To galvanize coordination to create a Pyrolysis-Biochar-Bioenergy Industry, the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR), the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), and American Farmland Trust (AFT) co-hosted a 2-day virtual convening event with stakeholders. Sustainably sourced, fit-for-purpose biochar can be a powerful tool in the Soil Health Management Systems and Climate-smart Toolbox. However, because biochar represents a range of feedstocks, processes and products, there is a critical need to characterize and test biochar types across diverse soil and management conditions. Convening participants identified key gaps including supporting management for agricultural productivity and maximum benefits for conservation, decision support, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), and quantification of climate mitigation potential, including bioenergy. Potential synergies among biochar, soil organic matter (SOM) and enhanced rock weathering and in development of new storage reservoirs for biochar in industrial products were identified as research gaps. Convening participants stressed that we need actionable, coordinated, large-scale research results that are relevant to commercial production in the next five years. We cannot wait 50 years.