In this episode of the Exponential Growth Podcast, I sit down with Karen LeVert, Managing Partner of LeVert Ventures, to explore how exponential change is reshaping agriculture, energy, and early-stage investing.

Karen’s journey spans mainframe programming, corporate leadership at Nationwide Insurance, tech commercialization out of top universities, and now building one of the most focused early-stage AgTech venture funds in the country.

We unpack:

• Why universities remain one of the most underutilized engines of innovation
• How climate pressure, pests, disease, and energy constraints are accelerating AgTech innovation
• The real difference between GMOs and gene editing (and why CRISPR changes everything)
• Why leadership fundamentals don’t change, even when technology does
• How investors should think about exposure, teams, and long-term resilience in exponential times

This is a conversation about systems, food systems, energy systems, innovation systems, and the leaders required to move them forward.

If you’re building, investing, or leading through rapid change, this episode will sharpen how you think about the future.