Photo of Peachy Canyon Vineyard at sunrise by Malcolm Carlaw
Epicrop Board of Directors
James Burgum
James Burgum is a co-founder of Arthur Ventures and serves as Managing Partner where he is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the firm. Prior to founding Arthur Ventures, James was a founding team-member of the North Dakota Trade Office (NDTO), a public-private partnership that assists North Dakota companies in connecting with international business partners and customers. Before joining the North Dakota Trade Office James worked for Governor John Hoeven and focused on youth policy and international trade. Programs James was involved in helping launch, such as Operation: Intern, Young Professional Networks, and the North Dakota Trade Office continue to be key initiatives of the state of North Dakota. James also served as Student Body President at North Dakota State University (NDSU), where he and his team helped drive major changes on campus including a re-classification of the university to Division I athletics and more than $20M worth of student-funded construction projects. While attending NDSU, James also worked in marketing and business-development roles at Great Plains Software and Microsoft. James holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from NDSU and currently serves on the board of directors at Arthur Companies Inc., a diversified agri-business, as well as a number of Arthur Ventures partner companies.
Dr. Michael Fromm
Mike is a founder and CEO of Epicrop (founded May 2013). He has extensive experience in the USDA, industry, and academia in the area of plant biotechnology, gene transfer and gene expression methods, chromatin modifications, and drought stress memory. He received his Ph.D. from Stanford University and his B.S. from the University of California, Davis. An early pioneer in corn and wheat genetic engineering, Mike also led the Monsanto corn team in developing its first insect resistant corn product and was subsequently a research director in Monsanto's agricultural biotechnology division. Mike was a founder of Mendel Biotechnology and its CEO from 1997-2000, and has been a professor of Agronomy and Horticulture at the University of Nebraska and the Director of the University's Center for Biotechnology from 2001-2014.
Dr. Sally Mackenzie
Dr. Sally Mackenzie is the inventor of the epigenetic discoveries licensed to Epicrop and is a founder of Epicrop. Sally obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Florida; was a Professor at Purdue University prior to moving the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where she was the Founding Director of the Center for Plant Science Innovation, UNL 1999-2010, a multi-departmental program and is currently a Professor in the Agronomy and Horticulture Department. Her awards include the Young Crop Scientist Award, Crop Science Society of America 1995; Agricultural Research Award, Purdue University 1999; Elected Fellow, American Association for Advancement of Science, 2004; Sigma Xi Outstanding Scientist Award, 2010; Elected Fellow, American Society of Plant Biologists, 2013; Quishi Chair Professor, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China 2012-present; and the Ralph and Alice Raikes Distinguished Professor of Plant Science, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1999-present.
Jeff Raikes
Jeff has a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering-Economics Systems (EES) from Stanford University. He worked at Apple Computer prior to joining Microsoft in 1981 and was the chief strategist behind Microsoft's investments in graphical applications for the Apple Macintosh and the Microsoft Windows operating system. His roles at Microsoft included vice president of Office Systems, manager of North American operations, and worldwide sales, marketing, and services, and President of the Microsoft Business Division. Jeff’s philanthropic interests include the Raikes Foundation, the Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity (CCSRE) at Stanford University; the Jeff and Tricia Raikes Undergraduate Scholarship Fund at Stanford University; trustee at the University of Nebraska Foundation; the Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Jeff was the chief executive officer of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (2008-2013).
James Burgum
James Burgum is a co-founder of Arthur Ventures and serves as Managing Partner where he is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the firm. Prior to founding Arthur Ventures, James was a founding team-member of the North Dakota Trade Office (NDTO), a public-private partnership that assists North Dakota companies in connecting with international business partners and customers. Before joining the North Dakota Trade Office James worked for Governor John Hoeven and focused on youth policy and international trade. Programs James was involved in helping launch, such as Operation: Intern, Young Professional Networks, and the North Dakota Trade Office continue to be key initiatives of the state of North Dakota. James also served as Student Body President at North Dakota State University (NDSU), where he and his team helped drive major changes on campus including a re-classification of the university to Division I athletics and more than $20M worth of student-funded construction projects. While attending NDSU, James also worked in marketing and business-development roles at Great Plains Software and Microsoft. James holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from NDSU and currently serves on the board of directors at Arthur Companies Inc., a diversified agri-business, as well as a number of Arthur Ventures partner companies.
Dr. Michael Fromm
Mike is a founder and CEO of Epicrop (founded May 2013). He has extensive experience in the USDA, industry, and academia in the area of plant biotechnology, gene transfer and gene expression methods, chromatin modifications, and drought stress memory. He received his Ph.D. from Stanford University and his B.S. from the University of California, Davis. An early pioneer in corn and wheat genetic engineering, Mike also led the Monsanto corn team in developing its first insect resistant corn product and was subsequently a research director in Monsanto's agricultural biotechnology division. Mike was a founder of Mendel Biotechnology and its CEO from 1997-2000, and has been a professor of Agronomy and Horticulture at the University of Nebraska and the Director of the University's Center for Biotechnology from 2001-2014.
Dr. Sally Mackenzie
Dr. Sally Mackenzie is the inventor of the epigenetic discoveries licensed to Epicrop and is a founder of Epicrop. Sally obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Florida; was a Professor at Purdue University prior to moving the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where she was the Founding Director of the Center for Plant Science Innovation, UNL 1999-2010, a multi-departmental program and is currently a Professor in the Agronomy and Horticulture Department. Her awards include the Young Crop Scientist Award, Crop Science Society of America 1995; Agricultural Research Award, Purdue University 1999; Elected Fellow, American Association for Advancement of Science, 2004; Sigma Xi Outstanding Scientist Award, 2010; Elected Fellow, American Society of Plant Biologists, 2013; Quishi Chair Professor, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China 2012-present; and the Ralph and Alice Raikes Distinguished Professor of Plant Science, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1999-present.
Jeff Raikes
Jeff has a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering-Economics Systems (EES) from Stanford University. He worked at Apple Computer prior to joining Microsoft in 1981 and was the chief strategist behind Microsoft's investments in graphical applications for the Apple Macintosh and the Microsoft Windows operating system. His roles at Microsoft included vice president of Office Systems, manager of North American operations, and worldwide sales, marketing, and services, and President of the Microsoft Business Division. Jeff’s philanthropic interests include the Raikes Foundation, the Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity (CCSRE) at Stanford University; the Jeff and Tricia Raikes Undergraduate Scholarship Fund at Stanford University; trustee at the University of Nebraska Foundation; the Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Jeff was the chief executive officer of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (2008-2013).
