Trace Genomics Promotes Poornima Parameswaran to Chief Executive Officer
Trace Genomics, the leader in delivering comprehensive, precision soil analytics, today announced that the Board of Directors has promoted Poornima Parameswaran, Ph.D., from President to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) & President. Since co-founding Trace Genomics in 2015, Parameswaran has been a driving force behind the science, development and lab-to-field application of the most comprehensive soil microbiome databases to advance production agriculture.
Parameswaran inherits the CEO title from Dan Vradenburg, who has led the company since 2019. Vradenburg will move into the role of Senior Advisor. “Trace Genomics is in great hands,” said Vradenburg. “Poornima’s passion, experience and expertise will advance the company to the next level of providing actionable soil insights that are central to the coming quantum leap in agriculture. She has a talented team, supportive board and motivated investors to continue building a valuable company.”
Poornima earned a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from Stanford University with Nobel laureate Dr. Andrew Fire, and a B.S. in Molecular Biology from the University of Texas at Austin. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health, where she worked closely with the Broad Institute and the Ministry of Health in Nicaragua. She has pioneered new methods to make genomics more affordable and accessible, created and taught the first-ever course on applications of high throughput sequencing at Stanford University, is an author on a dozen highly referenced publications in the genomics space, and an inventor on several microbiome patents.
“On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, I want to congratulate Poornima on earning the title of CEO,” said Bill Buckner, Board Chairman, Trace Genomics. “With her serving as President, Trace Genomics closed out 2022 in the strongest commercial and operational position since our inception. We are looking forward to Poornima leading Trace Genomics into our next phase of dynamic expansion, with a focus on commercial growth supported by operational excellence and scientific integrity.”
Trace Genomics is the leader in developing solutions to protect and activate soil’s hidden potential for healthier soils and a healthier planet. The company was recently awarded a place in the prestigious Global Cleantech 100 for the second consecutive year. This program honors the top privately held innovation companies in clean technology globally.
“I’m honored to take on the CEO role and humbled by the trust placed in me by our Board of Directors,” said Parameswaran. “At Trace Genomics, we have built an entirely new class of comprehensive soil technology offerings backed by science, fit for scale, with a target market that includes every global arable acre. Trace’s commercial program delivers diagnostics, enables prescriptive solutions and surfaces aggregated data insights. We have momentum with customers both new and existing; achieving top-line revenue growth is our #1 priority.”
About Trace Genomics:
Trace Genomics is a pioneer in the use of hi-definition genomics to activate the hidden insights in soil for healthier soils and a healthier planet. Through innovation in genomics, soil science and machine learning, Trace Genomics creates a pathway to deliver targeted database insights and actions at cost-speed-scale-accuracy for partners who are advancing modern farming solutions for a net-zero food production system. Where most companies deliver a partial picture, we provide a comprehensive and precise understanding of the soil’s composition—analyzing the soil’s biology, physical properties and chemistry. Trace Genomics has won several awards, including being selected as a 2020 Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum, Winner of FoodShot Global’s Innovating Soil 3.0 Challenge, Forbes Top 25 Most Innovative AgTech, THRIVE Top 50 AgTech, 2022 Global Cleantech top 100 start-ups and many more.
