Proven Leaders. Embedded Partners.
Early Ag is led by a group of executives who have built, led, scaled, and exited agricultural businesses across the value chain. They bring C-suite experience from startups, privately held companies, and global corporations, with a shared focus on moving meaningful innovation to market.
Collectively, the team has founded and sold companies, led global product launches, built commercial organizations from the ground up, and advised boards and investors across the agricultural ecosystem. When you work with Early Ag, this experience becomes part of your leadership bench — aligned to your goals, embedded in your business, and focused on execution.
Cynthia Bruno
CEO
Cynthia merges marketing excellence with strategic growth. She has overseen multiple agriculture startup launches, prepared companies to close fundraising rounds, and helped position them for successful exits. Cynthia brings a strong investor and market-facing lens to Early Ag clients, ensuring that the story, strategy, and commercialization plan are aligned and compelling to both customers and capital providers.
Executive Roles
CEO; Advisor; marketing and growth leader for ag startups
Notable Experience
Led several ag startup launches and prepared companies to close investment rounds and pursue exits
Expertise
Marketing strategy, fundraising readiness, investor positioning, growth strategy
Jim Hedges
Advisor
Jim is the CEO of CoverCress and brings deep experience in building and leading ag businesses through major transitions. After founding and selling his seed company to Monsanto, he went on to run GreenLab, 360 Yield Center, and Corn States, and today holds several advisory and board positions across the agriculture industry. Jim’s perspective is shaped by hands-on leadership in both entrepreneurial and corporate environments, giving Early Ag clients a grounded, operator-level approach to growth and commercialization.
Executive Roles
CEO of CoverCress; former head of GreenLab, 360 Yield Center, and Corn States
Notable Experience
Built and sold a seed company to Monsanto; multiple CEO and leadership roles in ag enterprises
Expertise
Company leadership, commercialization, scaling operations, board and advisory governance
Kelly Phipps
Advisor
Kelly is the former owner and CEO of Armor Seed, which was acquired by Land O’Lakes. Since that exit, he has served as CEO and Chairman of the Board for several agriculture startups, bringing founder, operator, and board-level experience to Early Ag clients. Kelly understands firsthand how to build a business that is attractive to strategic partners and acquirers, and he helps clients align product, operations, and commercial execution with long-term value creation.
Executive Roles
Former Owner & CEO, Armor Seed; CEO and Chairman for multiple ag startups
Notable Experience
Led Armor Seed through growth and acquisition by Land O’Lakes
Expertise
Seed business leadership, scaling private companies, exit and acquisition readiness, board leadership
Ryan Schon
Chief Operating Officer
Ryan drives companies forward with sound industry analysis and operational discipline. He has served as COO and General Manager for startups and seed companies and has held business and product leadership roles at DuPont Pioneer and Monsanto. Ryan brings a structured, data-informed approach to aligning operations, product, and market strategy, helping Early Ag clients convert opportunity into executable plans and measurable progress.
Executive Roles
COO and GM for ag startups and seed companies; business and product lead in major ag organizations
Notable Experience
Leadership roles at DuPont Pioneer and Monsanto
Expertise
Operations, product management, market analysis, commercial planning
Jerry Flint
Chief Science Officer
Jerry has global expertise in sustainability, agricultural development, regulatory affairs, R&D, policy, and trade. He has extensive experience bringing new agricultural technologies from research and development through to commercialization and has worked at Monsanto, DuPont, and Corteva. Jerry connects science, regulatory strategy, and market realities, helping Early Ag clients navigate complex pathways from innovation to adoption in a way that is compliant, credible, and commercially viable.
Executive Roles
Senior leadership across regulatory, R&D, and development functions
Notable Experience
Leadership roles at Monsanto, DuPont, and Corteva
Expertise
Sustainability, R&D to commercialization, regulatory affairs, policy and trade, global ag development
Barry Knight
Chief Commercial Officer
Barry led the Commercial Strategy team at Indigo and has held senior commercial roles across multiple agriculture companies, including CEO of Cresco Ag, Chief Commercial Officer of Pinnacle Ag Holdings, and President of Jimmy Sanders. He brings a strong track record in designing and executing go-to-market strategies, building commercial teams, and accelerating sales performance. At Early Ag, Barry helps clients build and refine the commercial engines that turn strong products into strong markets.
Executive Roles
Former Commercial Strategy Leader at Indigo; CEO of Cresco Ag; CCO of Pinnacle Ag Holdings; President of Jimmy Sanders
Notable Experience
Senior leadership across multiple regional and national commercial organizations
Expertise
Commercial strategy, sales leadership, channel development, farmer and retailer networks
A Team Built To Lead
What's Next In Agriculture
The Early Ag team is united by a shared belief: that strong leadership and disciplined execution are what turn promising ideas into meaningful, durable businesses. Each executive brings a different vantage point — from startup founder to corporate executive, from R&D to commercialization, from regional operations to global strategy — and together they form a cohesive, cross-functional leadership bench for your company.
When you engage Early Ag, you’re not hiring a single advisor. You’re gaining an aligned, senior team that understands the realities of the agriculture industry and is committed to advancing your innovation.
