It takes smart people to make smart farms.

A former technology investor turned serial entrepreneur, Sky is passionate about building impactful companies that tackle global food security, human health & longevity, and resource conservation challenges.  Prior to founding Pure Harvest Smart Farms, he was the Co-Founder and CEO of Vence - reinventing livestock management through a virtual fencing and autonomous animal control technology solution (sold to Merck Animal Health). He also served as a divisional CEO within Pultron Composites, pioneering novel building materials that solve infrastructure corrosion challenges (sold to Owens Corning).

Prior to building companies, Sky invested in them – most recently as a Vice President with Francisco Partners, a $30B technology investment firm based in San Francisco, CA and an affiliate of Sequoia Capital.  He was also an investor with CCMP Capital, a $16B generalist investment firm based in New York, NY. Sky has served on the boards of eleven (11) companies, ranging from burgeoning start-ups to $2B+ industry leaders, and considers himself a lifelong student of business.

Sky holds an M.B.A. and a Certificate in Public Management & Social Innovation from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and a B.S. in Finance from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude and was named the Turken Family Outstanding Graduating Senior (Valedictory honour).  Sky is proudly married to author Kinsi Grimen and is the father of Elleste Kurtz.  Together they reside in the United Arab Emirates.

Josef Schmidhuber began his professional career at the World Food Council, worked as a senior economist at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and eventually as a Director at Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). In parallel, he assumed numerous short-term assignments with other international institutions, including the IPCC, the World Bank and the European Investment Bank (EIB). 

Josef is a prolific writer and researcher, his work has been published in high-impact journals like Nature, PNAS, the Lancet and Science, as well as in hundreds of books and documents of international organizations.

His areas of interest include the health and nutrition, trade and investment, industry 4.0 and all related innovations and technologies

Josef holds a PhD in economics from the Technical University of Munich.

Andrew has over 15 years of experience in senior financial management roles, living and working across four continents. During this time, he has worked with a number of growth stage businesses in the UAE, Canada and the UK, leading efforts to further professionalise firms in instances where they were seeking to attract growth capital, or post-acquisition. In 2018, as the CFO of RA International Group plc, Andrew led the admission process to successfully list the company on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.

Prior to this, Andrew worked with EY’s Assurance and Transaction Advisory teams in Dubai and Toronto, Canada. While in Dubai, he primarily assisted multinational corporations to establish operations in the Middle East and Africa; supporting their global management teams to implement organic and inorganic growth strategies.

Andrew is a Canadian Chartered Accountant, Chartered Business Valuator, and recently qualified as a Chartered Director with the UK Institute of Directors.

Natalie brings over twenty years of hands-on experience in Human Resources leadership, focusing on enhancing organizational efficiency through practical approaches rooted in neuroscience and occupational psychology. Her expertise lies in crafting HR strategies tailored to meet the unique needs of each organization, drawing on a wealth of experience to navigate both successes and challenge. 

 Natalie works to strengthen HR policies and processes, making them more accessible and effective for employees, and leverages employer branding to attract and retain top talent.

Her empathetic and optimistic approach ensures that these initiatives not only drive efficiency but also foster a positive and inclusive workplace culture.

 In addition to her day-to-day responsibilities, Natalie is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion and facilitating innovation through training programs and technology enhancements. She provides valuable counsel to senior leadership on HR matters, including talent acquisition and budget management, always with a focus on practical solutions and tangible results.

Head Grower for Pure Harvest Smart Farms since April 2018, Jan’s association with Pure Harvest began as early as December 2017, in a consulting capacity.

A seasoned master grower with international experience, he has engaged in various growing and crop consultancy roles across Europe, Africa, and Asia. Working as a senior grower in China in 2017, Jan was responsible for educating young Chinese students on how to cultivate plants in high-tech greenhouses. He has also developed and operated farms in Ethiopia, and has built and managed greenhouses in The Netherlands. His vast experience also includes responsibilities across diverse functions, such as consulting in Turkey, export of Albanian tomatoes to Russia, and advisor to the government of Ethiopia.

