Zero Gravity Adds Kathy Conway as VP Operations

Zero Gravity recently added Kathy Conway as the company’s new VP Operations. An accomplished leader with over 25 years of experience, her expertise in setting strategic direction will prove invaluable.

After time directing operations for agricultural biology companies like Green Venus, Arcadia Biosciences, and Celera AgGen, Kathy came to Zero Gravity to continue commercialization of its pioneering plant priming technology.

Kathy also worked with Zero Gravity CEO John McLean in the past at Intrexon and is now set to renew their partnership.

“Kathy’s insights and strategic intuition add an important dimension to our leadership team. I know her deep experience will help bring plant priming to the growers that need it most,” said John McLean. “I look forward to building on our past work together and tackling this new challenge of unlocking the natural power in plants.”

Kathy attended University of California, Davis, where she studied zoology. She lives in Davis to this day, and regularly volunteers her time at local Yolo County environmental organizations.

Read on to learn more about her experience and new role with Zero Gravity.

How did you come to join Zero Gravity and what do you most look forward to in the role?

I’ve been in the plant biotechnology space for most of my career and, more specifically, working with smaller start-up companies, helping to bring them to their next stage of growth. Coming to Zero Gravity was therefore a great fit for me personally and, from a technology standpoint, their priming product is unique, environmentally friendly, and has been utilized across multiple crops with positive results, so I believe there is a lot of potential here. There is much to look forward to in this role, simply put, I’m excited about being part of the brilliant team with John McLean at the helm. Together I believe we will build a robust portfolio of products for every grower, from backyard gardeners to farmers. Of course, our partners are valuable to us, and I look forward to continuing to build on those relationships.

What were some of your biggest lessons over the past few years working with GreenVenus and Intrexon?

I’ve learned that products with the greatest chance for success are those that have been accepted by the farmer and the consumer. Both farmers and consumers are embracing value-added products with a greener footprint. This atmosphere is a good fit for Zero Gravity’s products in that they increase yield, quality, and vigor with less pesticide use.

With the world population increasing to 11 billion over the next century, what challenges are you most motivated to address?

For me, the challenge has always been food security.  We’ve been a globalized world long enough that pests and the diseases they carry have crossed continents and are wreaking havoc on local food supplies. Weather extremes only add to the mix. We need to grow more food, and even better if it is more nutritious food, on less land. This will take multiple approaches to achieve. The exciting part for me is Zero Gravity’s products can provide an organic and beautifully simple approach to abiotic and biotic stresses, better securing food supplies for any sized grower.

What is your message to farmers when it comes to adopting plant priming in their fields?

Zero Gravity is the leader in plant priming, a proprietary technology that activates the plant’s defense systems. The product has been tested in 35+ crops, making the mode of action ubiquitous among plants, resulting in more tolerance to weather extremes, pests, and diseases. Credibility is essential, so we would want to collaborate with farmers to design field trials in a way to demonstrate the value-add to their crops of interest.

What other kinds of innovative agricultural technologies are you excited to see adopted in the near future?

In addition to ZG’s priming technology, I look forward to precision agriculture (PA) because it will help farmers optimize water, fertilizer, and pesticide use in an environmentally sustainable manner, while reducing costs. I look forward to the possibility of the PA data giving insight on food availability.

About Zero Gravity Solutions, Inc. —

Zero Gravity Solutions, Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on safe and sustainable agriculture. Its plant priming technology stimulates a plant’s natural response to stress, improving crop yields and increasing farmer profitability. Originally designed for plants grown on the International Space Station, the company’s technology now benefits crops on earth. For more information, please visit zerogsi.com.

Sean Lenehan
Zero Gravity Solutions, Inc.
info@zerogsi.com