Information that counts.™
Investing in the future
of food and agriculture.
With support from our investors and board members, we’re generating information that counts for the people who raise our food. Technology that improves animal health, increases productivity, and protects access to treatment interventions has great implications for the sustainability of agriculture.
“AAD fits well into our mission as investors as it offers advanced technologies that help livestock producers manage their animals better and run more efficiently as a business. As with human diagnostics, we want early indications so we can treat diseases more efficiently and minimize their damage.
Applying these advanced technologies to the health of animals raised to provide nutrition to humans is of great importance to livestock producers in this country and around the world, and to all of us as consumers.”
News that counts.
“Seeing the Proof”
Dr. Mitch Hockett’s first encounter with QScout MLD
“When I saw how I could implement QScout MLD on my own cows, it became exciting to talk with other producers, too,” he says. “At AAD, we really want to see producers be successful. QScout generates the data needed to make informed, profitable management decisions.”
Bob Shapiro of Cultivian Sandbox
AAD Board Chairman
Investors
Board of Directors
Bob Shapiro
Chairman
Bob Shapiro is the co-founder and managing director of Sandbox Industries, a venture capital firm that partners with Cultivian Sandbox for investments in food and agriculture technology. He is the former chairman of Pharmacia, chairman and CEO of Monsanto, and chairman and CEO of The NutraSweet Company. Bob previously served as vice president and general counsel of G.D. Searle & Company and General Instrument Corporation. Prior to this, he practiced law in New York City and was a professor of law at Northeastern University in Boston and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Dennis J. Dougherty
Dennis Dougherty is the founder and managing partner of Intersouth Partners. He holds primary responsibility for Intersouth’s life science portfolio, which has included companies in pharmaceuticals and medical devices, as well as agribusiness companies like Athenix. He has served on the Boards of Directors of over three dozen startup companies, frequently working with companies from founding through IPO or acquisition. Dennis is a founder of the North Carolina Council for Entrepreneurial Development. He served on the Board of Directors of the National Venture Capital Association and Chairman of the Education Committee which developed training programs for new venture capitalists. He was also on the Steering Committee of the Kauffman Fellows Program, and served as a Mentor for two classes. Dennis holds a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma City University, where he was named Distinguished Alumnus of the Year.
Dr. Ben Shelton, DVM
Dr. Ben Shelton and his wife, Mimi, own and operate Rocky Creek Dairy & Veterinary Services near Olin, N.C., which combines an operating dairy farm and a veterinary practice. Rocky Creek Dairy milks an average of 1,250 cows and raises an additional 1,600 heifers, with a focus on developing cows with longevity and producing high-quality milk. In addition to his dairy farm and bovine veterinary practice, Dr. Shelton is active in dairy industry promotional organizations, serving as vice president of the Chatham, Virginia-based Cobblestone Cooperative.
Joe Cook, III
Joe Cook currently serves on or has visitation rights to the board of directors of: Castle Biosciences (NASDAQ:CSTL), a company developing and commercializing molecular diagnostics to aid healthcare professionals in assessing probability of tumor progression to metastasis and improving information for therapy choices; Cerebrotech, a company that has developed a non-invasive monitoring device for early detection of cerebral bleeding and edema; and Mindera, a company developing a proprietary dermal biomarker patch used to help diagnose and track progression for dermatological diseases.
Mr. Cook previously served on or had visitation rights to the board of directors of: Clearside Biomedical (NASDAQ:CLSD), an ophthalmic company specializing in the research, development and commercialization of therapeutic products delivered through a proprietary microinjection platform targeting the suprachoroidal space; Diagnovus, a molecular diagnostic company targeting rare and orphan diseases; PhaseBio (NASDAQ:PHAS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing improved biotherapeutics for the treatment of orphan diseases, with an initial focus on cardiopulmonary disorders; Lineagen, a chromosomal microarray and next generation sequencing genetic testing company serving children and families with autism and other developmental delays; and OnFocus Healthcare, a company selling proprietary performance management software to hospitals and other healthcare organizations.
