Who We Are
Commonwealth Ag Strategies is a team of collaborative problem solvers who are passionate about creating sustainable, replicable, and profitable solutions to feed the globe. We convene, partner with, and lead groups of subject experts with strategic minds shaped by practical experience and demonstrated success in their field. Each project goal is focused on a Client-identified issue, and through open dialogue, and targeted assessment we add capacity that empowers Clients to implement solutions with clarity and vision.
Leadership
Dawn grew up on a farm in central Kentucky and remains active in managing the family-owned farm supply business. Despite over 20 years of experience in local, state, and federal government and public service roles, every project she takes on remains inextricably linked to her guiding mantra: “What will this mean for the farmer?”
Mark’s earliest memories of raising livestock, which instilled in him the deeply held values of farming like integrity, hard work, and pragmatism. After a career in banking and genetics, these values led him home to use his skills to more directly make a difference in the industry as an entrepreneur and activist-thought leader.
“Mark and I realized it was rare and necessary for folks to have direct access to ag experts who can really see the whole picture and trajectory of the industry but who also have the hands-on experience to know what is actionable today. Everyone on our team brings that combination to the table.”
Founder, Dawn Riley
Team
Mary Shelman brings an intuitive brilliance to our high-level strategic planning efforts. She’s led over 60 Harvard case studies on strategic change management and now works to apply this knowledge in major sector-wide projects.
For decades Steven has been known across the economic development community as “the research park guy.” In recent years, he continues to translate this skill set into numerous emerging fields of innovation.
Partners
