New Freight Farms CMO Traded Sportswear for AgTech–Here's Why

Former Senior Director of Global Marketing at Reebok joins Freight Farms C-Suite to help drive the adoption of necessary farming technology.

BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / March 9, 2021 / After 14 years at Reebok and with the title of Director of Global Marketing under his belt, James Woolard felt the need for a change: a new challenge, a new industry, a new way to make an impact. His search brought him to the world of Agtech and Freight Farms, a pioneer of indoor agriculture and a leader in hydroponic container farming.

Freight Farms offers a suite of products and technology that revolutionize access to hyper-local fresh food. The products reflect a level of complex design and engineering, yet the solution is surprisingly simple - A 2.5-acre smart farm built within a 40ft freight container that can go anywhere in the world to increase food security.

The need for this technology is clear: 1 in 6 people in the world relies on food imports to feed them daily. This number is set to reach 3 in 6 by 2050. In the U.S., 9 counties-mostly in California-are responsible for most of the food supply within the country. Any disruption-fires, drought, etc-proves catastrophic to the whole system. Despite its global reach, the system is not equitable. In the U.S. alone, 19 million people currently live in food deserts with limited access to healthy and nutritious fresh foods.

With already over 300 container farms around the world, Freight Farms is building a tech-connected and distributed network of farmers who are solving food access issues in their own communities while building a new global food system.

This mission is what drew James to Freight Farms, but it was meeting the team and fellow leadership that made him stay. "I would be lying if I said I targeted Agtech," admits James, "but sometimes you find what you need without realizing it. I am still a sports fan at heart - and when I first walked into the offices, it was like I walked into a locker room full of energy and talent. I was intrigued and hooked early on. I met Jon, a guy who had thought, ‘why can't I put a farm in a freight container and build a business helping people grow local food?'; I met a team of young, purposeful, talented people like Caroline, our Director of Marketing and Community Relations; I met a new CEO in Rick and CTO in Jake with pedigree and passion; I saw a set of passionate investors backing this all with real capital."

Now as part of the team, James plans to leverage his previous experience in global brand leadership to help Freight Farms grow by driving increased profits for both the company and its customers.

"We have a thriving community of customers who have been essential in building Freight Farms' success. The stories are inspiring, and I am eager to apply my experience to help Freight Farmers achieve their success with the best possible support from our company."

James is wary that in mission-driven organizations it can be taboo to talk about profits and revenue, and he wants to address it head-on. "At the end of the day," James says, "we can't be shy about saying ‘everyone is here to make money because that's the only way our mission to build a global infrastructure of local farms can succeed. I am here to embrace this and say ‘how can we create a return on investment for every stakeholder'? This is how we will grow."

James is also conscious that he is joining a sustainability-focused company in a time where the perceived need to be on trend with ‘sustainability' can lead to the misguided use of buzzwords, jargon, and greenwashing. Simultaneously, Freight Farms smart product exists in a time when the degradation of trust between consumers and their technology is at an all-time low. Yet, instead of worrying about fighting through the noise, James is confident that it is the right time for Freight Farms to succeed.

"The rise in awareness of the importance of sustainability and the dangers of technology are our greatest brand strength in 2021: we already leverage the power of technology and data to build a truly sustainable product. There's no need to spin, exaggerate, or greenwash. We can carry on doing exactly what we are doing with confidence that we're creating the kind of positive impact the world needs."

This drives down to the core of why James made the switch to Agtech after a long career in Sportswear. James explains, "the moniker means something - the former (Agriculture) consistently driving change throughout history, and the latter (tech) acting as the most rapid accelerator of that change in my lifetime. It's exhilarating, and I can't wait to see how far we can take it."

To learn more about Freight Farms, visit freightfarms.com.

Contact Information:
Company Name: Freight Farms
Email: [email protected]
Number: +1 (877) 687-4326
Location: Boston, MA, USA
Social Media: Twitter and LinkedIn

SOURCE: Freight Farms