🌱 Grow Further is thrilled to announce the recipients of our 2024 Smart Harvest Grants. Click here to view our official press release. 🌱

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About

Who We Are

At Grow Further, we engage farmers, scientists, and individuals in participatory innovation for global food security and sustainable agriculture.

Our members come from different backgrounds, but we all come eager to learn from each other, invest in the future of food, support scientists with overlooked ideas, and help small-scale farmers.

Our Management

Core Team
Advisory Committee
Eric - Grow Further

Eric Momanyi

Board Member

Eric Momanyi

Board Member
Eric is a Senior Program Officer, Global Policy and Advocacy for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, where he works with donors, governments, and sector stakeholders to support policy development that positions countries to scale the provision of inclusive sanitation services in Africa and South Asia. Before relocating to the US, Eric held policy advisory roles in agribusiness, climate adaptation, and health in several African countries. He holds an MS in development studies in the University of Western Cape and a BA in economics from the University of Nairobi.
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David Levine

Board Member

David Levine

Board Member

David has over 40 years of experience in Food and Agriculture, holding senior level roles at Continental Grain, ConAgra Foods and Smithfield Foods. He has extensive international experience in agricultural commodity and livestock production. He is currently working as an independent consultant supporting clients in the various agricultural enterprises.

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Jennifer Dine

Chief of Staff

Jennifer Dine

Chief of Staff

Jennifer collaborates with the CEO to spearhead strategic initiatives, improve operations, and support organizational development. She also oversees donor engagement programs. Her career started in finance in the JPMorgan Global Treasury & Security Services Analyst Program in New York, and she ultimately served as Vice President in the Treasury Services Financial Institutions Sales Group, managing a portfolio of clients for the firm. Jennifer enjoys the personal connections that result from relationship and account management, particularly in her recent work in partnership development in the nonprofit sector, where she hopes to spend the remainder of her career. Jennifer holds a B.S. in Marketing from the Boston College Wallace E. Carroll School of Management and, for her avocation in natural health, completed the practitioner course track at The School of Health, UK.

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Jody Santoro

Marketing & Communications

Jody Santoro

Marketing & Communications
Jody is a Marketing and Communications professional with twenty-five years of experience in graphic design, content development, social media, and marketing strategies. She began her career at Aetna Corporate Headquarters in Connecticut and has since helped several public and private organizations develop, refine, and elevate their brand profiles. Prior to joining Grow Further, Jody served as the Communication and Marketing Officer for the National Academy of Inventors and the Aga Khan Foundation. She is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire and the Studio Art Centers International in Florence.
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Jordan - Grow Further

Jordan Sheffield

Board
Treasurer

Jordan Sheffield

Board Treasurer
Jordan began his career in finance at Goldman Sachs by managing risk exposure to commodities and foreign exchange transactions and negotiating financial derivative contracts, worldwide. Later, he led strategic finance projects at Amazon to expand innovative consumer technology businesses. He currently leads partnership and strategy initiatives for a startup company in Salt Lake City. He holds an MBA and a BS in Finance from Brigham Young University.
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Joseph O. Gakpo

Communications, Monitoring & Evaluation Consultant

Joseph Opoku Gakpo

Communications, Monitoring & Evaluation Consultant

Joseph supports due diligence on Grow Further projects in Africa and produces digital media including photos and videos. He is CEO of RM Communications Ghana and has more than a decade of experience consulting to international development organizations in Africa. He holds a BSc in Agricultural Biotechnology and an MA in Communication Studies from the University of Ghana, and expects to graduate from North Carolina State University with a Ph.D. in Agricultural Education and Human Sciences in Spring 2025.

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Keaton Hughes

Lead
Generation Intern

Keaton Hughes

Lead Generation Intern

Keaton focuses on identifying and cultivating potential donors, partners, and funding opportunities to drive revenue growth across the organization's programs. A senior at the University of Georgia, Keaton is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in finance and a Master’s degree in business Analytics. He is enthusiastic about applying his technical expertise to strategically target and secure funding opportunities that advance the mission of Grow Further.

