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Welcome to Inside KisanHub, a selection of interviews with the talented people behind the KisanHub tech. This month we caught up with Giles Barker (pictured top left), Warren Roach (top right) and Alistair Edwards (centred below), who make up our Sales team.
Hello! To kick things off please can you each tell us a little bit about yourself and explain your role at KisanHub?
Ali: I’ve had the pleasure of working at KisanHub for the past 5years after coming from a practical farming background mainly in potatoes and cereals. I am an Account Executive which involves selling KisanHub and listening and solving pains for fresh produce businesses.
Warren: My role is Sales Development Representative and I am leading on the sales campaign in South Africa. I joined the KisanHub family a couple of years ago and it’s been amazing to see us go from strength to strength over that short time!
Giles: Hi everyone! I am CEO at KisanHub, one of the Co-Founders and I lead the Sales, Customer Success and Marketing teams. I come from a farming family where my grandfather owned a farm, so that kindled my passion for everything relating to agriculture.
What are you working on right now and what will this mean for the industry?
Giles: Simplicity is our main mantra at KisanHub, so I am simplifying our product offering to make it easier for people to understand. For example, we want it to be as simple as signing up or renewing your annual broadband subscription. So watch this space, our website will be updated very soon!
Ali: Our new Paperless Load Passports are helping our customers to reduce paperwork and save time, so at the moment I’m reaching out to people at similar companies to show them this new feature, it’s brilliant to see and hear them get as excited as we are when I demo it to them! The thing I hear the most is how this tool alone saves one or two full-time admin jobs by typing up the paper tickets. This is an instant cost/time saving to the businesses I speak too.
Warren: We have recently launched a South African campaign for all the citrus and grape growers out there, to make them aware of our product and in particular Crop Quality. As it will help them tremendously when supplying UK and other markets.
What three words would you use to describe KisanHub?
Ali: Exciting, loyal and game-changer
Giles: Passion, teamwork and fun!
Warren: Fun, exciting and challenging because every day is different, that’s what we thrive on!
What do you most enjoy about being part of the KisanHub team?
Warren: The openness and transparency, everyone always helps each other - we definitely all go the extra mile!
Giles: Simply being part of a team. From my early days in Sports, I have always enjoyed working together as a team to achieve goals. That team mentality has been even more important whilst working remotely.
Ali: We all have the same goal, providing the best solutions possible for the industry. From my previous roles based on farms in different countries, I’ve seen the pain points first hand, especially siloed data. The tech our talented team builds, solves these issues brilliantly - I'm really proud of what we do!
Do you have a work mantra that you go by?
Warren: Tough times don’t last, tough people do!
Giles: If it was easy, everyone else would do it!
Ali: There’s no shortcut to Mr Safety’s House.
What sources do you look for inspiration or advice e.g. any books you can recommend or TED talks?
Ali: The Fresh Produce Journal is great for covering a broad range of topics and their Fruitbox podcasts are great - Giles we should get you on there! Plus, I must plug our webinars, they have been a highlight each month for me!
Giles: I would recommend the book Shoedog by Phil Knight, Founder of Nike; his drive and passion are remarkable, very inspiring.
Warren: Videos on nutrition and health are good because fresh fruits and vegetables are a massive part of that. It brings a wider perspective of how KisanHub is helping connect that seed to sale journey, for the benefit of everyone involved, from growers to consumers.
Finally, as a tech startup working in the agri-food industry, do you have a favourite vegetable/fruit? Why and where is it grown?
Giles: All day long potatoes, jackets in particular, simply cannot beat them!
Ali: Last year woke me up to how great Avocados are, especially after speaking to prospects who grow them in South America where I found out more about them as a crop - they are so cool and now I’m hooked!
Warren: I love my fruit, growing up in South Africa meant fresh fruit all day long - I simply can’t name one favourite - apples, grapes, peaches, you name it, we grew it! I use to buy them on the side of the road in massive bags, it was our version of ‘candy’!
Thanks guys!
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