We’re so excited to highlight Chris Rawley of Harvest Returns!
“These experiences led me to decide to invest in farming; however, there weren’t many avenues to do so at the time. We decided to create Harvest Returns to help average investors put their money to work in innovative companies who were helping to create more sustainable and resilient forms of agriculture.”
Chris Rawley is CEO and Founder of Harvest Returns, an online equity crowdfunding platform designed specifically for investing in the agriculture industry. They are dedicated to facilitating capital raises for small to medium-sized farmers and ranchers while providing investors streamlined access to attractive opportunities in sustainable farming businesses. Rawley has had a 29-year military career, and is now a Captain in the Navy Reserve, serving as the Reserve Chief of Staff for United States SIXTH Fleet. He has had management roles at Jones Lang LaSalle, , Electronic Data Systems, L-3 Communications, and served as a defense consultant at Special Operations Command with Blackbird Technologies. Rawley holds a degree from Texas A&M University, is a graduate of the U.S. Naval War College and received his MBA at George Washington University. Recently we Chris shared how his role in the Navy opened his eyes to the importance of sustainable agriculture and a diversified food system, his time in the accelerator program and his continuous work to bridge the gap between investor and farmer
What inspired you to create your brand/company?
I’ve traveled extensively throughout the developing world and gained an appreciation for how people rely on diverse food systems. To me, in the United States, we tend to take our farmers and the abundance of food they produce for granted and many other countries simply aren’t as fortunate. My experiences led me to decide to invest in farming; however, there weren’t many avenues to do so at the time. We decided to create Harvest Returns to help average investors put their money to work in innovative companies who were helping to create more sustainable and resilient forms of agriculture.
What was your main goal in participating in the FoodFutureCo accelerator program? Did you achieve it?
Our main goal in participating was to grow our company. The program helped us with all aspects of this objective, which included fundraising and marketing strategy and building our base of investors.
What did you gain from participation in the FoodFutureCo accelerator program?
The program helped us learn a lot about our own business and the food industry in general. We developed long term relationships from the contacts we made in the program who have driven both investment and deal flow for our company.
How are you differentiating yourselves against the current competition?
We focus on offering our investors unique and profitable niches in agribusiness such as controlled environment agriculture, early stage ag tech companies, and responsibly-raised livestock producers.
What do you feel is the most valuable component when creating a food-based brand/company?
I think entrepreneurs should know that creating a brand takes significant time and money. People might think their products will speak for themselves, but that’s not always the case. Customer acquisition might cost more than you think it will.
What do you think the future of your company will look like in the next year?
We will continue to grow while offering quality investment opportunities in unique agribusinesses. We want to help more farmers and investors reach their goals.
What is your biggest challenge as a brand/company?
We are constantly striving to educate both of our customers. On the agricultural side, sometimes farmers simply aren’t aware that raising capital from outside investors is a viable option to fund their operations. On the other hand, sometimes investors aren’t always aware of how farming and agribusiness can diversify their portfolios while helping to build a more sustainable food system.
