In Her Field Q&A: Navigating Startup Life in an Uncertain Market With Dr. Jane Fife, Founder of Monarch Ag

By Stephanie Wedryk, special contributor* to WIA Today (September 1, 2026)

Interview Highlights

On Transitioning from Corporate Roles to a Startup

“One of the things I’ve learned in a startup is there are a lot of ups and downs. You have to be comfortable with that and the uncertainty that a lot of startups fail. You spend a lot of time reaching and stretching yourself. …one of the things I love about the startup is there’s a lot of freedom”

Redefining Career Impact

“I look back at what I was trying to do as a graduate student…I was going to save the world, the environment, and biologicals was what it was going to be. I still hold on to a part of that even though I have lived a lot more life since then…With the business realities of the market, I do believe that these types of technologies have a role to play in agriculture.…The impact is really how do we start getting more of these biologicals adopted and make these products work better in the field.”

Building a New Business with Economic Headwinds

“Be very careful, lean, and focused…There are many ways to build a company. I want what I am building to be asset light, but there are also lots of ways to partner to get work done. I am building bridges with universities and other entities to figure out where we can move something forward without having to ask for a lot of money. As an industry, we need to be doing that.”

The Power of Networks 

“You have to be continually working on networking…I always come at networking with the idea to try to understand what this person’s about and then if there is a way I can help you connect dots or connect that person to somebody else.

My go-to people in the industry are women. I end up mentoring women on the ability to advance their careers. Someone gave me good advice once. They said, ‘It’s possible to have it all. You just probably aren’t going to have it all at the same time.’ It’s important, as we are further along in our careers, to help bring along the next generation.”

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Full Interview

Dr. Stephanie Wedryk is a strategic advisor with Wedge AG, LLC., a boutique agribusiness consulting firm based in Broomfield, Colorado, specializing in technology commercialization, market strategy, and strategic partnerships. The firm focuses on driving adoption for agricultural, chemical, and biotechnology companies.

Dr. Jane Fife is the founder of Monarch Ag, focusing on the translation of biologicals from lab to farm. She spent 11 years with Battelle followed by 10 years as the CTO of 3Bar Biologics. Dr. Fife received her Ph.D. in agricultural engineering from The Ohio State University.

1). Stephanie: Can you tell us about your career background and how you got into the ag startup space?

Jane: I am a technical expert in agricultural and biosystems by training. Throughout my career, I have worked in R&D with a strong emphasis on product development, transforming research concepts into commercially viable products. In graduate school, I was working with biological technologies and how to deliver them. This work showed me how amazing biologicals are and their possibility for agriculture.

Dr. Jane Fife (right) instructs a student in the lab at Ohio State University.

The industry at the time was very niche, so I ended up joining a large defense contractor working in bioterrorism. As the government programs changed, I had the opportunity to work in the agriculture business unit. The idea was that technology developed under the government programs could be applied in agriculture. I worked on market development to see if they would even make sense for agriculture. Over those two years, I learned an incredible amount about bioformulation. This remains a big part of the challenge with biologicals. This was around 2014 and biologicals have come a long way over the past 10 years.

I was interacting a lot in the industry which led to a nice transition to work for a startup. It was just me and the founder to start. Having been through the paces of a big organization, I had done a lot of paper shuffling and management. When I went to the startup, I was at the bench. I had to learn microbiology for the first time. I basically had to figure it out. It was a great thing in my career to have this kind of reset.

2). Stephanie: It seems like a lot of people start in big companies and then end up in startups. What did you have to learn in the transition from a huge company to startup life?

Jane: I am thankful I had the experience in the big company. Going to the startup, I was hands-on, and on any given day I could be focused on the business or I was in the lab figuring out a technical solution. It was a big change in that respect.

One of the things I’ve learned in a startup is there are a lot of ups and downs. You have to be comfortable with that and the uncertainty that a lot of startups fail. I just happened to be in a good place in my career path, and I could accept the risk. I was learning so much, whether it was technical or how do we move this company forward. You spend a lot of time reaching and stretching yourself.

3). Stephanie: Startups have so much change. It sounds like the ability to learn and challenge yourself helped you to navigate. Thinking about the rest of your career, do you see yourself continuing in the startup world?

Jane: I am mid-career, half-way there. One of the things I love about the startup world, is that there’s plenty of freedom. I was certainly given a lot of freedom in the role I had leading technical product development. In a large company, you have to do what’s been put in front of you.

One of the things I enjoy about startups is that when you have a big win, it gets amplified. There are fewer shoulders carrying the responsibility, so each person's contribution has a greater impact and is more directly connected to the outcome. You also have to be comfortable in a small team.

Being mid-career and thinking about what’s next, I become reflective on my impact. What value can I create and how can I align it to a purpose? This has made me reflect on where I want to put my energy. You never know how much time you truly have.

4). Stephanie: You mentioned wanting to have impact at this part of your career. How has your view of that impact changed since the beginning to where you are now?

Jane: When I look back at what I was trying to do as a graduate student -- I call it my granola years -- I was going to save the world and the environment, and biologicals was how I was going to do it. I still hold on to a part of that even though I have lived a lot more life since then.

With the business realities of the market, I do believe that these types of technologies have a role to play in agriculture. We’re seeing a lot of transition, macroeconomic pressure, and a desire and need for more sustainable practices. Having an impact now really is not the R&D, but the application.

When I started to say, “what’s next?”, one of the first things was that I needed to be at the farm gate – to have “boots on the ground”. That was a very important transition for me. There are great technologies out there that have been discovered and partially developed. How do we take those technologies and integrate them into something that’s even better? How do we work with farmers to get these technologies implemented? As an industry, we’re struggling a little bit. There’s many companies, big and small, that have been working on biologicals, but we haven’t moved the needle on adoption. How do we start to work on that?

