On The Record
A timeline highlighting some of Colin's milestones, press, writings, and releases.
Founder
Year 2026
“Who Controls Farmer Data? FarmMind CEO Says Farm Bill Provision Leaves a Gap”
On Agriculture of America, Raby argues farm bill cost-share for precision ag should be limited to trusted providers, and that farmers should own their data.
“Farmers prepare for harvest with new technology, safety training”
Demonstrating FarmMind to sugarcane growers at the Teche Growers Association harvest meeting.
“A college class on AI became the foundation for this million-acre Louisiana agtech platform”
Technical.ly traces FarmMind from LSU's first LLM course to more than a million acres, grown without traditional venture capital.
FarmMind CEO Colin Raby applauds Senate Farm Bill precision agriculture provision, urges foreign adversary restriction
Statement supporting precision agriculture under EQIP, and urging Congress to apply the Farm Bill's "trusted provider" standard to agricultural AI.
“Louisiana Ag Tech Company Farm Mind Uses AI to Help Farmers Boost Productivity”
This Week in Louisiana Agriculture on how FarmMind helps farmers get more from every acre.
“AI Meets Agriculture: How Colin Raby Is Transforming the Future of Farming”
On the American Potential podcast with host David From, Raby talks AI, farming and what it takes to build a technology company in Louisiana.
The Longest Line in Philadelphia↗
On narrative, nation, and what motivates our lives and shapes what we are willing to die for
I Published an OpEd in the Washington Examiner↗
The policy decisions we make in the farm bill will either secure the future of American Agricultural resistance or hand over our most important industry to our biggest geopolitical adversary.
“America's food supply security depends on AI integration into agriculture”
An op-ed in the Washington Examiner: if the U.S. doesn't build its own agricultural AI, it will import someone else's.
LACA 2026: from 'cool chatbot' to gaining national recognition and managing over 750,000 acres going in to this growing season (2026)↗
The FarmMind team just returned from our second LACA conference. Here are some thoughts from the last year of making modern tech useful for agriculture and where we're headed next.
“LSU Roots Power Winning Farm Tech Startup”
Ag Information Network of the West on the LSU-born startup that won the Farm Bureau's top prize.
“FarmMind Wins $100K in Ag Innovation Challenge”
FarmMind wins the American Farm Bureau Federation's 12th annual Ag Innovation Challenge, taking first place and $100,000 at the 2026 AFBF Convention.
Year 2025
“This LSU-born startup wants to build the next big thing in agriculture”
The Business Report profiles FarmMind's founding team and its ambitions.
“FARM MIND: AI FOR MODERN AGRICULTURE | With Colin Raby | The Business Spotlight”
A long-form interview on FarmMind and the case for AI in modern agriculture.
The Last 20 Percent Is the Moat↗
Why excellence lives in the part of the work nobody sees and almost nobody is willing to do.
“Mornings with Brian Haldane: Colin Raby and Grant Muslow”
On Talk 107.3 with co-founder Grant Muslow, explaining how agentic AI turns weather, soil and crop-science data into insight.
“LSU CSE Hosts Inaugural Gala Honoring Technology Leaders”
FarmSmarter is named to the inaugural Silicon Bayou List of Louisiana technology leaders.
“Ag Innovation Challenge Finalists Compete for $100K”
FarmSmarter advances to the final four of the Farm Bureau's national Ag Innovation Challenge.
Pressclips.org Is Live @ https://pressclips.org/↗
From a congressional modernization side project to a publicly accessible tool for the fastest way to build daily press clips, the Press Clips Generator 2.0 is now live and available for use.
“Farm Bureau Announces Top 10 in Ag Innovation Challenge”
FarmSmarter is named a Top 10 semifinalist in the American Farm Bureau Federation's 2026 Ag Innovation Challenge.
Goes full time as CEO of FarmMind
Leaves Capitol Hill and returns to Louisiana to lead FarmMind full time as founder and CEO, moving from the policy of AI to building it.
