
Our Story
Our third generation family company has been developing farm profitability solutions for over 50 years.
The Iowa Grain Company was established in 1968 to provide clearing and execution services for clients across the commodity industry. The firm began developing technologies for agricultural risk management and launched the OAK trading platform, an internet-based order entry software, in 1998. Iowa Grain became the first firm to route e-orders into the Chicago Board of Trade and overtime OAK became the CBOT’s primary order entry platform.
The company sold its clearing division in 2008, but it was clear that the changing marketplace demanded new solutions, so the principals of The Iowa Grain Company combined their technology and experience to form AgYield.
Our Leadership Team

Justin Kelly
CEO & Principal

Michael A. Brinati
COO & Principal

Dan Dempsey
Director of Sales & Business Development

Dustin Johnson
Director of Hedging Operations

Rita Jabour, CPA, CGMA
Controller
Justin Kelly
CEO & President
Justin is the President and CEO of AgYield and EHedger. Justin grew up working on his family’s farm in western Illinois and has been intimately involved in the agricultural industry his entire life. After graduating from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agribusiness Management, Justin began working for Iowa Grain Company in their research department. Justin was a Chicago Board of Trade member and corn pit broker for Iowa Grain Company until 2006. Upon leaving the trading floor, Justin joined EHedger where he applied his hands-on experience of farming and futures and options trading to help EHedger customers implement risk management strategies tailored to their specific requirements. In 2007 Justin developed the first version of the AgYield Revenue Management platform and continues to lead in the management and key advancements of this state-of-the-art software. Justin is also a registered CTA and leads the trading and risk management teams for AgYield and EHedger.
Michael A. Brinati
Chief Operating Officer
Michael is the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of AgYield. Michael began his career as a proprietary grain trader at Iowa Grain company in the summer of 2007 and started working with the EHedger brokerage team shortly after. As a registered Associated Person of EHedger, Michael shifted his focus from grain trading to risk management solutions for growers. In September of 2012 Michael began working on the software development side of business operations where he continued to integrate into all aspects of the business. Michael currently manages day-to-day operations, including software development, business development, and sales operations. In addition to serving in his current role with AgYield, Michael also serves in a similar capacity of EHedger LLC.
Dan Dempsey
Director of Sales & Business Development
Dan was born and raised on his family’s grain farm in western Illinois. He has been a registered commodity broker with EHedger since 2008.
As the Director of Sales & Business Development, Dan oversees the sales operations of the organization while working directly with AgYield’s largest clients to formulate marketing plans and manage farm revenue.
In his free time, Dan enjoys spending time with his wife and three children and playing competitive golf.
Dustin Johnson
Director of Hedging Operations
Dustin started his career at the Chicago Board of Trade with Iowa Grain Company. This has led to 14 years of experience working with large agricultural growers throughout the Midwest.
Dustin was an integral part of the design in the AgYield software which centers marketing around a margins based approach with guaranteed bushels as the backbone. This gives a unique perspective of hedging for a profit in a variable yielding environment rather than trading for a market direction.
He currently lives in Michigan with his wife and two daughters.
Rita Jabour, CPA, CGMA
Controller
AgYield’s Controller Rita Jabour grew up amid the farms and coal mines of Southwestern Pennsylvania. In 1976, Rita set her sights on Indiana, where she pursued a higher education at the University of Notre Dame. There, she honed her skills as a business professional, graduating with a BBA and specializing in Accountancy.
With a diverse background, Rita amassed a wealth of experience, dedicating 15 years to private industry and 13 years to public accounting. Throughout her journey, she found joy in serving her clients, excelling in tax and bookkeeping services. Additionally, she made a difference as a board member for several charitable organizations. Her passion for empowering women in business led her to be part of the pioneering team behind the SPARK program at St. Mary’s College. The program focused on fostering female entrepreneurship in the South Bend area.
Rita’s expertise extends far and wide, holding the title of CPA in both Illinois and Indiana, along with the designation of Chartered Global Management Accountant. Additionally, Rita passed the Series 3 licensing exam for Commodity Brokers.
Beyond her professional life, Rita cherishes time spent with her loved ones, including her husband, kids, and grandkids. Her furry friend, Pepper Jo, an Australian Shepherd, also holds a special place in her heart. In her free time, Rita indulges her passions for golf and gardening.
Board Members

