Meet ProGro Bio
ProGro Bio is an American-owned-and-operated, Georgia-based, Ag-Tech microbial sciences company. Our team has vast experience and a successful track record in agricultural microbial research, management and operations. We are revolutionizing agribusiness with 100% all-natural solutions.
ProGro's journey unfolds with our Chief Scientist, Dr. Robert Bruck, whose relentless pursuit of microbial knowledge spans over four decades. Driven by a quest for a holistic solution, he observed the intricacies of the rhizosphere, recognizing the delicate balance between plant and roots. Harvesting microbial genomes globally, he curated a unique blend, culminating in the 2019 breakthrough, Rhizol. Dr. Bruck's exploration of microbial behavior underpins ProGro's commitment to regenerative agriculture. His lifetime dedication converges with ProGro's mission, harmonizing nature and science to rejuvenate soil health, combat climate challenges, and elevate yields sustainably.
CEO
Blake, an accomplished CEO and Board Director, has 30+ years of multi-disciplinary executive experience across VC, Private Equity, Public and Private ownership structures. He has a strong history of business transformation, strategy development, M&A, consistent growth and profit leadership, and board governance.
COO
An environmental and green technology entrepreneur with 25 years of experience in start-up entities and advancing small and mid-market businesses, Barry has a proven track record developing profitable operational teams and is a hands-on problem solver. Prior to pursuing his entrepreneurial career, Barry was a practicing partner in a major law firm.
Chief Scientist
Dr. Robert Bruck is a microbial pioneer and renowned research scientist specializing in soil-borne pathogens, plant disease, and development of natural microbial solutions. Dr. Bruck holds a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry, a Ph.D. in Ecology from Syracuse University, and has completed a Post Doctoral Fellowship in Plant Pathology at Cornell University. Dr. Bruck served 37 years on the faculty at N.C. State University and retired as Distinguished Professor of Plant Pathology and Environmental Science.
Advisor
An entrepreneur, business owner, and private investor with a strong AgTech network, David has successfully developed businesses across several business models and possesses strong expertise in sales and marketing with a proven record of developing growth strategies for company and product expansions. David is the founder and owner of a prosperous Atlanta-based wholesale meat distribution company and previously served on the board of directors of B.A.S.S., a leading sports fishing organization where he secured several highly successful marketing transactions.
Advisor
Ray is a successful entrepreneur and has owned several agricultural businesses over the last 33 years spanning numerous segments, including agricultural retail sales, seed manufacturing, row crop farming, and timber production. He currently owns and operates a seed manufacturing company that has been family-operated since 1932. It provides a wide variety of seeds to the agricultural sector for over 3.5 million acres annually. Ray also owns a row crop farming operation that produces cotton, soybeans, corn, wheat, and oats, a timber production business, and has ownership interests in several other diversified business enterprises.
Advisor
David is a successful entrepreneur and innovative business owner with over 41 years of experience and success in multiple agricultural and turf-related businesses within the irrigation and equipment industry. He currently owns and operates multiple distribution locations of agricultural and related products in Georgia and South Carolina. He is also the managing member of the 2nd largest E-commerce irrigation supply store in the United States. Over the course of his career, he has started over eight irrigation and agricultural companies, many of which are still operating today under his direction.
He is President of Wireless Irrigation Technologies, a fully-integrated design and installation company focused on large agricultural and industrial projects. David has also been the owner of one of the largest private water utility companies in the state of Georgia since 1987.
Advisor
Michael Nicklaus brings more than 25 years of established business relationships across a wide range of industries. He has successfully managed or owned multiple business ventures throughout the southeast, including a thriving real estate group of 170+ agents that is based in North Palm Beach, Florida and Charleston, South Carolina. Michael has invaluable expertise with premium branding product expansion.
Board Director & Advisor
A founder and chairman of several companies for 30+ years, Dino is a self-motivated entrepreneur. Forging exclusive alliances through innovation, he founded Curvepay in 1988, creating new and innovative payment solutions through credit card acceptance. When Curvepay was sold, it was one of the largest transaction processors in U.S. taxi cabs with 100 million annual transactions in approximately 50,000 cabs. Dino also serves as Lead Investor, Board Member, Director, and Strategic Advisor to multiple companies.