“FarmSmarter.AI Wins Top Prize in Nexus Technology Cup College Track Finals”
First place and $15,000 in the college track of the inaugural Nexus Technology Cup.
What the 'Mississippi Miracle' Foreshadows for Education in the Intelligence Age↗
From last place to first principles: how Mississippi beat the odds and previewed the future of learning.
“Homegrown Team Finds Startup Success Supported by LSU Resources”
LSU's business school recaps FarmSmarter's competition run: Venture Challenge, Pelican Cup, Rice and Arkansas.
Leads a discussion on AI and national strategy with FIU's AI and public policy scholars
At Florida International University's Future Forward: AI and Leadership Fly-In in Washington, Raby leads a tabletop discussion with a handpicked group of AI and public policy scholars.
“Congressional Hackathon Report”
The House's official report on Congressional Hackathon 6.0 features Raby's Press Clips Generator, presented for the Office of Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi.
Places third in the graduate high-growth division of the Arkansas Governor's Cup
FarmSmarter.ai takes third place and $7,500 in the graduate high-growth/technology division of the 2025 Arkansas Governor's Cup, LSU's first team to place in the competition.
LSU's first finalist at the Rice Business Plan Competition
FarmSmarter becomes LSU's first team in the final seven of the Rice Business Plan Competition, the world's largest student startup competition, finishing seventh.
“ULM hosts Pelican Cup Final: FarmSmarter.AI wins top prize”
Against 36 teams from eight universities, FarmSmarter wins the $50,000 grand prize and the $2,000 elevator-pitch prize at the 2025 Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup.
“This Baton Rouge startup is bringing AI to the farm field”
The Business Report on how FarmSmarter is making AI practical for working farmers.
Named a top-10 finalist at Baylor's New Venture Competition
FarmSmarter.ai is one of ten finalists at Baylor University's 2025 New Venture Competition, which draws collegiate startup teams from around the world.
“Pitch Perfectors: How LSU Louisiana Small Business Development Center Helped FarmSmart Win the Venture Challenge”
How LSU's Small Business Development Center coached the FarmSmart team to the $20,000 Venture Challenge win.
“FUTURE IN FOCUS: Trump's $500 billion investment in AI”
Analysis of the $500 billion AI infrastructure announcement and what it means for the country.
“TFAS Alumni Profile – Colin Raby '24”
The Fund for American Studies on Raby's path from its D.C. program to AI policy work in Congress.
The Hill
Year 2024
Adapting Educational Institutions for the Intelligence Age↗
Educational institutions that refuse to adapt are like a clock that refuses to tick — relics soon forgotten while others march forward, keeping pace with the times.
“Meet Some of the Dedicated and High-Achieving People of LSU Featured in 2024”
LSU names Raby among its people of the year as the "Policy Pioneer," one of the nation's first congressional AI specialists and CEO of FarmSmart.
Speaks to DC Legal Hackers at the Sunwater Institute on being a congressional AI specialist
At a DC Legal Hackers meetup hosted by the Sunwater Institute, Raby explains what a congressional AI specialist does and how AI-driven automation is changing government work.
“LSU students, alumnus launch AI app to simplify agricultural research for farmers”
The Reveille on FarmSmart's launch, with its beta already being tested by growers in 15 states.
Visits the White House
An invitation to the White House, and a reflection on Article II, the presidency and the "ongoing experiment in self-governance."
“FUTURE IN FOCUS: Congressional AI specialist Colin Raby”
A television interview on what a congressional AI specialist does and where AI policy is headed.
“Meet Colin Raby: First to Create an Agricultural Consultant With AI”
LSU's "Working for Louisiana: First on the Field" names Raby one of five students and alumni leading in research and service to the state, for building FarmSmart.
