Matt Barnard

Matt Barnard is a technology entrepreneur and vertical farming innovator who co-founded Plenty, an indoor vertical farming company. He is a 6th generation farmer from Wisconsin with a unique background blending technology and agriculture.235

Professional Background

Education::

• Master's Degree from Stanford Graduate School of Business
• Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Northwestern University
• Also holds a Bachelor of Music (BM) from Northwestern3

Career Highlights::

• Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Plenty, a Softbank-backed vertical farming company5
• Previously worked in telecommunications, core network infrastructure, and technology sectors
• Founded and led multiple high-growth technology companies, including:
  • Whalen & Company (President and COO)
  • Search Fund Capital
  • 523 Capital
  • SmartSynch (VP of Deployment)3

Farming Innovation

Barnard's mission with Plenty is to revolutionize agriculture by creating sustainable, technology-driven farming solutions. The company develops indoor vertical farms that:

• Produce year-round crops without chemicals or GMOs
• Save significant water resources
• Can deliver farm equivalent production in a small retail space4

Notably, Plenty has attracted investments from prominent tech leaders like Masa Son, Eric Schmidt, and Jeff Bezos.5

Currently, Barnard serves on multiple boards and provides strategic advisory roles for various technology and agricultural startups across the United States.1