FoA 287: Why The Nature Conservancy is Investing in Agtech with Renée Vassilos

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Nature Conservancy: <a href= "https://www.nature.org/en-us/">https://www.nature.org/en-us/</a> </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Building Soil Health Through Innovation" <a href= "https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-priorities/provide-food-and-water-sustainably/food-and-water-stories/building-soil-health-innovation/"> https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-priorities/provide-food-and-water-sustainably/food-and-water-stories/building-soil-health-innovation/</a> </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Renée Vassilos LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rvassilos/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/rvassilos/</a> </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today’s guest is Renée Vassilos. Renée manages The Nature Conservancy’s investments in innovative companies that will help scale regenerative agriculture production practices. Prior to joining TNC, she spent nearly a decade at John Deere, followed by leading her consulting firm, Banyan Innovation Group, advising growth-stage agriculture technology startups and investors. That’s where she was when we heard from her in episode 157 in 2019. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you’ve never heard of The Nature Conservancy before, they are a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive. They have a strong reputation for working with private and public partners, including farmers and agribusinesses, to find practical and sustainable solutions to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since joining TNC a couple of years ago, Renée has led investments in seven different early stage agricultural companies. Four of which, you’ve actually heard about if you’ve been listening to this show for very long. Those four are: <a href="https://www.growersedge.com/">Grower’s Edge</a> (ep <a href= "https://aggrad.libsyn.com/future-of-agriculture-156-from-law-to-corporate-to-investor-t