Pam Marrone is a seasoned entrepreneur and thought leader in the agricultural biologicals industry, with a track record of founding and scaling successful science-based companies. As Co-founder and Executive Chair of The Invasive Species Corporation (ISC), Pam is leading efforts to tackle one of the world’s most urgent environmental challenges, the spread of invasive species, through innovative, nature-based solutions.

In this Startup Story, Pam shares her journey, lessons learned from building multiple mission-driven companies, and her vision for how biological innovation can restore balance to ecosystems worldwide.

Note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Founding Story and Inspiration

You’ve built and scaled multiple companies throughout your career. What inspired you to start The Invasive Species Corporation, and how is this venture different from your previous ones?

Pam:I had a noncompete with my previous company. So during the time I could not start up again, I looked at what others were doing and no one was doing what I wanted to do, find bioherbicides and control invasive species with nature-based solutions. At the same time, a 5-year, 120 country study commissioned by the UN on invasive species came out (Sept 2023) and it confirmed what me and my co-founder Jim Boyd knew, that invasive species are a massive problem that we don’t manage well. This time around we have AI, machine learning, advanced genomics and other omics tools we did not have before. Deploying these tools has allowed our R&D to be 30X more productive at discovering microbes that control weeds than at Marrone Bio.

What was the moment or experience that made you passionate about tackling invasive species and their impact on biodiversity and climate change?

Pam: At Marrone Bio we developed Zequanox for invasive zebra and quagga mussel control. It is a highly effective and environmentally friendly product. The company could not devote resources to it and MBI’s acquirer was not into water. So we spun it out into ISC and many started calling asking for us to tackle other invasive species. So with our platform we would leverage into these others, invasive crustaceans, fish and weeds.

Entrepreneurial Journey

You’ve successfully raised funding from angels, venture capital, public markets, and debt. What lessons have you learned about funding mission-driven science companies?

Pam: Find investors who are aligned with the mission, vision and values. Investors appreciate the passion with which founders can explain how we are going to solve a big problem and build value for our customers and the investors, while also positively impacting the planet.

What have been some of the biggest challenges in developing and commercializing biological solutions, and how have you navigated them?

Pam: Unpredictable regulatory timelines. In 2000, I formed the first trade group (BPIA) dedicated to the biopesticide industry, now with close to 200 member companies, to address the long timelines to get our products approved. As a result, a consortium of large companies, environmental groups and our BPIA got a law passed unanimously through Congress that legislates the timelines and fees for pesticide approvals. When some EPA personnel were not adhering to these timelines during the Great Recession, I hired a lobbyist who contacted our senators and congresspeople and heads of the House and Senate Ag Committees. Their staffers met every two weeks with the EPA to make them more accountable. Startups were giving up because they could not get their products approved. After that, a new Director was appointed and things opened up. Farmer adoption. We tackled this successfully by conducting hundreds of on-farm demos with early-adopter growers who compared their standard program with a program integrating our biologicals into their programs. They nearly always saw better results with our program than their chemical-only program so we had close to 100 percent conversion from demo to sale.

Impact and Innovation

The ISC is addressing a massive global problem that affects biodiversity and climate. How has that mission shaped the way you build your company and team?

Pam: Hiring people who steadfastly believe in our mission, vision and values and who are entrepreneurial is the key!

How has your approach to innovation evolved over the course of your career, from your first company to now?

Pam: We are always seeking to be faster, better, cheaper. Capital efficiency is crucial. So new tools of AI, machine learning, whole genome sequencing and various omics tools have dramatically allowed us to be more efficient at discovery and development. Also, we learned how critical it is to hire the right people and if they don’t fit, let them loose quickly. We are more careful in who we hire. Our employees must be 100 percent aligned on the mission, vision and values, be entrepreneurial, adaptable, innovative and wear many hats.

Leadership and Lessons

As a serial entrepreneur and mentor, what are some of the most valuable lessons you try to pass on to first-time founders?

Pam: Be true to yourself. Too many times I “caved” in what I knew to be true based on what someone else wanted. That led to bad decision making.

Hire people and bring in investors and board members who share your values and are aligned with the mission, vision and strategy. Attention to culture is crucial. If you don’t focus on it, it will drift to what you won’t recognize as you grow and new people shift it to what they want rather than what you need it to be.

Organizational culture and ethics are areas you’re passionate about. How have you built company cultures that align with your values?

Pam: Yes as I said above. When I started Marrone Bio, I wanted to build the “ideal” culture. The founding team codified this. It went awry with a bad egg who drifted and wrecked the culture. As we rebuilt it with those who were committed to the positive culture and values we were founded on, we had several years sustaining an excellent, positive, employee-driven culture. What I did not always succeed on was having a board that was completely aligned with that same employee culture. Our team at ISC is steadfastly determined to make sure that as we grow, the new people we bring in are aligned on our mission, vision and values.

Vision and Future

How do you see biological solutions changing the way we approach invasive species management in the next decade?

Pam: Today, invasive species are left to spread with no management, destroying entire ecosystems or they are controlled with chemical pesticides, often quite harmful to the environment and people. We aim to change that with targeted, effective biologicals. We have already shown at ISC that we can quickly discover a microorganism from nature to control any invasive species.

Wrap-Up

Pam Marrone’s work with The Invasive Species Corporation reflects a lifelong commitment to advancing sustainable solutions that bridge science, innovation, and environmental stewardship. By combining decades of industry expertise with cutting-edge technology, she continues to inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs to think boldly about how business can create meaningful impact. Her story reminds us that true innovation starts with curiosity, perseverance, and a deep respect for the natural world.

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