Agenda & Speakers

Building the Best Mousetrap: Using Disruption to Create, Understand & Engage Customers Across a Variety of Touchpoints

Tuesday, November 7, 2017 - 3:10 PM - 3:55 PM

The need for a prudent and sustainable agricultural product – from supply to delivery - is more important now than ever before. The interest of grocers & families to engage in healthier and more local fare is something we read about a great deal, and having a product that is 390x more productive than a traditional growing process is amazingly effective - but does that guarantee success? 

In this session, AeroFarms CMO Marc Oshima will detail the brand’s journey from startup to, as it stands now, a rapidly growing indoor vertical farming company transforming agriculture. We live in a rapidly changing market, and the needs of the customers are more diverse than ever. Oshima will discuss how the company’s product has been brought to market, discussing the disparate end-user needs, expectations, and understanding of the brand to create a rapidly growing and successful offering.

In this session you will learn:

  • - How greater products can create unique disruption opportunities, yet still require understanding in order to market to distinct consumer segments
  • - How the product offering has been brought to life, evolving the process by which the food is grown and how AeroFarms is working to create greater acceptance with both customers and legislature
  • - The ways in which AeroFarms has listened to grocers, farmers, and customers to build the product into what it is today

Speakers

Marc Oshima, Co-Founder & CMO, AeroFarms

Marc Oshima, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of AeroFarms, a clean-technology company that builds and operates responsible, state-of-the art indoor vertical farms in urban environments around the world, helping set new standards for culinary freshness and flavor. AeroFarms has been recognized as Inc.com’s 2017 Top 25 Disruptive Companies, a Circular Economy 100 company, Winner of the World Technology Award for most impactful Environmental Company, Most Innovative Company at the Future of Agriculture conference, Best Growth Company to invest in at the Wall Street Journal’s ECO:nomics conference, and Finalist for The Circular Awards of The World Economic Forum. In addition, AeroFarms is a Certified B Corporation. 

With a passion for food, Marc has led the marketing for The Food Emporium, a NY metro grocery store chain and for Citarella gourmet markets that has been recognized as one of the Top 50 Specialty Food Retailers in the United States. Also, Marc has overseen numerous food events including partnerships with the James Beard Foundation, Museum of Food & Drink (MOFAD), City Harvest, and Le Fooding, what Time magazine calls the “coolest food event in the world.”

With an extensive marketing background in retail, brand management, and media, Marc has a passion for launching new businesses, connecting with consumers, and developing awardwinning marketing campaigns including:

 AdWeek “Best Spots of the Year”, Creativity’s “Spot of the Week”,

AICP “Advertising Excellence”, AdAge’s “Highest Brand Recall for the Year”

 Webby “Award Winner”, Internet Advertising Competition Award for “Best Advertising – Integrated Ad Campaign”

 M16 Video Game Industry “Best Integrated Marketing Campaign”, Toy Industry Association “Best Marketing Campaign”, American Academy of Dermatology “Gold Triangle Award”

Active in the community, Marc is Co-Chair of the Chefs Collaborative Board and a member of the United Fresh Produce Marketing & Merchandising Council, Food Bank for NYC - Marketing Advisory Committee, and Columbia University Alumni Advisory Group. Marc has his B.A. from Columbia College and M.B.A. from Columbia Business School.

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