Renske Lynde

General Partner

2019 - Current

1st Course Capital is an early stage venture capital firm investing in exceptional entrepreneurs who are transforming our food system. We invest in innovative business models and technologies changing how we grow, produce, and distribute food. Collectively, our portfolio is building a transparent, ethical, just and climate resilient food system.

Food Leaders Fellow

2022

The Food Leaders Fellowship is designed to become the foremost community of values-based leaders dedicated to changing the food landscape in service of sustainability, food justice, and good health. As part of the Fellowship I am exploring ways to increase diversity in the venture capital industry to support a broader range of solutions in the food system.

Board President

2019

Food System 6 (FS6) is a non-profit based in the San Francisco Bay Area whose mission is to support impact driven entrepreneurs as they transform how we grow, produce, and distribute food. The organization runs a comprehensive accelerator program that mentors entrepreneurs and coaches them through a wide range of business and organizational needs. FS6 also works to educate stakeholders on the unique capital needs related to rebuilding the food system towards entirely new objectives. FS6 supports early-stage for-profit and non-profit entrepreneurs who are tackling one or more food system challenges across the following impact areas: healthy people, vibrant farms, sustainable ecosystems, justice & fairness. Over 7 cohorts FS6 has supported 50+ enterprises individually redefining our relationship to land management, land access, land stewardship, economic justice, resiliency, worker empowerment, food security, food sovereignty and much more. Collectively the portfolio represents a new way of conceiving how we interact and relate with what nourishes and sustains us.

Co-Founder & CEO

2014 - 2019

Angel Investor, Board Member, Advisor, Philanthropist, Limited Partner

2014

I have been an active angel investor (member Pipeline Angels 2014), Board member, Advisor and philanthropic donor in a wide range of early stage companies and non-profit efforts to transform our food system. Companies include Imperfect Foods, Lineage Logistics, New Barn Organics, PastureMap, Good Measures, Full Cycle Bioplastics, and others. In order to change a system, we have to invest in the entire system and that requires different initiatives that collaborate across the private, public and social sectors. In order to help build more diversity into my chosen field of venture capital, I am supporting other female and BIPOC-led venture fund managers as a Limited Partner. I am also active in adjacent efforts to support a diverse early-stage entrepreneurial ecosystem across all sectors.

Visiting Fellow

2014 - 2015

Provided thought leadership to UCB's Berkeley Food Institute on impact investing, the role of cross-sector collaboration in creating food system reform and developing the capacity of non-profit organizations to create investable programs. I began to build the architecture for Food System 6 during this fellowship.

Associate Director of Policy & Advocacy

2009 - 2011

I led the Food Bank's anti-hunger policy initiatives on the local, state and federal levels. This included work to maximize participation and program improvement of the federal food stamp program. I helped develop a cross-sector coalition aimed at achieving these goals and working towards consensus among advocates. I advocated for and secured funding to support a first of its kind food stamp enrollment position that helps food bank clients access much needed federal benefits. I also led the Food Bank's efforts to improve school meals in the San Francisco Unified School District in partnership with the SF Department of Public Health and the SFUSD Student Nutrition Services. This work led to SFUSD granting a contract to Revolution Foods, which represents when I decided to pursue supporting entrepreneurs to affect broad scale change in the food system. I also directed the Food Bank's research and education efforts, which included a comprehensive and quantitative Missing Meals assessment in SF & Marin counties performed in conjunction with Stanford University's Center on Poverty & Inequality.

Strategic Food Systems Consultant

2006 - 2009

I consulted for several non-profit organizations, foundations and businesses in agriculture, food production and environmental topics. I conducted in-depth qualitative and quantitative research, performed analysis, offered policy recommendations, managed projects, provided strategic direction, and wrote grant reviews and applications.

Food & Agriculture Policy Campaign Organizer & Consumer Educator

2001 - 2003

Developed and assisted several campaigns to build a robust local and sustainable food system in the Philadelphia area: Philadelphia Fair Food Project at the White Dog Cafe Foundation: Led expansion of local & regional food system by developing & executing Philadelphia's "Buy Fresh, Buy Local" campaign as part of national effort. Assisted with building direct market relationships and expanding consumer awareness between Pennsylvania farmers and the Philadelphia marketplace. Urban Nutrition Initiative, Center for Community Partnerships, University of Pennsylvania: Taught seminar for urban high school students on environmental justice & advocacy in the food system. "Meatless Monday" campaign, with Johns Hopkins School of Public Health: Developed materials & created local coalitions to implement campaign objectives as grassroots field coordinator. University of Pennsylvania, Political Science Department: Developed service learning opportunities for undergraduates in U Penn's "Politics of Food" class.

Program Associate

1998 - 2001

Directed international, national & local planning/organizing committees for “Food & Agriculture Day” during the Citizen’s Summit during the World Trade Organization’s Ministerial meeting in November 1999. Partnered with the International Forum on Globalization, the Foundation for Deep Ecology and a wide network of farmer and grower organizations around the world to raise awareness and identify improvements to international trade agreements to protect farmer's livelihoods and promote sustainable agriculture. Developed an electronic news bulletin (in the pre-social media days...) to inform and connect global advocates on critical issues in international trade policy agreements and their impact on sustainable farming systems worldwide. Advocated for sustainable agriculture and farmer livelihood in federal, state and local legislative efforts. https://www.iatp.org/sites/default/files/2019-07/Road%20to%20Seattle-Announcement.pdf

Peace Corps Volunteer

1997 - 1997

Trained to support maternal and child health initiatives in rural West Africa on AIDS prevention and family planning.