Speaker Category: Main Speakers
![](https://ancientgrainsconference.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Chris_MacLeod_Headshot_Square.jpg)
Chris MacLeod
Chris MacLeod is co-owner of Laune Bread, a bakery in South Minneapolis focused on supporting local farmers & millers, whole grains, & sourdough bread. Our breads & pastries blend west coast American and German…
![](https://ancientgrainsconference.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Mala_Ganiger_Headshot_Square.jpg)
Mala Ganiger
Mala Ganiger is R&D lead for Minn-Dak Growers Ltd., located in Grand Forks, ND. This company specializes in buckwheat and mustard milling in the food-based industry. Her responsibilities revolve around buckwheat breeding projects, focusing…
![](https://ancientgrainsconference.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Alyssa_Walters_Headshot_Square.jpg)
Alyssa Walters
Alyssa Walters is the R&D Research Chef at the premier flour-milling and ingredient company Ardent Mills. In this role, Alyssa creates innovative prototypes and recipes, develops customer solutions with both Traditional Flour and Emerging…
![](https://ancientgrainsconference.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Angie_Echols_Headshot_Square.jpg)
Angie Echols
Angie Echols is local to the area, residing in Monticello, MN. She is the Food Security & Regulatory Compliance Manager at Bay State Milling Company, a food ingredient manufacturing company, with 9 US and…
![](https://ancientgrainsconference.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Andrew_Heyn_Headshot_Square.jpg)
Andrew Heyn
Andrew Heyn owns Elmore Mountain Bread with his wife, Blair Marvin in Northern Vermont. They bake wood-fired breads using stone ground local grain. Andrew designed and built his own mill for their bakery, and…
![](https://ancientgrainsconference.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Dana_Thompson_Headshot_Square.jpg)
Dana Thompson
A lineal descendant of the Wahpeton-Sisseton and Mdewakanton Dakota tribes and lifetime Minnesota native, Dana Thompson has worked for nearly a decade within the food sovereignty movement. As co-owner and chief operating officer of…
![](https://ancientgrainsconference.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Mark_Jirik_Headshot_Square.jpg)
Mark Jirik
Education: • Bachelor of Science in agricultural economics, North Dakota State University, Fargo, N.D. • Master of Science in agricultural economics, University of Illinois, Urbana, Ill. Experience: Jirik has more than 17 years of…
![](https://ancientgrainsconference.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Amrita_Ray_Headshot_Square.jpg)
Amrita Ray, Ph.D.
Dr. Amrita Ray is a Food Scientist & Technologist with experience in the field of grain science and technology, milling & processing, dough rheology, micronutrient fortification and product development. She has worked on various…