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Ken - Grow Further

Ken Hunt

Board
Secretary

Ken Hunt

Board Secretary

Ken has spent the last 25 years building, growing, and managing businesses, in Board, C-level, and EVP roles in industries including agriculture, biotechnology, nutrition, software, and consumer packaged goods for organizations ranging from 5 to 250 people while overseeing P&L’s with up to $210M in revenue. Ken is currently the Principal and Founder of Fiber, Field, & Fork, a consultancy for companies in natural-fiber textiles, agriculture, and plant-based nutrition with corporate strategy, business development, marketing & sales, capital, and M & A needs. Ken holds a JD, an MBA, and a BA from Wake Forest University.

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Nathanial Gronewold

Lead
Journalist

Nathanial Gronewold

Lead Journalist
Nate writes for and edits submissions for our newsletter. He created several bureaus of Energy and Environment News and his writing has appeared in Scientific American, Science Magazine, Asian Scientist, The Economist, and The New York Times. He has earned a Gold Prize from the UN Correspondents Association (2x), a Newsletter Journalism Award from the National Press Club, and other awards. He’s an assistant professor at Tsukuba Gakuin University in Japan, and holds an MS in Ecosystem Science and Management from Texas A&M University, an MA in Asia-Pacific Policy Studies from the University of British Columbia, and a BA in International Relations from the University of Minnesota. He is working on his PhD in Environmental Science at Hokkaido University.
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Peter - Grow Further

Peter Kelly

President &
CEO

Peter Kelly

President and CEO

Prior to founding Grow Further, Peter was an assistant professor of economics at Renmin University in Beijing, where he taught and published on agriculture, international development, and the environment. He currently serves on the boards of a number of other charitable, policy, and for-profit organizations in addition to his full-time work at Grow Further, including as vice chair of Carbon Washington. He holds a PhD in Agricultural and Resource Economics from UC Berkeley; holds a BS in International Agricultural Development, with distinctions in agricultural science, from UC Davis; and has completed Global Washington’s Global Leadership Forum.
Learn more about his personal journey and the inspiration that led him to build Grow Further.

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Rimple Nahata

Operations
Coordinator

Rimple Nahata

Operations Coordinator

Rimple provides administrative and communications support and plans events. Previously, she managed accounts at several public relations firms in India, where her clients included major health care organizations, and after moving to the US served as a marketing and communications volunteer at Find Ventures and American Red Cross. She holds a BS in Electronic Communications and MA in Public Relations from MOP Vaishnav College and is currently studying nutrition part-time.

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Susan M - Grow Further

Susan Mathew

Partnership Development Consultant

Susan Mathew

Partnership Development Consultant
Susan advises on and assists with the sourcing of projects for investment at Grow Further. She has over a decade of work experience on sustainable agriculture, trade negotiation and ag-tech entrepreneurship. She has previously been engaged in policy advocacy, project implementation, grant management, and stakeholder engagement with foreign aid agencies, national and state governments, and research organizations. She holds a BS in Agriculture and an MS in Horticulture from premier agricultural universities in India.
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Suvasini - Grow Further

Suvasini Ramaswamy

Board
Member

Suvasini Ramaswamy

Board Member
Suvasini is a project leader at Boston Consulting Group, where she advises companies across the healthcare landscape solve pressing business problems and implement transformative solutions. Prior to that, she was a translational research scientist who worked in oncology, plant molecular biology, and the development of next-gen therapies (stem cell and gene therapies). Through Grow Further, the effective altruism movement, and her writing, Suvasini bridges academic research, industry, and society. She holds a Ph.D in molecular oncology from the Indian Institute of Science and an MS in plant molecular biology from University of Delhi.
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Venkatramana Pegadaraju

Vice President of Development

Venkatramana Pegadaraju

Vice President for Development
Venkat brings two decades of distinguished experience combining expertise in the life sciences and business acumen, driving revenue growth, forging strategic partnerships, and leading global companies to successful multi-million dollar exits. At Grow Further, he identifies and cultivates relationships with donors, partners, and other stakeholders. He holds a PhD in Biology from Kansas State University and an MBA from UCLA.
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William - Grow Further

William Cleary

Board
Member

William Cleary

Board Member
Bill is a communications consultant and strategist with more than 25 years of international experience focusing on emerging markets, transition economies, and post-conflict, high-threat, and fragile states. He previously worked as a journalist, corporate public affairs representative, and director of marketing for a consulting firm, and served as a military public affairs officer. He holds an MS in Journalism from Northwestern University and a BS in economics.
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Grow Further is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law or applicable tax treaty.

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