Leadership

Kirk Haney
CEO & Managing Partner
LinkedIn

Kirk Haney is the Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Radicle Growth. Under Kirk’s leadership, Radicle Growth has become a market leader in early-stage ag and foodtech investing and company building and has secured top-tier financial and corporate investors. As a serial entrepreneur, Kirk has raised over $200M in venture capital, private equity and corporate capital and has had three successful exits. He’s worked in technology, venture capital and ag & food his entire career and has a clear understanding of what early-stage companies need to be successful. Kirk is a proud father and is passionate about food, health and sustainability.

 

Speaking & Associations:

  • Kirk regularly speaks at industry events, including: The World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit and Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO).
  • Kirk is the Co-Chair of the YPO Global Ag & Food Group, a member of the OurCrowd Advisory Forum and serves on the board of advisors for several ag and food conferences.
 
Neal Gutterson
Partner & Chief Technology Officer
LinkedIn

Neal Gutterson is the Partner and Chief Technology Officer at Radicle Growth. In this role he serves as the Chair of Radicle Growth’s Advisory Board, frames the investment theses, and implements strategies that drive the investment decisions made by Radicle. Prior to joining Radicle, Neal led R&D efforts, specifically focused on bringing value to farmers through the discovery and development of innovation, at DuPont Pioneer and later Corteva Agriscience where he served as CTO. Before that, he spent 12 years at Mendel Biotechnology in a variety of executive roles from VP R&D to CEO. The common denominator throughout Neal's career has been value creation for farmers and converting innovation into actionable companies, products and outcomes. Neal is also focused on delivering benefits to consumers in planet-friendly ways.

Neal served on the Board of Directors for several organizations, including CGIAR, Grassroots BioTechnology, BIO, and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT).

Kathy Shelton
Venture Partner
LinkedIn

Kathy Shelton is a Radicle Growth Venture Partner. In this role, she will participate in the Radicle Growth Advisory Board, bringing her experience and perspective to potential investments as well as mentoring leaders of the Radicle Growth portfolio companies.


Prior to joining Radicle, Kathy was Executive Vice President and the first female Chief Technology Officer at FMC, driving growth initiatives and supporting product introductions in over 100 countries. In this role, Kathy worked closely to understand the local challenges to growers around the world and to help growers achieve the highest productivity from the land they farm. The revenues at FMC when Kathy joined in 2017 were $2.53 billion, and when Kathy left at the end of year 2022 were $5.8 billion. That increase was due in large part to the portfolio of crop protection chemicals, which Kathy oversaw as the Director of Crop Protection technology DuPont and shepherded at FMC.


In her tenure as Chief Technology Officer, FMC was awarded Best R&D Pipeline in 2018 and 2020 and Best Biological Product in 2020 at the Crop Science Forum & Awards. She delivered a diverse portfolio of molecules for crop protection that includes the highest-selling insecticide in the world, the first new mode of action herbicide in 35 years, as well as a portfolio of biologically based products.


Prior to her time at FMC, Kathy spent 25 years at DuPont in several roles.


Throughout her career, she has been a champion of diversity and inclusion. She brings that same passion and energy to Radicle, which excels at reaching underserved entrepreneurs around the globe.


Kathy serves on the Delaware State University Foundation and the Science History Institute to continue to inspire and encourage students to choose and thrive in STEM careers.