Bret has always lived life in a fearless fashion, fearing only God himself.  In his career, the only thing he has allowed to remain static is his love for agriculture and the desire to seek and promote the truth about technology that helps farmers to feed the world. 

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Bret founded Gateway Ag Solutions after recognizing that innovation coming to the agriculture market is in the hands of startups. True entrepreneurs have breathed life into technology that would be crushed if introduced through the slow-moving cogs of the corporate process.  We stand ready to elevate your startup through short-term engagements focused on commercial success. Our go-to-market consultations will explore product/market fit, pricing, brand and product marketing, and commercial roadmap.

 

Growing up on a farm led Bret to study Agronomy at Iowa State University in Ames where he graduated in 2002.  Shortly after, a wonderful friend and his first mentor, Cherry Cliff, gave him the opportunity to farm.  In order to support his new farming habit, he had a host of off the farm jobs as a retail sales agronomist and location leader, grain merchandiser, and division manager, as well as roles as an agronomist and later a field business manager for Monsanto and its subsidiary, The Climate Corporation.  

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Bret married the love of his life Laura in 2013 and they now have two wonderful children Dylan and Hannah.  Being present in their lives and providing for them is paramount for him.  He left his farm in pursuit of better opportunities for them, seeking seats that allowed influence in advancing technology.  

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After moving to Missouri in 2017, he accepted a corporate role in product marketing for the seed scripting and fertility recommendations platforms. Soon after, he was promoted to Global Product Marketing Director where he focused on the launch of product placement tools and new outcome-based marketing initiatives, both in the United States and South America.  

 

Bret has also held roles with IBM’s, The Weather Company, where he worked with the largest manufacturers of inputs and machinery, and consumer packaged goods.  The team leveraged robust data sets and innovative crop modeling capabilities to mitigate the effects of weather on food production.