From strategy to execution, the 9 North Group team partners with clients at every turn.
Markets we serve:
Ag Tech
+ Digital Services
+ Distribution
+ Inputs
+ Investment
+ Production
+ Sustainability
Food Tech
+ Consumer
+ Investment
+ Retail
+ Supply Chain
+ Sustainability
Experience. Agility. Focus.
Our founders have extensive experience launching commercial agriculture products and building successful commercial organizations.
The team has helped market entrants (ranging from <$5 million to $1+ billion valuations) drive growth across a range of agribusiness sectors including crop protection, equipment, seed treatments, row crop and vegetable seeds, and digital services.
Experience. Agility. Focus.
Our founders have extensive experience launching commercial agriculture products and building successful commercial organizations.
The team has helped market entrants (ranging from <$5 million to $1+ billion valuations) drive growth across a range of agribusiness sectors including crop protection, equipment, seed treatments, row crop and vegetable seeds, and digital services.
How we engage:
EMPLOYEE AUGMENTATION
9N is not structured as a traditional agency or consultancy. We embed ourselves in client’s organizations in order to serve as a true business partner, partnering with clients every step of the way.
As businesses grow and workload requires additional full time employees, 9N will assist clients in developing a timeline and approach for securing the right talent at the right time.
ESTABLISHED PARTNERSHIPS
Successful commercialization requires industry expertise, yet it’s often hard to find the right talent at the right time.
With more than 20 collective years of experience in agriculture, 9N has a broad network of subject matter experts who are capable, trustworthy and committed to delivering high-quality work.
TURN-KEY VENDORS
Imagine not having to risk building an expensive infrastructure when even the best-laid plans will almost certainly change given the industry dynamics.
From CRM to order-to-cash to supply chain management, there is no single system or vendor that will meet all of the needs of your business.
9N has established vendor relationships that enable a turn-key approach to building the right infrastructure to support the right experience.
Leadership Team
Sarah Pierce
Founder
Sarah Pierce brings a big picture, strategic
perspective coupled with the knowledge, skills and understanding of on-the-ground realities to guide clear, organization-wide strategies into successful tactics that achieve results. She is an experienced agribusiness executive and marketing strategist with over 16 years of experience. Sarah builds successful businesses by bringing the customer point of view into every business decision.
Sarah Pierce
Founder
Sarah Pierce brings a big picture, strategic perspective coupled with the knowledge, skills and understanding of on-the-ground realities to guide clear, organization-wide strategies into successful tactics that achieve results. She is an experienced agribusiness executive and marketing strategist with over 16 years of experience. Sarah builds successful businesses by bringing the customer point of view into every business decision.
Sarah Pierce
Founder
Sarah Pierce brings a big picture, strategic perspective coupled with the knowledge, skills and understanding of on-the-ground realities to guide clear, organization-wide strategies into successful tactics that achieve results. She is an experienced agribusiness executive and marketing strategist with over 16 years of experience. Sarah builds successful businesses by bringing the customer point of view into every business decision.
Select Experience
+ The Climate Corporation: Sr. Director Customer Success, Central Region Sales Lead and Sr. Director of Marketing
+ Monsanto: Corn Systems Product Launch Lead, Vegetable Seed Commercial Marketing Lead (U.S./Canada), U.S. Row Crops Project Lead
“I believe that companies can set themselves apart from their competitors by creating exceptional customer experiences. How a company delivers its solutions is just as important as what it delivers.”
Sarah holds an MBA in International Business and Market Research from St. Louis University, and a BS from University of Missouri. She currently resides in Steamboat Springs, Colorado with her husband and two daughters.
Brent Craig
Founder
Brent is passionate about helping clients develop their commercial organizations and launch new products and services. He has over 14 years of experience developing launch plans, building commercial organizations, developing go-to-market strategies, and refining and executing broad-based communication plans.
Brent Craig
Founder
Brent is passionate about helping clients develop their commercial organizations and launch new products and services. He has over 14 years of experience developing launch plans, building commercial organizations, developing go-to-market strategies, and refining and executing broad-based communication plans.
Brent Craig
Founder
Brent is passionate about helping clients develop their commercial organizations and launch new products and services. He has over 14 years of experience developing launch plans, building commercial organizations, developing go-to-market strategies, and refining and executing broad-based communication plans.
Select Experience
+ The Climate Corporation: U.S. Commercial Director
+ Monsanto: Marketing, Sales, and Product Management Leader for crop protection and seed treatments, digital services, row crop and vegetable
“Innovation on its own is not enough. A key challenge we help our clients solve is how to drive adoption in a world where it is increasingly difficult to do so. To be successful, startups have to strike the right balance between product innovation and market development.”
Brent holds an MBA from the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis, and a BS in Finance and a BA in Political Science from Miami University. He resides in St. Louis, Missouri.
Meaghan McGrath
Director, FoodTech
Meaghan is a strategic food and agriculture leader with over 10 years of experience as an operator, and investor across multiple industries including consumer products, agriculture operations, retail and technology. Meaghan is highly skilled at setting strategy, executing growth plans, developing partnerships and turning market research into actionable insights.
Meaghan McGrath
Meaghan is a strategic food and agriculture leader with over 10 years of experience as an operator, and investor across multiple industries including consumer products, agriculture operations, retail and technology. Meaghan is highly skilled at setting strategy, executing growth plans, developing partnerships and turning market research into actionable insights.
Meaghan McGrath
Director, FoodTech
Meaghan is a strategic food and agriculture leader with over 10 years of experience as an operator, and investor across multiple industries including consumer products, agriculture operations, retail and technology. Meaghan is highly skilled at setting strategy, executing growth plans, developing partnerships and turning market research into actionable insights.
Select Experience
+ Local Bounti Corp: Vice President of Product Development
+ Agriculture Capital/AC Foods: Senior Strategy Associate
Meaghan holds an MBA from the Yale School of Business and MEM from the Yale School of Forestry and a BA from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She lives in Seattle, WA.