Ronald Meeusen
Managing Partner
Cultivian Ventures, LLC
Ron has 30 years of experience in bringing new technologies and products to market. He has led research and development for major corporations in agricultural chemicals, field crop and vegetable genetics and breeding, animal health, novel foods and industrial materials. His successful projects include planning and conducting the world’s first field trial of a genetically engineered crop trait in 1986, development and launch of one of the first insect and herbicide resistant corn hybrids in 1996, introduction of a trans-fat free canola oil, and development of dozens of new varieties of field and vegetable crops on three continents. Ron has been a frequent speaker at conferences, a consultant to Federal policy on biotechnology regulatory issues, and active in industry trade groups on key issues such as European acceptance of new food technologies.
Prior to forming Cultivian Ron spent two years as an executive-on-loan writing an economic development plan for the State of Indiana’s food and agricultural sectors. During the previous six years as Global Leader of Biotechnology at Dow AgroSciences, Ron led the expansion of its biotechnology research and development program.
In earlier assignments Ron:
· Spent three years helping Seminis Vegetable Seeds integrate their three acquisitions into the world’s largest vegetable seed business.
· Designed and led the Sandoz Seeds biotechnology programs in Palo Alto , California and Northrup King, Minnesota
· Conducted a 1980 technology assessment which led the Rohm & Haas Company to build one of the earliest agrobiotechnology programs, which Ron later ran.
Ron holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in plant cell biology, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee in plant physiology.
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