Michael J. Brinati
Principal

Jack Frymire
Principal

David Frymire
Principal
Michael J. Brinati
Principal of AgYield
Michael was President, Chief Executive Officer, and Principal of Iowa Grain Company. Mr. Brinati actively participated in executive management since joining the company Iowa Grain in 1984. During the late 1990’s, Iowa Grain managed the development of Oak Software which became an industry standard for electronic order entry and risk management. These advancements assisted the formation of Iowa Grain Prop Group which consisted not only of individual traders, but was one of the CME 20 algorithmic trading groups.
In April 1987, Mr. Brinati received nomination for and accepted an appointment as a Board of Trade Clearing Corporation Governor. He served two additional terms and was appointed 1st Vice Chairman in addition to serving on the Business Development, Audit, Compensation and Risk Committees. Throughout his career he has owned a variety of memberships at the CBOT and CME. While on the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade, Mr. Brinati was a floor broker for a variety of customer, commercial, and fund accounts along with being a proprietary trader in the soybean quadrant. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Northern Illinois University which he received in 1983.
Mr. Brinati has been a member of the Chicago Board of Trade since 1984. Within the former Chicago Board of Trade committee structure, he served on a number of CBOT Committees, including the Soybean, Soymeal and Soy oil Committees, as well as the CBOT Finance & Operations, Computer and Telecommunications Committees. Along with these duties, Mr. Brinati served as a director of other private and public companies. Mr. Brinati currently participates as a member of the advisory board making strategic and operational decisions for AgYield.
Jack Frymire
Principal of AgYield
Jack was raised on a large grain farm in western Illinois. After graduating from Iowa State University, he activated an accomplished trading career and joined Iowa Grain in 1986. Jack Frymire has been a professional commodities trader since 1986 and has held memberships with the Chicago Board of Trade, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, and Minneapolis Grain Exchange. As a trader in the grain pits, Jack earned immediate respect due to his logical and theoretical approach to the grain markets. His experience was evident to his peers and Mr. Frymire was elected to the Chicago Board of Trade’s Board of Directors in 1997. Jack was selected by the CBOT to be one of the first administrators of its X-Funds, the CBOT’s innovative exchange-traded index futures contracts launchedin 2002.
Being raised on a farm gave Jack specific insight and knowledge into the commodities markets which he used to generate specific trading strategies. He utilizes his hands-on participation in the farming community and expert execution skills to capitalize on market opportunities. Jack recognizes that an exact approach to market participation is required for long-term success and studies these markets relentlessly. Mr. Frymire’s role as a fundamentalist was pivotal in bringing Iowa Grain to the eminent stature it holds today. Mr. Frymire currently participates as a member of the advisory board making strategic and operational decisions for AgYield.
David Frymire
Principal of AgYield
David grew up in western Illinois where he helped manage and maintain his family’s corn and soybean farm. After graduating from Iowa State University in 1986, David became a floor broker in the grain pits of the Chicago Board of Trade, and shortly thereafter embarked on his role as Principal of Iowa Grain Company. David’s hands-on experience as both a farmer and trader played a crucial part in cultivating the success of Iowa Grain Company, one of the commodity industry’s most trusted firms.
David is often sought out by industry professionals for his risk managing abilities, hedging strategies, and grain merchandising advice. Traders, colleagues, and customers of Iowa Grain constantly turned to David for an outlook on the grain markets. David has also been a primary administrator and owner of several farming operations for over 20 years. David recognizes the importance of hedging with the commodity markets and overseas market strategies. Mr. Frymire currently participates as a member of the advisory board making strategic and operational decisions for AgYield.