Presents “From Hours to Minutes: Press Clips Generator” at the Congressional Hackathon
At the bipartisan Congressional Hackathon in the U.S. Capitol, demonstrates an AI tool that turns hours of press-clip work into minutes.
“AI Meets Public Policy: LSU Graduate Plays Groundbreaking Role in D.C.”
LSU profiles Raby as one of the nation's first congressional AI specialists, working with Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi.
“AI Unveiled: Exploring Its Impact on You”
Panelist at Florida International University's discussion on how AI will change everyday life.
Captains LSU to a second straight AAEA Academic Bowl national championship
As team captain, Raby leads LSU, with Benjamin Goldstein and Riley LaSavia, to a second straight national championship at the 2024 AAEA Academic Bowl in New Orleans.
Joins the U.S. House as one of its first AI specialists
Begins work on artificial intelligence for Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, supporting the House Select Committee on the CCP, as one of the first AI specialists on Capitol Hill.
Graduates from LSU
Graduates from the LSU Ogden Honors College in mechanical engineering, with minors in aerospace engineering and economics.
Named to LSU's Tiger Twelve, Class of 2024
Named one of LSU's Tiger Twelve, the 12 graduating seniors recognized each year for academics, leadership and service to the campus and community.
“AI-Powered Platform for Farmers, Gardeners wins 2024 J Terrell Brown Venture Challenge”
LSU's E. J. Ourso College of Business on FarmSmart's first-place finish and $20,000 award at the 13th annual J Terrell Brown Venture Challenge.
Wins the $20,000 J. Terrell Brown Venture Challenge
From more than 60 entrants to first place: FarmSmart takes the $20,000 top prize at LSU's flagship startup competition.
Represents LSU students on a statewide panel on the future of AI in education
One of three students chosen to represent LSU on "The Future of AI in Education" panel at the Conference of Louisiana Colleges and Universities.
“LSU SG voting results postponed amid election code confusion”
Raby's election-code amendment (no results until every campaign complaint is decided) and his petition to enforce it lead Student Government to postpone announcing the 2024 results.
Campus Connections: interviewing the candidates for LSU Student Government president
A special episode of his student podcast, Campus Connections: one-on-one interviews with every candidate for LSU Student Government president, released the day before voting opened.
Teaching assistant for LSU's applied LLM systems course
Invited back to the course where FarmSmart began, Raby serves as teaching assistant for its second cohort, guiding a team building an AI "Virtual Expert" for BASF.
LSU
Year 2023
Brings five bike repair stations to LSU after a 2.5-year push
As a Student Government senator, Raby co-authored the bill that funded bike repair stations across LSU, then spent two and a half years getting them installed.
“AI: It's all in the prompt”
In the Baton Rouge Business Report's AI Playbook issue, Raby shares how anyone, technical or not, can get more out of AI models by writing better prompts.
“LSU incorporating AI into classroom; students showcase solutions in healthcare, farming and research”
WAFB covers LSU's LLM course showcase, including the FarmSmart agriculture project.
A fifth and final LSU Salutes
Closing five years of helping run LSU Salutes with the Cadets of the Ole War Skule, Raby writes on service and the long purple line.
“LSU students develop AI tool for herbicide application, part of wider AI agriculture rush”
The Reveille's first look at FarmSmart: student-built AI for herbicide decisions.
“LSU SG takes steps towards transparency with new financial dashboard”
Raby builds Student Government's Financial Dashboard, a live, public view of how every dollar of student fees is spent.
Letter to the editor: Artificial intelligence marks a new age for humanity↗
How we are at the dawn of the 4th industrial revolution
“Letter to the editor: Artificial intelligence marks a new age for humanity”
A letter in The Reveille arguing that AI marks a turning point on the scale of the industrial revolution.
FarmSmart is founded in an LSU classroom
A class project in LSU's first LLM course becomes FarmSmart: an AI agricultural consultant that answers with citations to the research.
