Growcentia was founded by a team of three Colorado State University soil microbiologists with PhD degrees that share a passion for enhancing soil health and promoting sustainable agriculture. Ganjapreneur’s Shango Los interviewed one of those three, Colin Bell, who serves as the company’s Chief Growth Officer. The company markets its first product, MAMMOTH P, a university-tested patent-pending microbial biostimulant that naturally elevates phosphorus and micronutrient availability to support healthy vigorous plant growth.
The interview covers the transition from academia to commercialization. The company, through early feedback from potential customers, realized that it was emphasizing the wrong attributes (ecological) and changed its marketing message to yield enhancement. Bell discusses how the company brought in an outside CEO and used outside consultants to help with branding and marketing. He also explains the process of licensing technology from a university that you have developed while working there.
Listen to the interview or read the transcript “Colin Bell: From Academic to Entrepreneur”: http://www.ganjapreneur.com/colin-bell-academic-to-entrepreneur/
