# HIBT Lab! Gro Intelligence: Sara Menker

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2022-12-08
- Length: 38m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-12-08-hibt-lab-gro-intelligence-sara-menker

## Summary

Sara Menker, founder and CEO of Gro Intelligence, explains how she leveraged her background as a commodities trader at Morgan Stanley to build a data platform that forecasts global agricultural markets. She details the company's evolution from ingesting fragmented data to developing 28 modeling frameworks that generate 2 million unique models for clients like financial institutions and governments. Menker also discusses the critical role of fertilizer shortages and climate change in driving food insecurity, and her strategy of hiring domain experts before technologists to build the team.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-12-08-hibt-lab-gro-intelligence-sara-menker#t=0) Introduction: Sara Menker and Gro Intelligence
- [1:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-12-08-hibt-lab-gro-intelligence-sara-menker#t=92) Menker's Background in Ethiopia and Wall Street
- [4:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-12-08-hibt-lab-gro-intelligence-sara-menker#t=254) The 2008 Financial Crisis and the Seed of the Idea
- [10:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-12-08-hibt-lab-gro-intelligence-sara-menker#t=644) Defining Food Insecurity and Access vs. Affordability
- [14:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-12-08-hibt-lab-gro-intelligence-sara-menker#t=848) Building the Data Platform and Modeling Frameworks
- [18:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-12-08-hibt-lab-gro-intelligence-sara-menker#t=1100) The Russia-Ukraine War and Global Grain Crisis
- [21:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-12-08-hibt-lab-gro-intelligence-sara-menker#t=1300) The Fertilizer Shortage and Climate Risks
- [28:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-12-08-hibt-lab-gro-intelligence-sara-menker#t=1711) Hiring Strategy and Business Model

## Topics

- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Gro Intelligence (company)
- Morgan Stanley (company)
- USDA (company)
- USGS (company)
- AWS (tool)
- Mount Holyoke (other)

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## Citing this page

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