Elected to Senior Homecoming Court (Part 2)
Named to LSU's 2023 Senior Homecoming Court as one of three senior men in the running for Homecoming King, and a rare engineering student among them.
Advancing in AI: inside LSU's first large language model course
A note from the first weeks of the LSU Honors course on large language models, the class where FarmMind began.
“Add Another 'Ship to the Scholarship First Fleet! LSU Ag-Econ Trivia Team Wins National Competition”
Raby's LSU team wins the 2023 AAEA Academic Bowl in Washington, D.C., the first of back-to-back national championships.
Presents “The Intelligence Age” to community advisory panels across Louisiana
In a series of talks to Community Advisory Panels across Louisiana, Colin Raby covers the history of disruptive technology and how local organizations can put AI to good use.
Helps launch LSU's first course on building LLM applications
Joins the inaugural cohort of the LSU Honors course on large language model applications, the class where FarmSmart, now FarmMind, was built.
Inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa
Inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Society, and later serves as vice president of LSU's circle.
Named a LaSPACE Guided Pathways in STEM Scholar
The Louisiana Space Grant Consortium names Colin Raby a Guided Pathways in STEM (GPS) Scholar.
Nuclear controls engineering at Enercon
Interns at Enercon on digital instrumentation-and-control upgrades for nuclear power plants.
Receives the Louisiana Volunteer Service Award
Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser presents Colin Raby the Louisiana Volunteer Service Award for his commitment to the state through volunteer service.
“Campus Connections”
Launches Campus Connections, a weekly live show and podcast with LSU's leaders, thinkers, builders and change-makers.
“Will campaign reforms open Student Government to all? First election season with new rules begins”
Drawing on his own 2022 presidential run, Raby lays out the problems the new campaign-finance rules were meant to fix.
“Pecan, figs and fruit: An LSU professor has been mapping every tree on campus for over a decade”
The Reveille's feature on LSU's campus trees opens with Raby, a fallen satsuma, and the bill he wrote to plant more.
Year 2022
“Student Government passes bill to plant more fruit trees around LSU's campus”
Raby's bill to plant 50 fruit trees across campus, with money set aside to maintain them, passes the Senate 42-1-1.
“Student senators concerned about SG president's sponsorship, potential conflict of interests”
One of two senators to speak on the record, Raby questions a student body president holding a corporate sponsorship and argues the office should be paid enough not to need one.
“Air Force service organization contributes to hurricane relief in Fort Myers, Florida”
The Reveille covers the LSU service organization's Hurricane Ian relief trip to Fort Myers, which Raby helped organize.
“SG passes budget for 2023 fiscal year, members break down contents, discuss allocations”
As budget chair, Raby steers Student Government's $127,694 budget for fiscal 2023 through the Senate, 40-2-4, including new money to promote elections neutrally.
After helping revive LSU's Silver Wings chapter, represents Region IX as its president at the national executive board
Months after helping reactivate LSU's Silver Wings chapter, dormant since COVID, Raby is elected Region IX president and presents the State of the Region to national leadership at the Air Force Association's conference.
Looking back on a summer at NASA Marshall
Control-room work, ISS command-system training and a seat on NASA Headquarters' intern roundtable on agency strategy: Raby reflects on his Marshall internship.
“Student Government members, adviser explain finances ahead of Senate budget vote”
Ahead of the budget vote, Raby walks students through where Student Government's money comes from and how the Senate decides where it goes.
Chairs Student Government's Budget and Appropriations Committee
Leads the Senate committee that allocates Student Government's budget for two years, fall 2022 through spring 2024.
Halfway through the NASA internship, from ISS town halls to control rooms
At the midpoint of his Marshall internship, Raby writes on ISS command and communications work, and the visit to NASA Glenn that first drew him to space.
Systems engineering at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center
Joins NASA Marshall as a systems engineering and project management intern, supporting the ISS program at the HOSC and the creation of the Artemis III command and control room.