Jan has witnessed and experienced all aspects of horticulture, with an in-depth exposure to the industry. In 2006, he became the first grower in Ethiopia specializing in the export of premium quality vegetables to the Middle East. In 2008, Sheikh Mohammed Al Amoudi acquired Jan’s company and, working under his umbrella, Jan built a company which, three years later, rose to become the biggest vegetable exporter in Ethiopia, exporting to 11 countries and serving as a major supplier to the U.S. armed forces in Afghanistan.
Having started work at the tender age of 16 years after completing his horticultural studies, he returned to Erasmus University in The Netherlands at the age of 20, to further his management studies, covering all its facets.

Jan was born and raised in The Netherlands and is the proud father of three children.

A UK qualified lawyer with over twenty years’ experience in MENA, Europe and Asia, including over ten years with Allen & Overy in London and the UAE, Anil is an experienced investor and advisor who has served as a board advisor to Careem for over seven years and is also involved in a wide range of other ventures. He has been the General Counsel at Pure Harvest since its formation.

Anil attained his first degree in Land Economy at the University of Aberdeen and later studied Law at Nottingham Law School. He was awarded a Masters in Law at King's College London.

As the Senior Vice President Commercial & Logistics at Pure Harvest, Olivier is responsible for overseeing sales, logistics, customer service, and all projects related to vertical farming.

With extensive international senior retail general manager experience in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, Olivier brings a wealth of knowledge to his role. Over his 24-year career in the modern trade retail business, he has specialized in the fresh department, excelling in areas such as purchasing, operations, and project management. Olivier has successfully opened multi-format stores across 17 countries and has demonstrated his entrepreneurial skills by establishing new business units from the ground up. Notable achievements include introducing a new brand to the Korean market in the food and wines sector, setting up a global sourcing unit in Asia for food retail, and spearheading the establishment of the business process and project department for Carrefour Middle East, covering 16 countries.

Olivier's expertise spans loyalty card implementation in the UAE, warehouse management system setup in logistics, as well as pricing tools and e-commerce rollouts. With his comprehensive background and leadership capabilities, Olivier plays a pivotal role in driving Pure Harvest's commercial success and ensuring efficient and customer-centric operations.

Adrian is a seasoned senior executive with 20+ years of international experience in the CEA/AgTech/Food/CPG/Chemical industries. He has held leadership roles in operations, sales, marketing, innovation, technology, strategy, M&A, human resources, sustainability, and engineering, contributing to the success of renowned CEA/AgTech companies. With a career spanning startups, multinationals, and multi-site operations across North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, Adrian has garnered extensive expertise in all facets of the industry.

Known for designing and implementing innovative, human & technology driven high-performance models, Adrian's strategic vision and industry expertise have driven value creation and profitable business growth. As a Board Member for the Equitable Food Initiative, he actively advanced sustainable and responsible food production.

Adrian’s ability to deliver consistent transformational results, drive growth, and cultivate powerful teams, play a vital role in further propelling Pure Harvest's position as a leading global technology-enabled agribusiness.

Serene Farah has over 12 years of experience in strategic consulting and leadership within the tech industry.
As VP of Growth & Strategy at Noon, the leading e-commerce player in the UAE and KSA, Serene developed and executed go-to-market strategies, and successfully launched and scaled two major platforms: Noon Daily, an innovative online fresh grocery experience within the Noon app, and Sivvi, a standalone fashion platform. 
Her consulting career spans key roles at BCG in Dubai and Monitor Deloitte in the UK. In Dubai, she worked with both government and private sector clients across the GCC, developing sector strategies and facilitating growth projects. At Monitor Deloitte, her focus was on devising go-to-market and portfolio growth/ optimization strategies, primarily within the consumer and pharmaceutical sectors.
Serene holds a degree in Advanced Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology from Imperial College London