Former Google executive Steve Lerch returning to 2025 Stakeholders Summit stage
Lerch to share practical tools to advance animal agriculture using artificial intelligence
January 29, 2025 – Steve Lerch, president of Story Arc Consulting and former Google executive, will return to the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2025 Stakeholders Summit to share insights on using artificial intelligence (AI) to benefit animal agriculture. The 2025 Summit, themed “Food for Thought: Dishing on Sustainability,” is set for April 30-May 2 in Arlington, Va. Early bird registration rates are available through Feb. 28. Register here.
Generative AI is revolutionizing industries – and animal agriculture can’t afford to be left behind. In the 2025 Summit session “Serving Up Sustainability Conversations using Artificial Intelligence,” Lerch will explore how generative AI tools, like ChatGPT and Gemini, can support efforts to further advance animal agriculture. Whether users need to simplify complex data or are looking to tell better, more compelling stories, this session will leave the complicated science behind and focus on simple, actionable ways animal agriculture can immediately start benefitting from AI.
“At the 2025 Summit, we’re exploring new ideas and innovations to take the farm and food communities to the next level,” said Hannah Thompson-Weeman, Alliance president and CEO. “Artificial intelligence is a tool that can help us do just that. Steve’s session will help break down the complexities of getting started and equip attendees with the tools needed to jump into action and add a new tool to the toolbox.”
Lerch is a consultant and an international keynote speaker. He spent a decade at Google designing the digital strategies and marketing campaigns for well-known brands like GoPro, federal government agencies like the U.S. Census Bureau, and national commodity programs like Avocados From Mexico and the National Pork Board. While at Google, Steve also served as an innovation evangelist, teaching thousands of Googlers the cultural principles and strategies that are necessary to drive new ideas and embrace change. Lerch formed Story Arc Consulting in 2019, where he has served as a keynote speaker, facilitator of board and leadership team meetings, and a marketing consultant across various industries. He specializes in food and agriculture, having worked with companies from John Deere to California Milk to Kansas City Steaks.
The 2025 Summit would not be possible without the support of sponsors, including U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, Farm Journal, Meatingplace, Watt Global Media, Cargill, Merck Animal Health, Zoetis, American Feed Industry Association, United Soybean Board, Agri-Pulse, CoBank, Dairy MAX, Farm Credit Council, National Pork Producers Council, Ad Farm, American Farm Bureau Federation, Aviagen, American Veal Association, Cobb, Kemin, National Chicken Council, National Pork Board, North Carolina Farm Bureau, Progressive Dairy, Trans Ova Genetics, United Egg Producers, Vivayic, and Eggland’s Best.
Get involved:
Farmers and ranchers are eligible to win free conference registration, travel credit, and a two-night hotel stay by entering the 2025 Summit photo contest. Entries must be posted on Instagram by Feb. 7 to be considered. Learn more here.
Help us bring fresh perspectives to the table at the 2025 Summit. Invite a friend to join the conversation about sustainability by referring someone who’s never attended the Summit before. Both parties need to be registered and will be entered to win a $100 gift card. More details here.
Show your support for the Alliance’s outreach efforts by becoming an official Summit sponsor today! For more information on 2025 sponsorship opportunities, click here.
Check the Summit website for the most up-to-date information. You can also follow the hashtag #AAA25 for periodic updates about the event on social media. For general questions about the Summit, email summit@animalagalliance.org or call (703) 562-5160.
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