SALINAS, CA. – Adding to their roster of technology and industry experts, Stout Industrial Technology announced that Brent Shedd has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the industrial solutions and artificial intelligence company. A serial founder and CEO of startups in the AI and autonomous vehicle industries, Shedd will work alongside the Stout team on both product and market expansion.
“No market has a greater need for automation today than agriculture,” said Shedd. “This is about our collective survival. We add more people to the planet every year and our food supply must keep up. The same labor shortages and workforce instability exists in agriculture as in other industries, but this is one industry that can’t afford to fail.”
Before joining Stout, Shedd served as the CEO for Zing Robotics, developing electric, autonomous vehicles for the aviation industry. Prior to that, he founded several artificial intelligence startups and will be leveraging his experience in electrification, autonomy, machine vision and AI in his role at Stout, with a focus on helping the company commercialize the Stout Smart Cultivator and develop additional solutions for sustainable farming productivity.
“Brent’s experience with machine vision, sensor fusion and AI in general is a huge differentiator in my opinion,” said Steven Snyder, Stout’s Chief Technologist. “He’s really plugged into the latest developments and has great relationships with leaders in the space that may become strategic partners for us.”
“Brent’s background in autonomy and AI make him the perfect leader to take Stout Industrial Technology forward. His passion for using technology to improve sustainability, productivity and working conditions in labor-intensive businesses is a perfect match with the solutions we’re developing for growers,” said Jeff Antle, Stout’s Chief Product Officer.
“I’m excited to work with this team and incredibly impressed with what they’ve accomplished,” says Shedd. “Together, we’re going to fundamentally change the dynamics of farming.”
Shedd obtained his Bachelor of Science in International Business from California State University, Chico, and his MBA from the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird).
About Stout Industrial Technology: Founded in 2019, Stout Industrial Technology, Inc. builds machines that reduce labor requirements for growers by combining AI with professional-grade industrial automation. Comprising team members from the high-stakes, high-performance industries of automotive racing, defense, aerospace, medical, agriculture, and manufacturing, Stout Industrial Technology provides solutions that are field-tested, environmentally friendly and help growers lower their operating costs while improving quality and yield.
