew Carter, Sarah Garland, Kidd Solomon.

Each founder delivered a compelling pitch, followed by thoughtful Q&A from a panel of expert judges, comprising: Ariane Daguin, All One One All Farm; Austin Evarts, NYU Tandon Future Labs; Andrew Carter, Anther Labs; Sarah Garland, Triple Helix Institute and Kidd Solomon NYCEDC. The evening was emceed by Emma Forman, of Myca Collective, who kept the program engaging and on track.

After careful deliberation, CocoaFiber Inc. was awarded the $5,000 grand prize. The judges were impressed by the company’s innovative approach to waste utilization and its potential to drive both environmental and economic impact within global agricultural systems. 

The night made it clear there’s no shortage of strong ideas in ag tech right now; Each team brought a distinct approach, and the conversations that followed showed real interest from the audience. With strong pitches, a vibrant audience, and a standout venue, the Make It in Brooklyn Ag Tech Pitch Contest was a clear success—highlighting the innovation and collaboration driving the next chapter of agriculture. 

Judges and finalists gather around winner Shannen Henry.

Make It in Brooklyn is dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship and supporting Brooklyn’s innovation ecosystem through its series of pitch contests, meet-ups, and panels. These initiatives have united hundreds of entrepreneurs and provided over $120K in seed funding, along with invaluable pro-bono professional services.  

The competition was made possible by the generous support of sponsor NYU Tandon School of Engineering and event venue, GOLFZON Social.