WHO WE ARE
We care like you do! We are passionate mission-driven entrepreneurs, focusing on food and agriculture. Between us we have over 60 years of experience as farm workers, sustainable Food&Ag business founders and owners, investors, and board members.
We are a new venture of DAISA Enterprises, which works at the intersection of food, health and economic development building cutting-edge initiatives and enterprises. |
DANIEL ROSS
As Partner and CEO of DAISA Enterprises LLC, he specializes in supporting development of food & environmental enterprises and programs in underserved communities. Works with entrepreneurs to strengthen business plans as well as the mission-driven investors and funders wanting to maximize their impact. Recognized as a leading social entrepreneur with a lifetime fellowship from Ashoka – Innovators for the Public Good.
He holds an MBA from MIT Sloan, and has been an MIT Sloan Fellow for Innovation and Global Leadership, MIT Legatum Fellow for Development and Entrepreneurship. |
GUSTAVO MAMAO
Gustavo Mamao is a serial environmental-social impact entrepreneur. Among his ventures, he was co-founder and CEO of Ecovec (mosquito-borne diseases monitoring systems) and Rizoflora (biological control products for agriculture). He wrote a book called “Inovação na Raiz” (Innovation at the Roots) sharing the lessons learned from a 10-year venture started based on a Brazilian university technology.
Gustavo holds a Science in Management degree from MIT Sloan (MIT Sloan Fellow Program for Innovation and Global Leadership, 2011). His master thesis title reflects his passion: Growth Strategy for Hybrid Organizations: Balancing Economic, Environmental, and Social Impacts. |
OUR VISION
We see the potential of businesses as sources of innovation, connectors in the food system, creators of jobs for people, and sources of great food.
While there are good sources of loans now available, and venture capital money new flowing to Food&Ag tech companies in some trendy areas, we see a need for patient supportive capital and partnership to grow great companies in the Good Food field. |
OUR GOOD FOOD UNDERSTANDING
While the current food system is pretty good at delivering food year-round to the wealthy, it has great dysfunctions – it is a great contributor to climate change and negative environmental impacts, it leaves many people around the world food insecure and sick from chronic disease, and many producers struggle to survive. The current food system is propped up by oppression and exploitation. But there are wonderful companies that are innovating new connections and solutions to build a better food system, and DAISA Capital seeks to provide resources and support to those companies.
A definition of “Good Food,” encompassing sustainable food and agriculture and equity, has emerged from the work of the WK Kellogg Foundation, and the Good Food Network in Michigan. DAISA built a company assessment tool based on this definition, which can be visualized by the framework bellow: |
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A company may excel in one of this axes and may have potential to increase its impact in others by adopting new practices. DAISA Capital will consider all dimensions for evaluating the company impact and investment thesis.
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