Source: NCSU COLLEGE OF AG & LIFE SCIENCES, 1/14/22


Pam Marrone lived her childhood in a tiny town near the coast of southern Connecticut. When she wasn’t on her parents’ 40-acre farm, she often spent hours standing in the tide pools spotting tiny aquatic creatures, carefully avoiding any sudden moves that could scare them away. 

It was an ironic scene for someone who would grow up to make such huge waves.

Marrone is one of the key figures that kickstarted and fueled the sustainable agriculture movement. She is a key reason why biological pesticides are now a common tool in the grower’s pest control toolbox, but she was making waves well before that. 

Marrone’s notoriety began at NC State as a Ph.D. student taking part in a groundbreaking agroecology study funded by the National Science Foundation. That notoriety rocketed ever higher after graduation as she founded and led one successful biopesticide company after another. She officially reached orbit on August 12, 2013, when one of her many successful biopesticide companies, Marrone Bio Innovations, was listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange. It was only the 22nd female-founded, female-led company to be publicly listed.

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