In honor of Women’s History Month, Grow Further is using this space to recognize the women who make our work possible. That includes remarkable women within our organization and the women whom we’ve connected with around the world to help make the lives of smallholder farmers a little bit easier.

This newsletter’s readers have been introduced to Dr. Suvasini Ramaswamy before. She serves on our board of directors and is an integral part of our advisory team. She’s had a distinguished career in medical technology research and consulting and is an expert on biopharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and global health. 

Our newsletter’s readers are also likely familiar with Dr. Neema Mduma. She’s a computer scientist and instructor at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST). Neema is the lead on a project developing an advanced smartphone application to help smallholder farmers detect the earliest signs of crop diseases and pest infestations.

Both of these accomplished women are scientists by training. They are experts who keep Grow Further aspiring to high standards while facilitating our mission-driven focus. But how did a medical researcher and computer scientist take up the cause of better global food security?

An early desire to give back

Suvasini grew up in Delhi, India. She told us that she has been seeking ways to contribute to bettering our world ever since she was very young. “I was a curious child looking to understand the world around me and seeking to make a difference in the world,” she explained. That realization led her to pursue studies and a career in the natural sciences. She obtained a PhD in molecular oncology at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore.

Neema grew up in Tanzania. She says she aspired to be a scientist from a very young age, but initially thought engineering would be a better career path for her. “At first I wanted to be a civil engineer because I was good at math, so my parents and teacher advised me to study science and become an engineer,” she recalled. “But later on, I came to realize that the world is moving to a digital economy where everything is all about science and technology.” She acquired a PhD in information and communications sciences and engineering, with a focus on AI and machine learning technologies.

Medical research was the path Suvasini first chose, but she explained that agriculture has long been a part of her life. “My personal connection to agriculture is through my dad who was involved in farming in his early years,” she said. “Then [he] was engaged in defining and shaping agricultural policies at the national level through his service with the Government of India.”

Neema said that agriculture plays a huge role in her native Tanzania. It’s hard for even computer scientists to not recognize the challenges that smallholder farmers face, too often alone.

Neema thought she could help Tanzania’s smallholder farmers through artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. “You can use AI to develop innovative solutions to address pressing issues in agriculture, health, climate change, and so on,” Neema said. “My passion for making a positive impact to my community and particularly how I can use advanced technologies to solve everyday problems have inspired me to pursue this path.”

Launching their careers

In 2010, Suvasini decided to move to the United States to continue her post-doc studies at the Salk Institute in San Diego, California. While there, she said she developed a passion for discovering solutions to extremely difficult problems. “At Salk, I worked to develop cell and gene therapies to treat genetic disorders of the liver,” Suvasini said. “My experiences helped me realize that, while I enjoyed problem-solving in research, I most enjoyed the prospect of broad learning and interdisciplinary problem-solving.”

Neema first used these skills toward advancing health and education, but she quickly turned her focus to agriculture. “I saw the potential of developing the same tools to help smallholder farmers address different challenges,” she said, including the challenge of early crop disease detection.

Suvasini eventually left Salk to take a job at the Boston Consulting Group. After working for some years at BCG, Suvasini said she decided to shift her focus toward working on larger, more global challenges.

“I transitioned to the Gates Foundation to apply my academic and management experiences in pursuit of global good,” she recalled. Today, Suvasini is employed at a distinguished biopharmaceutical company where she helps develop treatments “all the way from the bench to the bedside.”

Growing up in India, Suvasini said issues of food security and nutrition were always front and center. “It’s hard to not be aware of the food security challenges once you grow up in an emerging economy like India,” she said. “One has to only pick up the newspaper to realize how ensuring access to nutritious and balanced food is such a challenge even for the very individuals who are growing the food.” She’s long harbored a desire to help on the food security front.

In pursuit of her career, Neema quickly found her way to NM-AIST, which was established in Arusha, Tanzania in 2009. She said the decision to join NM-AIST was an easy one because the institution’s research and academic focus aligned with her goals. At NM-AIST “we have developed different technological solutions to address different challenges facing several sectors such as education, health, agriculture, and so many others,” she proudly stated.

A focus on food

In terms of giving back to improve food security, Suvasini said she was initially focused mainly on finding ways to alleviate food waste. This changed when she came across Grow Further and our founder and CEO, Peter Kelly. “My understanding further evolved through my engagement with Peter and Grow Further,” she explained. “For example, I had a much more food-waste-centered lens on food security challenges, but Peter opened my eyes to the production challenges, as well.”

Suvasini said she first discovered Grow Further on the social media platform LinkedIn. Peter reached out to get some advice on drafting Grow Further’s business plan. “This proposition of working in ag-tech to solve the food crisis intrigued me,” she said.

Neema found us because she had an idea that would transform the lives of smallholder farmers, but she didn’t have the resources to see it through. She said the biggest problem facing agricultural research and development in Tanzania is a lack of funding. A colleague of hers recommended Grow Further.

“Later on, I went to check their website and social media page to find out more about who are they, what they are doing, etc.,” Neema said. She quickly discovered that Grow Further’s mission “resonates deeply with my professional goals and personal interests of empowering my community to have more food and a better life.”

Mutual strength and a common goal

Grow Further is far stronger thanks to the contributions and expertise that Suvasini and Neema bring to our organization.

As much as we’ve gained from her wisdom and expertise, we are pleased to learn that Suvasini says she gained much from Grow Further in return. “From a technical standpoint, a platform like Grow Further whereby non-specialists could contribute to and engage with projects in agricultural innovation was a very innovative and interesting concept for me,” she said. “From a personal standpoint, I enjoyed Peter’s passion for the field and his direct leadership and communication style.”

“As a member of the board, I am glad to be able to share my perspectives and experiences with the other board members and with the organization broadly as it tries to scale, both in terms of projects and ideas and in terms of people.”

Neema echoed these kind words.

“My experience with Grow Further has been incredibly positive and transformative,” she told us. “Their financial and technical support has been instrumental in advancing my research and achieving my objectives.” She said connecting with Grow Further has “empowered me to make a meaningful and lasting impact on farmers in Tanzania and beyond.”

Dr. Suvasini Ramaswamy and Dr. Neema Mduma are just two of the many remarkable women who are helping us fulfill our dream of connecting people and ideas for a more food-secure future. We wouldn’t be where we are today without them.

We may come from many different backgrounds and professional experiences, but everyone working at or partnering with Grow Further is aligned in a common vision. 

“We’re finding our way using technological solutions, but our goal is one,” Neema said. “All of us are aiming to help smallholder farmers.” 

— Grow Further

Photo credit: Photos courtesy of Dr. Suvasini Ramaswamy and Dr. Neema Mduma.