Leaders on a Mission

In this episode, I am joined by Eric O'Brien, co-founder and Managing Director of Fall Line Capital, a specialist investor in both Farmland and AgTech.  Eric reflected on some of his fundamental values, shaped by his parents' sacrifices. Having embarked on a successful career in venture investment, he outlined his journey into Agricultural investment with his partner Clay Mitchell. Eric...

In this episode, I am joined by Brad Ringeisen, Executive Director at the Innovative Genomics Institut, founded by Jennifer Doudna, to advance genome engineering to cure disease and ensure food security. As a pioneer in live-cell printing, Brad talks through his passion for applied science and innovation, helping support groundbreaking research during his time at DARPA, deploying billions into nov...

In this episode, I am joined by Graham Ellis,  Partner of Agri-FoodTech Venture Capital at Praesidium. Graham discusses his passion and journey for bringing new technologies to market, talking through some of the learnings while working at Honeywell, and his transition to San Francisco, working in the start-up and Industrial Biotechnology revolution. Pivoting from fuels to food and cosmetics, Grah...

In this episode, I am joined by Eli Ziskind, Partner at Aqua Capital, a private equity firm investing in sustainable Agribusiness and Food Production. Eli talks about how growing up in Israel fostered his love of entrepreneurialism and his early passion for agriculture. Eli reflected on his career, where there was an excellent opportunity for growth and disruption across Ag, leading him to advise...

In this episode, I am joined by Adam Anders, Managing Partner of Anterra Capital, a high-impact venture fund backing entrepreneurs building a healthier food system. Adam talks through his career journey, from humble beginnings on a farm in a tiny rural town in Australia to cofounding Anterra Capital with an innovative investment thesis empowering farmers to feed the world while restoring the healt...

In this episode, I am joined by Luc Mathis, CEO of Meiogenix, a disruptive AgBiotech breeding company, helping Agriculture adjust to climate change and move away from adding chemicals to fields. Luc talks through his journey as a postdoctoral researcher to a start-up CEO position. Luc speaks candidly about the work-life challenges and traveling schedule that caused burnout. He outlined the importa...

In this episode, I am joined by Jasmin Hume, Founder, and CEO of Shiru, a Food Biotech start-up, passionate about creating the future of food and helping feed the worlds growing population by using less of the land's resources. From a Ph. D. in protein engineering, she outlines her journey in becoming a first-time CEO and founder and some of the critical influences that helped shape her value...

In this episode, I am joined by Kris Wadrop, General Manager for the CPI, the UK-based not-for-profit Technology innovation center helping companies transition their manufacturing to a greener, more sustainable future. Kris outlined some of the challenges that small companies navigate when commercializing innovative and sustainable innovation. We discussed the growth of the food, nutrition, and In...

In this episode, I am joined by Anthony Padgett, an international Agribusiness Executive. We reflected on his career conducting deals and business across the world, and the cultural differences and challenges as it related to integrating companies together. We explored the challenges and mindset of growing a company from scratch and some of his earlier experiences that helped him in the startup en...

In this week’s episode I am joined by Han Chen, CEO, and Co-Founder of Zeakal, a pioneering plant science company, with a strong mission in food security and meeting nutritional demands on a global scale. Han reflects on his path into venture capital and agriculture, and the importance of the very personal mentoring, by the late great Jerry Caulder who supported him as an entrepreneur and first ti...

In this week’s episode I am joined by Sekhar Boddupalli an Agri-FoodTech and Life Sciences visionary and entrepreneur. Sekhar shares the great influence of working with Nobel Laureate’s Michael Brown and Joseph Goldstein on his career, as well as Johann Deisenhofofer for his work on plant photosynthesis.  Sekhar talks through his career journey, and how he was able to leverage modern science and s...

In this week’s episode I am joined by Joško Bobanović, Partner at Sofinnova Partners, where he leads investments into Biotechnology enabled sustainable solutions across food, agriculture, materials and chemicals.  Joško reflects on his early journey, the important values and interests that helped him find his path as an investor into niche applications of Biotech. Joško talks about some of the big...

