BJ is responsible for the marketing and licensing activities for agricultural, horticultural, and veterinary medicine technologies developed at the University of Minnesota. Inventions in his portfolio include apple varieties such as Honeycrisp and SweeTango, cold-hardy wine grapes, agronomic crops such as soybeans and wheat varieties, as well as animal vaccines and veterinary diagnostic tools.

Prior to joining the Technology Commercialization office at the University of Minnesota, BJ helped launch the startup company Calyxt, focusing on agricultural applications for gene-editing technology (TALEN). As a research scientist at Calyxt, he was one of the first to develop a high-value trait in an agronomic crop using gene-editing technologies. BJ then transitioned to business and product development roles at Calyxt, where he oversaw and implemented a wide range of projects and initiatives, including in/out-licensing deals, partnership agreements, intellectual property development and business strategy.

BJ received a B.S. in agronomy and a M.S. in plant breeding and plant genetics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a Ph.D. in plant biology and genetics from the University of Minnesota.