Harry Stine named to Forbes 250 Greatest Innovators list

ADEL, Iowa (Feb. 16, 2026) — Harry H. Stine, founder of Stine^® Seed Company and one of agriculture’s most influential genetic innovators, has been named to the Forbes 250 Greatest Innovators list, ranking No. 34 among the nation’s most transformative business leaders.

Released as part of Forbes’ America250 celebration, the Innovator 250 recognizes individuals who have not only invented breakthrough technologies but also successfully scaled and commercialized them to drive measurable, industrywide impact.

For nearly six decades, Stine has advanced private-sector plant breeding, transforming soybean and corn genetics through disciplined research, density-focused systems and commercialization at scale. Under his leadership, Stine Seed Company became the first private soybean research company in the United States and has grown into one of the largest privately held seed companies in the nation. Stine and his affiliated entities hold more than 800 seed- and technology-related patents.

Stine’s scientific work helped pioneer modern soybean licensing structures, expand herbicide trait platforms, and accelerate high-population and short-stature corn systems, which are innovations now adopted across the industry. Today, Stine genetics are planted on millions of acres in the United States and licensed broadly throughout global markets.

“Innovation only matters if it reaches the farmer,” Stine says. “Scaling science into real-world adoption is what transforms industries.”

The Forbes ranking was determined by a panel of industry experts and editorial review, evaluating candidates on creativity, breadth, disruption and commercial impact.

For Stine, the recognition reflects a lifetime commitment not only to scientific advancement but also to measurable on-farm performance.

“Our loyalty has always been to the farmer,” Stine adds. “Science is the tool, but performance in the field is the proof.”

Stine will be honored this spring at the Forbes Innovator 250 Celebration in Silicon Valley. Read the online list here: Forbes 250: America’s Greatest Innovators. The magazine will be on newsstands later this month.