In this week’s episode I am joined by Amy Yoder, CEO of Anuvia Plant Nutrients, an AgriTech mission driven company producing plant nutrients that optimize plant health, improve soil health, whilst protecting the environment. Amy reflects on her career, and her early experiences on her family farm, which paved the way for a career in agriculture. She reflects on the journey and challenges in becomi...

In this week’s episode I am joined by Cain McClary, Founder and Managing Partner of KdT ventures, an early stage investor, deploying capital across deep tech and life sciences. Cain speaks candidly about his life’s journey, from physician/scientist, with a deep passion for innovative technology and science, to founding his own venture capital company. Cain outlines the values that are important to...

In this episode I am joined by Joel Stone, who has been a long-term visionary and respected leader in commercialization of industrial biotechnology. Joel talks about his early learnings and experiences that helped shape his passion for science and technology.  He speaks about the major changes within the industry, and how synthetic biology is facilitating the bio revolution of the chemical industr...

In this episode I am joined by Alex Hoffmann, where he is responsible for Frontier Tech & sustainability investments out of M Venture’s Science & technology fund. Alex talks about his early learnings and experiences that helped shape his values, and about his global mindset and passion for creativity and innovation. We spoke about the European eco-system for innovation and startups, how he...

In this episode I am joined by Dan Cosgrove, CEO of Growers’ Edge, a visionary company combining FinTech and Agtech to help provide data backed financial technology solutions for the agricultural industry. Dan talks about his early influences and reflects on his career, which has seen him embrace risk and change, challenging himself to navigate and learn quickly along the journey. Dan explains the...

In this episode I am joined by Ed Rogers, CEO and Co-Founder of Bonumose, a FoodTech start up, on a mission to make healthy sugar affordable for the mass market. Ed talks about some of his early learnings and experiences that helped shape his values, and his journey to becoming CEO and Co-Founder of Bonumose. He speaks about the novel methods for low cost production of high purity rare sugars, suc...

In this week’s episode, I am joined by Peter Hawthorne, a strategic, investment and governance leader and advisor, with deep expertise across the food, agribusiness and bio-industrials business segment. Having completed more than 35 Billion USD in M&A and investment transactions, Peter shares his wisdom and knowledge, about joint venturing, partnerships, and exploring the art of the possible w...

In this week’s episode I am joined by Fiona Edwards Murphy, CEO and Co-Founder of Apis Protect, an exciting mission driven startup company bringing ground-breaking technology to commercial beekeeping. Fiona talks about some of her early learnings and experiences that helped shape her passion for science and agriculture. She outlines her journey in taking ground-breaking sensor research into the ag...

In this week’s episode I am joined by Adam Bergman, Managing Director of EcoTech Capital, an advisory company, providing strategic and financial advice to senior executives working at the intersection of Agri-FoodTech, and Climate change.  We explored some of the early learnings and experiences that helped shape Adam’s values. We explored Adam’s earlier career, exploring the growth of cleantech 1....

In this week’s episode I am joined by Mark Herrema, CEO and Co-Founder of Newlight Technologies, a disruptive biotech company, on a mission to the end the accumulation of synthetic plastic in the ocean. We explored his curiosity, love of science, and a 17-year journey as an entrepreneur that started in 2003, with the question” what if we could use the technology in nature to turn greenhouse gases...

In this week’s episode I am joined by Mauricio Graber, CEO of Chr Hansen, a Danish Biotech company harnessing the power of science and technology, to create a healthier, more sustainable world. We explored his early upbringing in Mexico, and some of the forces that shaped his values and international ambitions. We explored his career, that saw him working globally, and culminating in running Givau...

In this week’s episode I am joined by Tony Delio, a food Industry, Innovation executive. We explored his early influences, and his passion for combining science, with commercializing  food innovation. He outlined some of the projects that helped him grow into a leader, and become Ingredion’s Chief innovation and Strategy Officer. We spoke about the key trends that have driven change across the foo...

In today’s episode I am joined by Alan Shaw, biotech entrepreneur, CEO and Co-Founder of Calysta, a company at the forefront of the alternative protein revolution. Alan reflects on his hardworking upbringing in the heartland of Industrial England and his personal growth journey, through completing his doctorate. He talks about a paradigm shift in his career, from working with chemistry, to underst...