contributed by ACRE AgTech
WEST OLIVE, MI – Everyone has their preferred way of investing money, whether it is mutual funds, the stock market, or perhaps bitcoin. But for the Grand Angels, led by President Tim Parker, the investment vehicle of choice is startup companies and the entrepreneurs who lead them. Venture capital investments can be risky, and selecting high potential startups takes skill. It is this skill set that Tim Parker will bring to ACRE AgTech as the newest member of their board of directors. ACRE AgTech is an entrepreneurial support organization that specializes in ag-technologies that can increase efficiencies in agricultural processes and reduce environmental impacts.
When asked why he chose to volunteer his time on the board of directors for this 501c6 non-profit organization, he laughed, “Well, I like to eat. But seriously, agtech is such an interesting, rapidly growing, and critically important industry right now that I just had to get involved, and ACRE AgTech leads Michigan in providing services geared toward ag-technologies”.
ACRE AgTech’s Executive Director, Paul Sachs, was thrilled when Parker showed an interest in joining the ACRE team. “His experience with entrepreneurship combined with his vast corporate skillset makes him a valuable asset to our organization. ACRE, and our clients, will greatly benefit from his insights and leadership.” Sachs commented that for ACRE’s entrepreneurs, who are navigating a challenging and competitive industry, to have direct access to someone who sees startup successes and failures every day is a huge advantage. In an industry where adoption rates for new technologies are notoriously low, startups need every advantage they can get.
Entrepreneurs that come to ACRE seeking services are from a wide variety of backgrounds – from engineers to mechanics, chemists to software developers, biologists to farmers. ACRE can help agtech entrepreneurs with the challenges that are specific to agriculture, like on-farm product testing and ag sector venture capital, and also with those challenges that every startup faces, like business planning, prototype development, and market research. West Michigan is the nexus of all the things agtech startups need for success: a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, engineering expertise, and a strong agriculture economy.
ACRE AgTech is a non-profit entrepreneurial support organization that has been providing connections and resources to agtech entrepreneurs in Ottawa County and across Michigan since December, 2014. For more information about ACRE AgTech, please visit our website, www.acreagtech.com, or contact us at 616-994-4745 or info@acreagtech.com.