Starts a summer at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center
"Not because they are easy, but because they are hard": Raby begins as a systems engineering and project management intern in Marshall's Payload and Mission Operations Division.
Opening the LSU Military Museum in Memorial Tower
After three years of work with the Cadets of the Ole War Skule, LSU's restored Memorial Tower reopens as home to the university's military museum.
“Rise Tigers ticket enters presidential race seeking to unite campus, end partisanship”
Runs for LSU Student Government president on the Rise Tigers ticket with Georgia Peck, promising to end partisanship in SG and to deliver on its promises.
Year 2021
Honoring veterans at LSU Salutes with the Cadets of the Ole War Skule
After helping plan and run LSU Salutes week, Raby reflects on the Hall of Honor inductees and the veterans of LSU's "long purple line."
“See how LSU students identify politically and how some are fighting polarization on campus”
As executive chairman of Tigers for Civilized Politics, Raby makes the case for civil discourse over winning arguments.
Completes the 2021 Louisiana Governor's Fellows program
Cabinet meetings, strategy sessions, travel across the state and a proposal to the Governor: Raby looks back on the 2021 fellowship.
Presents a solar-farming policy proposal to Gov. Edwards and his cabinet
Raby presents a proposal to Gov. John Bel Edwards, his chief of staff and cabinet members: solar farming as an engine of rural economic development.
“Welcome back to #FellowFriday! Today, we're meeting LSU students Colin Raby & Kaitryana Leinbach”
The Office of Gov. John Bel Edwards features Raby in its #FellowFriday series on the 2021 Governor's Fellows.
Begins as a Lamar Governor's Fellow at Louisiana Economic Development
After the first week of the 2021 fellowship: cabinet-level meetings, a class at the Governor's Mansion and policy work at Louisiana Economic Development.
“14 college students selected for 2021 Lamar Governor's Fellowship Program in La Government”
KLFY reports Gov. Edwards' announcement of the 2021 Lamar Governor's Fellows, with Raby placed at Louisiana Economic Development.
Louisiana Governor's Fellow
Selected for the 2021 Lamar Governor's Fellowship in the Office of Gov. John Bel Edwards, placed with Louisiana Economic Development. It was a first look at how policy is made from the inside.
Year 2020
Elected to Homecoming Court (Part 1)
As a sophomore, selected as one of 14 students on LSU's 2020 Homecoming Court, in the first Homecoming of the pandemic.
Elected to the LSU Student Senate
As a sophomore, elected to LSU's Student Senate for the College of Engineering, a seat he would hold for four years.
“The Greatest Salute: LSU ME Freshman Marches 323 Miles for Veterans”
LSU Engineering profiles Raby's 323-mile ruck march to honor veterans.
High School
Year 2019
Begins at LSU in mechanical engineering and the Honors College
Enrolls in the LSU Ogden Honors College to study mechanical engineering, later adding minors in aerospace engineering and economics.
Accepts Eagle Scout of the Year at the American Legion state convention
From the American Legion's Department of Louisiana convention in Alexandria: thanks for Boys State, the Oratorical contest, veterans' oral histories, and on to nationals.
Named Louisiana's Eagle Scout of the Year
The American Legion Department of Louisiana names Colin Raby its Eagle Scout of the Year; the Louisiana House of Representatives commends him in House Resolution No. 264.
Year 2018
Awarded the Bronze Patrick Henry Medallion for Patriotic Achievement
At his Eagle Court of Honor, the Military Order of the World Wars' Baton Rouge chapter presents Colin Raby its Bronze Patrick Henry Medallion for leadership, coaching and teaching.
Leads Troop 50 to Most Outstanding Troop at the Sewell-Eagle District Camporee
As Senior Patrol Leader, Raby leads Baton Rouge's Troop 50 to Most Outstanding Troop at the spring 2018 camporee, winning a record number of individual events for a single troop.