Anastasia Volkova, was in the midst of a Series B capital raise for Regrow Ag – a tech platform enabling ag giants like Cargill and Nutrien to reduce their on-farm carbon emissions – when she got the news that Russia had invaded her country of Ukraine. The outskirts of her home town were being bombed heavily and she was deeply concerned about her mother’s safety. She sprung into action and within weeks was able to move her mom to LA and build her a garden – all while raising money for Regrow Ag and brokering deals to bring regenerative agriculture to new customers like General Mills and Kelloggs. Three years later, Regrow Ag has 100 customers globally who deploy its technology to monitor farm management and land use practices to reduce emissions and sequester carbon in soil. That mission is a critical component to the war on climate change: As Anastasia notes, agriculture contributes between 18-21% of global emissions. By bringing together agronomy, soil science, and digital tools, Regrow Ag is helping farmers and food producers build sustainable, scalable, climate-resilient supply chains. Anastasia grew up in southeastern Ukraine with a single mom who, like her parents, was a farmer using earth-friendly practices. She inherited their passion but not their green thumbs. Instead, Anastasia pursued science—earning a bachelors in Kyiv, a master’s in Warsaw, and a PhD in aerospace engineering from Australia’s University of Sydney. She started her entrepreneur career down under and likes to say she is “Ukraine-born, Australia-minted.” Anastasia has been honored on the TIME100 NEXT list, MIT’s “35 Under 35” Innovator list, and BBC’s “Top 100 Women.” She’s also a member of the Forbes Technology Council. Along the way, Anastasia has learned that scaling leadership requires more than science and expertise. With the phenomenal growth of Regrow, she’s learned that “You can never invest enough in understanding people.” As she notes in a Medium interview, “When we started building partnerships, I focused on tech and outcomes. But real progress comes from empathy. Listening to farmers, really understanding their experiences, and engaging in their concerns has been the foundation for sustainable, meaningful collaboration.” Scaling an impact-driven company, she adds, “means you need relentless clarity on your ‘why.’”
Nicole Didda
1 个月
Anastasia Volkova, PhD What a story! Grateful you’re part of the JOURNEY community, showing how to lead with resilience and heart
Trevor Dennis
1 个月
Credit to her
Sandra A. Schwarz
1 个月
Well done, Anastasia Volkova, PhD!! Love your story. All the best!!
Very cool
Rebecca Zucker
1 个月
Congratulations, Anastasia - what a wonderful tribute to your visionary leadership! ??
Pattie Sellers
1 个月
Just another of our ordinary women world changers ;-) Anastasia Volkova, PhD. thank you for being in Journey To Lead and showing us how to scale impact... even amidst personal crisis!
Partner at PwC, Los Angeles Technology and Entertainment Assurance Practice
1 个月Congrats Anastasia, you're an inspiration!