I think I’ve always stayed true to what I wanted to do, but it has changed over time with knowing more about the technology side of it, but also more about the business side. The impact is how do we start getting more of these biologicals adopted and make these products work better in the field.

5). Stephanie: You mentioned the farmgate and macroeconomic pressures. In earlier years, there was more money available for startups. We know that fertilizer and diesel prices are high. When growers make less money, the rest of the industry usually slows as well. How have these macroeconomic conditions and what farmers are experiencing in 2026 impacted your view of the startup life and how to make it successful?

Jane: A fortunate part of my startup experience is that we were always lean. If you go back 10-15 years, there was a lot of money that came into biotech and other sectors, but not a lot of output on the other side. We’re seeing investment dynamics change, and the money simply isn’t flowing the way it used to.

So how do you do work in a constrained environment? I feel like I am conditioned from my experience to be very careful, lean, and focused. The challenge is that you still must secure some level of investment.

I do not have it all figured out. There are many ways to build a company. The way I am trying to accomplish this is not through a VC path, but rather through organic growth and grants. I want what I am building to be asset light, but there are also lots of ways to partner to get work done. I am building bridges with universities and other entities to figure out where we can move something forward without having to ask for a lot of money. As an industry, we need to be doing that.

6). Stephanie: As you are building these bridges and collaborations, how has your network supported this work and the progression of your career?

Jane: You have to be continually working on networking, which I am comfortable doing. I like to work with good people. I have always relied on my network, especially when I’ve been through a transition.

I think part of it is talking to folks and thinking about, “is there something I can help them with?”. I approach networking by first understanding what someone is about and what they need. Then I look for ways to add value, whether that's connecting dots, making introductions, or helping them expand their network.

You need to find a balance though as you can spend too much time doing networking and not get real work done, but ultimately, I think it is of great importance to build your networks. Earlier in your career it is harder because your network is smaller. At this point, after more than 20 years of building relationships, I have a broad network that I can tap into when opportunities or questions arise or when someone could benefit from a connection. 

7). Stephanie:  As you navigate this transition of company, career, and reclaiming your impact and network, what has been the most challenging part?

Jane: It has been invigorating. There’s this sense of freedom. On the other side, what the heck am I doing? There is a challenge to make sure that you know you are grounded. It is not all going to happen overnight. I am being patient and not putting too much pressure on myself.

You have to keep working day to day to make progress. Some days, you just need to close the door and leave.

Working from a home office is very different because I don't have a team that I'm interacting with every day. There can be a lot of pressure when you're the one responsible for figuring things out and driving success. Finding balance is critical, but so is setting boundaries—which can be one of the hardest parts when you're building something on your own.

8). Stephanie: I am hearing the challenging part of this. I am also hearing the personal growth part of the story. As you are navigating this, do you feel there are particular things you are seeing that set women apart as entrepreneurs in agriculture?

Jane: The interactions I have with women networking in the industry are very different from the interactions with my male counterparts. I can have a different kind of conversation with women. My go-to people in the industry are women. I appreciate the women who are in my network and the industry, especially since there are not many of us. There’s plenty of times where I’ve been the only woman at the table. For the most part, this doesn’t bother me. Sometimes, it is a reminder to have groups to support you and know you.

9). Stephanie: I am also realizing the importance of female relationships in our industry. We are seeing more and more women entering STEM fields with incredible educational achievements. If you could speak to the female PhD students today, what would you say to them?

Jane: I have the pleasure of teaching a capstone design course at The Ohio State University. It is all senior undergrads. What I enjoy about the process is the amount of time I get to mentor. As I mentor students preparing to enter engineering careers, I've found that the guidance I provide to young women is often different from what I discuss with male students. While there has been a strong push to increase the number of women in STEM fields, representation remains low in many areas. What concerns me most is that many talented young women who study engineering or science ultimately choose careers outside those fields. It makes me wonder, "Where did we lose them?" Understanding why that happens—and how we can better support and retain women in STEM—is a challenge that deserves continued attention.

I think for graduate students it is different. They are in graduate school because they are curious and want to do research. I look at STEM education sometimes and say, are we doing enough to get women in these fields that really want to be there? We have increasing numbers in graduate school, and they are staying because there are opportunities. I hope these women find what interests them and follow their passions.

I end up mentoring women on the ability to advance their careers. I have a family and it was hard in the early part of my career. Having my network support really got me through. If you are working in a male-dominated environment, find and seek out the women’s groups for support. While managing a career and having a life outside of work, it is very important to know you’re not alone in the journey.

Someone once gave me good advice. They said, “It’s possible to have it all. You just probably aren’t going to have it all at the same time.” It’s important, as we are further along in our careers, to help bring along the next generation.

Stephanie:  Thank you so much for your candor in sharing your journey through startups, career transitions, and your career wisdom. Delivering biologicals to the farmgate is a critical need in our industry to progress the future of farming. I am so excited to see the continued work you will do at Monarch Ag.

*ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Stephanie Wedryk is a seasoned leader in the agricultural industry with more than 14 years of experience building and scaling new markets, product development pipelines, programs, and high-performing teams across a diverse range of organizations. Currently serving as a Strategic Advisor at Wedge AG, LLC, Stephanie partners with early-stage startups to help them successfully commercialize innovative technologies within the agriculture sector.

Dr. Wedryk will soon be joining ZymeCo as Vice President of Product, bringing a proven track record of product and go-to-market strategy. Dr. Wedryk holds a PhD in Horticulture and Crop Science from The Ohio State University. She currently resides in Colorado. At the heart of Stephanie's work is a deep passion for food — helping people grow it, and bringing people together around the meals they share.