Growing The Future: Corteva Agriscience and Make48 Partner For Innovation

As we kick off 2026, Make48 is taking a moment to look back at the incredible sponsors who made our past season possible. Leading the charge as the challenge sponsor for our Season 9 Nationals was the global agricultural powerhouse Corteva Agriscience™.  For over 100 years, Corteva has worked side-by-side with farmers to grow healthy food, driven by the belief that no one should go hungry. 

The 9th season challenge was titled "Food Forward." It addressed a critical reality across America, families face barriers to accessing the healthy food they need. Corteva invited our teams to design bold, practical solutions to make food more accessible, nutritious, and respectful for everyone, all while helping organizations serve their communities more effectively.

Teams had to create three distinct items for evaluation including a prototype, a 60-second marketing video explaining the problem, the solution, and the value. And last, but not least, a sell sheet, a one-page overview with key features, user stories, and visuals.

This challenge isn’t theoretical. Fresh food spoils quickly, distribution is physically demanding, and many families struggle to navigate available support systems. Organizations want to provide food in ways that are dignified and practical but often lack the necessary tools. 

To ensure the ideas met these real-world needs, we were joined by experts who face these challenges daily. We were honored to have mentors Emily Weikert Bryant (Feeding Indiana's Hungry) and Kathy Hahn Keiner (Crooked Creek Food Pantry), along with judge Sam Schwoeppe (Fresh Connect Central), to guide and evaluate the teams. 

The Broader Impact of Agriculture | Education and Hunger Relief

This partnership is a testament to Corteva's deep-rooted belief in the power of innovation. It's not the first time they've teamed up with Make48; they previously sponsored a challenge on food security and, more recently, one focused on agricultural education, featuring teams from FFA chapters. This ongoing collaboration highlights Corteva's dedication to fostering the next generation of problem-solvers. 

Corteva's support of Make48 goes beyond a single competition. Their goal is to educate participants about the diverse career opportunities available and the positive impact of the agriculture industry.

Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, Corteva’s roots in the community are deep. Beyond Make48, Corteva is actively involved in community initiatives focused on hunger relief, education and sustainability. They are partnering with Conner Prairie to establish the ‘Food, Farm, and Energy Experience’, a multi-year collaboration aimed at enriching guest engagement through hands-on exhibits and storytelling. This initiative, like their involvement with Make48, is designed to celebrate the legacy of American agriculture while inspiring future innovation in food, farming, and energy. 

In its home state of Indiana alone, the company supports hunger relief organizations like

Second Helpings, Meals on Wheels, Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, Midwest Food

Bank, Million Meal Movement, Crooked Creek Food Pantry, Indy Hunger Network, and

many others.

Additionally, in 2024, Corteva celebrated a major milestone in its efforts to address food

insecurity in Central Indiana by donating more than 100-thousand pounds of fresh

produce since 2014 to area food pantries from the company’s “Harvest for Hunger”

garden. Corteva employees volunteer their time at the two-acre garden by planting,

growing, and harvesting fresh produce from more than a dozen different crops that are

donated to five area food pantries.

Corteva is dedicated to a mission of supporting agriculture, sustainability, communities, education, and scientific innovation. As the global population grows, the demand for food resources increases, and Corteva stands at the forefront of meeting this need. The company provides farmers with a globally diverse portfolio of tools, including seeds, crop protection solutions (ie; herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides), and digital services, to increase productivity while conserving resources. 

This partnership with Make48 is a powerful way for them to celebrate the spirit of innovation which is at the heart of their mission. We look forward to many years of working together with a company that deeply cares about its customers and the nation. 

You can learn more about Corteva's mission, values, and purpose at https://www.corteva.com/ 

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