Prior to his involvement with MGP, Mr. Cook was a Director, Private Placements in the Investment Banking Group of Robert W. Baird & Co. in Nashville from January 2001 through February 2003. During this time, he helped originate and led the team executing nine transactions raising almost $400 million. Previously, Mr. Cook was a Vice President in the Investment Banking Group at J.C. Bradford & Co. in Nashville. Mr. Cook graduated with a B.A. in Economics from Davidson College, and moved to Nashville, TN in 1993. Mr. Cook has previously served as the Chairman of the Board for the Martha O’Bryan Center and St. Paul Christian Academy, a board member for Ten Thousand Villages of Nashville and a member of the Investor Committee for LaunchTN, a public-private partnership organization focused on supporting entrepreneurship throughout Tennessee.
Mr. Cook currently serves on the Board of Directors for Southeastern Life Sciences Association and the Advisory Board of the Nashville Capital Network.
Rob Readnour
Dr. Readnour Currently serves as Executive Chairman of In the Bowl Animal Health, an animal health company that is developing an in-feed technology providing pet owners with a convenient alternative to current methods of drug administration. Dr. Readnour also currently serves on or has visitation rights to the following companies: Advanced Animal Diagnostics, a commercial-stage animal health company developing diagnostic tests to help livestock producers diagnose illness, predict performance and eliminate the overuse of antibiotics in cattle, ALSSP, a poultry vaccine delivery device company developing a novel, high-throughput spray system to individually vaccinate post-hatch chicks, AN2 Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company developing medicines for infectious diseases, Boragen, a company that is developing small molecule approaches focused on leveraging the unique chemical properties of boron chemistry, both in crop protection and animal health, Exubrion, an animal health company developing a radiosynoviorthesis product to treat chronic osteoarthritis in dogs, and Skyline Vet Pharma, a company that is developing veterinary pharmaceuticals using proven delivery technologies to reformulate drugs with established animal health markets.
Prior to joining MGP, Dr. Readnour worked at Elanco Animal Health for 27 years. During his Elanco tenure, he held several senior management positions in which he was responsible for developing and executing Elanco’s Research and Development strategies for entering several new business areas (companion animal pharmaceuticals, vaccines and enzymes). Dr. Readnour played an important role in Elanco’s acquisition and integration of Novartis Animal Health, Lohmann Animal Health, ChemGen and Janssen Animal Health. Within Elanco, Dr. Readnour led several initiatives to transform Research and Development through the piloting of new approaches to developing animal health products. He pioneered a lean product development model which allowed Elanco to enter new areas of business without significant capital investment. He led initial efforts for Elanco to invest in early stage companies and partner with external funding sources to develop products with minimal initial investment from Elanco. Dr. Readnour served as a member of the Food and Agriculture Section of Bio International Board and as an External Advisory Board member for University of Illinois Animal Science Department.
Prior to entering management in Elanco, Dr. Readnour was an internationally recognized expert on animal health product development, analytical chemistry, human food safety and drug residues with 11 publications and 14 external presentations.
Throughout his career, Dr. Readnour was responsible for the development and commercialization of 10 animal health products. Dr. Readnour received his PhD in Analytical Chemistry from University of Illinois in 1990.
Joy Parr Drach
President & CEO
Joy Parr Drach is president and chief executive officer of AAD and brings a unique combination of agribusiness and new product introduction expertise to the company. She was a founder and senior partner of Entira, a management and marketing consulting firm for agribusiness companies, where she led strategic planning and implemented management and marketing programs with clients, ranging from small start-ups to Fortune 100 industry leaders. She has successfully launched more than 30 new products, ranging from U.S. dairy parlors to global herbicides to spray equipment, guiding product development, pricing strategies, distribution plans, sales training and marketing/promotion planning and execution.
Joy also is actively involved in her family’s grain and purebred livestock operation. She earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications from the University of Illinois and Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago.