ʻO ka hoʻonui ʻana i kāna mau hana alakaʻi ʻoihana e hoʻolalelale i ka wikiwiki o nā ʻenehana ʻenehana no ka ʻoihana huahana hou, ua hoʻohui ʻo Western Growers iā Walt Duflock i hope pelekikena, mea hou.
Ma kēia kuleana, e kālele nui ʻia ʻo Duflock i ka wikiwiki ʻana i ka agtech no nā hui lālā o Western Growers (WG), me ka hoʻonui ʻana i ka wāwae o ka Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology (WGCIT), kahi incubator agtech mua loa ma Salinas, Kaleponi.
"ʻAʻole i ʻoi aku ka wikiwiki o ka pono o ka ʻenehana hou i kā mākou mau lālā," wahi a WG Pelekikena a Luna Nui ʻo Dave Puglia. "Ua alakaʻi ʻo Walt Duflock i nā ʻoihana ʻenehana a lawe mai i kahi hiki ke hoʻoikaika i ka ulu ʻana i ka ʻenehana ʻenehana mahiʻai. Hauʻoli wau i kēia manawa e hui pū ʻo Walt i ka Luna Hoʻokele WGCIT ʻo Dennis Donohue, ka mea e hoʻokele nei i ka holomua maoli ma nā hana agtech koʻikoʻi e like me ka automation a me ka hoʻonui ʻana i ka palekana meaʻai. E hoʻoikaika hou ʻo Walt lāua ʻo Dennis i ko mākou hiki ke hoʻoikaika i ka ʻoihana kūʻai wikiwiki o nā ʻenehana e pono ai kā mākou mau lālā e ulu ai i ka hanauna e hiki mai ana.
Lawe ʻo Duflock ma luna o 25 mau makahiki o ka ʻike ma ka ʻoihana mahiʻai a me ka ʻenehana, me ka manaʻo nui i ka hoʻomohala hoʻomaka. Ma waho aʻe o kona komo ʻana i kāna hānai ʻohana lima o ka hanauna ma Monterey County, ua hoʻolaʻa ʻo Duflock i kāna ʻoihana i ke kūkulu ʻana i nā papahana a me nā hoʻolālā ma nā hoʻomaka kiʻekiʻe ʻo Silicon Valley, me eBay, MerchantCircle (i kēia manawa Reply) a me APTARE (i kēia manawa ʻo Veritas). Ma kāna hana hou loa, ua lawelawe ʻo Duflock ma ke ʻano he alakaʻi alakaʻi hou no SVG Ventures THRIVE.
"ʻOliʻoli wau e hui pū me ka hui WG a ke kakali nei au e hana pū me nā mahiʻai a me nā mea hoʻomaka e hoʻonui i ka wikiwiki a me ka nui o nā hoʻonā, ʻoi loa no ka palekana meaʻai a me ka automation hana," wahi a Duflock. "ʻO koʻu mau makahiki o ka ʻike i ka mahiʻai a me ka hana pū ʻana me nā hoʻomaka ʻana o Silicon Valley, me ke kūkulu ʻana i kahi agtech accelerator kūleʻa, hāʻawi iaʻu i ka hoʻonohonoho kūpono o nā mākau e alakaʻi ai i ka hana hou a WG."
Ua loaʻa iā Duflock kahi kēkelē BS ma Business mai Cal Poly San Luis Obispo a me ke kēkelē kānāwai mai ke Kulanui ʻo Santa Clara. He ʻeleu ʻo ia i kona kaiāulu kūloko a lawelawe ʻo ia ma nā papa hana manawaleʻa, me ka Los Gatos United Soccer League a me Rancho Cielo, kahi e manaʻo ai e hoʻololi i ke ola o nā ʻōpio pilikia. I ka makahiki 2019, ua hoʻokumu ʻo Duflock i ka SAGE, kahi 501(c)(6) e kālele ana i ka hoʻomau ʻana a me ka ikehu a me ka hoʻokele waiwai kūloko.