The IAEOZ Summits are designed to foster solutions to systemic barriers and challenges that impact rural communities, by catalyzing investment in Smart Farming and cutting-edge technologies in food production and food security, and engaging with HBCUs, Land Grant Colleges, Minority Serving Institutions, Small Businesses, and Corporate and Federal Agency partners.

World-class speakers and panelists at the IAEOZ Summits that we held in 2020 and 2021 focused on empowering Black and Brown farmers, and presented on topics covering agricultural literacy, the role of satellites, drones and the Internet of Things in precision farming, Government research grants and contracts, Private-Public Partnership investment and rural community revitalization, job creation and workforce development.

At the 2024 IAEOZ Summit, leaders in business, commerce, technology, and philanthropy discussed the changing role of farming in America and Africa – and how HBCUs and Land Grant colleges located in Opportunity Zones can serve as anchor institutions to reinvent agribusiness education, innovation, commercialization, land preservation, restoration, and a return to wealth creation within the Minority agriculture community.

We provided actionable information on accessing funds and grants generated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and on expanded Government contracting opportunities for MBEs driven by the landmark Executive Orders 13985 and 14008.  Speakers presented case-studies of sustainability and carbon sequestration initiatives in farming, and examples of successful Minority-owned agribusiness enterprises.present case-studies of sustainability and carbon sequestration initiatives in farming, and examples of successful Minority-owned agribusiness enterprises.