Root Capital is pleased to announce the addition of two sector-leading experts to our board of directors. Jehiel Oliver, who has nearly a decade of experience leading an agricultural technology social enterprise that drives the tractor market for rural, smallholder farmers in Africa, has joined us alongside James Richardson, a seasoned business development professional with extensive experience as an executive in both the for-profit and non-profit management sectors. Read more about James and Jehiel’s backgrounds below.
With these additions to our board, we deepen our commitment to two core pillars of our work: improving the lives of rural, smallholder farmers and strengthening our impact investment strategy. James and Jehiel’s knowledge and advice will be invaluable as we pursue our vision for more inclusive, resilient, and prosperous rural communities.
Jehiel Oliver is the founder and CEO of Hello Tractor, an agricultural technology company that connects tractor owners with smallholder farmers in need of tractor services across 15 countries in Africa. At Hello Tractor, Jehiel is responsible for overall management and strategy. He has been honored with numerous awards for his work in social entrepreneurship including being recognized by Foreign Policy Magazine as a Top 100 Global Thinker and a World Economic Forum Circulars inaugural cohort member. He was appointed under the Obama Administration to serve two years as a member of the President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa, where he most recently chaired the technology subcommittee. Prior to Hello Tractor, Jehiel worked in investment banking and consulting. He lives with his wife and two daughters in Nairobi, Kenya.
James Richardson is an experienced board member and executive with a demonstrated history of working in both the for-profit and non-profit management sectors. Most recently, he served as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Nature Conservancy’s Massachusetts Chapter, where he was also a member of the finance committee and the development task force. He was also a founding board member and Chair of the start-up microfinance nonprofit, MicroLoan Foundation USA, which provides training and loans to women living in poverty in Africa. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business and has deep expertise in strategy, finance, investment management, international business, the wine industry, and environmental policy and conservation. He looks forward to bringing his strategic governance and business development skills to the Root Capital board. He is based in Concord, Massachusetts.
About the Author
Carolina Garcia-Navarro is the Deputy Chief of Staff and Manager of Board Relations at Root Capital.
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