048 - Solving Wicked Problems: My Quest for Sustainable Agriculture

Published: May 16, 2017, 7 a.m.

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In this episode Pam Marrone, a serial entrepreneur, having founded, built and sold two biopesticide companies, joins us. She is currently the CEO and founder of\\xa0Marrone Bio Innovations Inc, a Nasdaq listed company at the forefront of the drive\\xa0towards sustainable agriculture.\\xa0 This purpose drove my work at Syngenta, and is central to that of Terramera, the Vancouver-based agtech company that I am on the Board of.

In our discussion we cover:\\xa0

  • The arc of Pam\'s fascinating career. \\xa0She shares her unique perspective, developed over four decades in the industry and some of the ups and downs that characterise every entrepreneurial journey
  • How agriculture is being shaped and transformed by digital technologies such as\\xa0drones, sensors, robotics and big data
  • What it takes to be a paradigm breaker and intrapreneur in an industry like agribusiness, characterised by long product lifecycles, an increasingly challenging regulatory environment, and industry consolidation

Key takeaways and learnings include:

  • Valuable insights for intrapreneurs, irrespective of industry, on to how to drive change from within a large company
  • How important it is for an entrepreneur and business builder to create a strong and sustainable culture, with a focus on hiring slowly and firing fast
  • The disruptions underway in agriculture and the impact these can have on us all
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