Storytelling is one of the finest art forms present in the world. Since ages, millions of people have pursued the art to create unimaginable stories and inspire the world. The rise in the popularity of the internet has helped in opening new doors towards digital storytelling. For the past few years, digital storytelling has been a medium for motivating people. Amy Wu, (Founder and Director) launched ‘From Farms to Incubators’ to publish the content via digital storytelling to increase awareness of women leaders and their contribution of leveraging technology in the agriculture sector and encourage women to pursue careers in Agtech.
It is paramount to acknowledge the contribution of women leaders and entrepreneurs who have done extremely well in both agriculture and technology. Agtech is a relatively new sector as compared to some well-established sectors such as Cloud, IT, Steel, Oil, etc. Several startups are now shifting towards Agtech which are led by exceptional women leaders with an aim for advancement in the agriculture sector.
Asking the Right Questions
From Farms to Incubators is a content-centric startup started as a story series and documentary in 2017. The zest of writing the story started in 2016, when Amy was assigned to cover agriculture and local government in Salinas Valley, California, where agriculture is the main industry. While reporting on agriculture and local government for The Salinas Californian, she witnessed that there were few women leaders in food, farming, and farm tech which made her question, the scarcity of women entrepreneurs in these areas.
Along the journey, she began searching for women entrepreneurs to interview and profile.
Soon, the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and International Women’s Media Foundation provided her grants which helped to create an award-winning documentary and written story series. The documentary was a huge success which went on to feature in dozen of film screening and panels including SXSW, Techonomy, and EcoFarm. The documentary has been chosen to screen at the United Nations Association Film Festival in October, and there is a forthcoming book by Linden Publishing that profiles women in Agtech to be published in 2021. Moreover, it also led to a desire for women founders and entrepreneurs in this sector to connect with one another. Further nurturing the connection and bond between the women leaders, From Farms to Incubators emerged as a connector and convener that served as a new platform to highlight women in Agtech.
Ultimately, it was the women Amy interviewed who inspired her to take From Farms to Incubators from an initiative into a startup. “In many ways, we shared commonalities—a real fire-in-the-belly drive to pursue their dream, and a passion to provide solutions to major challenges in agriculture and make a difference in food and farming systems,” asserts Amy.
Anchoring on Quality Content
The pandemic has caused a lot of havoc in all the industries. The unsettlement in the environment can be felt globally. Nevertheless, there are companies who have used this crisis as an opportunity to outperform others. According to AgFunder a leading publication that reports on agtech, investment in the Agtech sector has been growing during the pandemic as part of an already existing growth trend. Food is an essential part of everyone’s life, regardless of the pandemic, the demand for food has not halted. The increase in demand also indicates the fast rise of interest in food, farming, and Agtech for meeting the growing demand. Amy and her team utilize this time to lay more emphasis on Agtech. Understanding the critical situation that the world is undergoing, she tries to keep a positive outlook towards life. Since the inception, From Farms to Incubators focuses on producing quality content featuring stories and profiles of women leaders in food, farming, and Agtech. Amy believes in herself and continues to inspire her team reminding them of the milestones that they have achieved together. During challenging times, she reminds herself and the small team of contributors that there is a real need to highlight the stories of women in agtech, especially in the hopes of inspiring the next generation to consider the many opportunities in the sector.
Seizing the Opportunities
From Farms to Incubators focuses on Agtech and Agbio. The content is produced by Amy and contributors including videographers, photographers and artists. The current outbreak of COVID-19 hasn’t brought any major changes in the company. It has always been virtual which has benefited during the crisis. Presently, the major shift can be observed in the rise in the number of requests from organizations or entities in food, farming, and Agtech, who invite Amy to moderate events or serve as a speaker. Further, Amy says, “I attribute this to rapid shift in in-person conferences, summits, and events to the virtual. While I deeply miss the connections made in-person, the reality of the virtual meeting as a necessary means From Farms to Incubators has gained momentum and exposure in the world of agriculture and Agtech.”
Continuing the Streak of Success and Awards
From Farm to Incubators has been increasingly recognized for its unique contribution to the field of storytelling. Continuing the streak of success and awards, Amy accepted the Demeter Award of Excellence from Women in Agribusiness in September. Between April and September 2020, she has moderated or spoken at events and talks related to Agtech organized by Silicon Valley Forum, Women in Technology International (WITI), the USDA, Worth Media, Thought for Food, and the Ecological Farming Association.
In 2020, From Farms to Incubators officially became a member of organizations such as Techonomy and Women & Worth. In the first quarter of 2021, it will launch the publication of the book, which includes a directory of resources and an exclusive directory of women founders in Agtech. The company is also the members of AgStart a California-based non-profit business incubation program that focuses on Agtech and Agbio startups. Furthermore, to increase the awareness among the people, From Farms to Incubators plans for an exhibition that uses video, photography, and art to celebrate the accomplishments of women in food, farming, and Agtech at the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, California. Amy plans to take the exhibition to the City of Gonzales, Sacramento, Fresno and Merced.
Read full magazine: The 10 Women Business Leaders Overcoming the Pandemic
