Q&A with Grow-NY Mentor Jackie Wood

As the 20 finalists competing in this year’s Grow-NY competition prepare to pitch at the 2025 Summit, each team is working with a dedicated mentor. Mentors connect startups with resources and potential partners in the Grow-NY region, in addition to helping them craft their pitches. 

Jackie Wood, a new mentor this year, has been immersed in regional agriculture across New York State for over a decade. Building on her foundation at Empire Farm Brewery and Beak & Skiff Apple Farms, she launched her own consulting business in 2020 in New York’s Hudson Valley, honing her skills in business development, coaching, and project management. 

 Alongside providing technical support to farmers and food entrepreneurs, Jackie has remained hands-on through the years, managing a small farm operation, a seasonal farmers market, and a vegetable CSA. She takes a values-based approach, combining effective communication and strategic insights to guide clients in identifying the most integrative next steps for their business and long-term goals. 

Jackie currently works as a Business Development Manager at Good Roots, a private services firm helping farmers and food entrepreneurs build sustainable, resilient businesses for their families, communities, and the earth. In this role, she serves producers across the U.S. 

We recently spoke with Jackie about how she’s leveraging her background in food, agriculture, and entrepreneurship to mentor a Grow-NY finalist: 

Question: What is your experience in food and ag innovation? 

Central New York is my home region. I built a strong foundation in food and ag through my work with Empire Farm Brewery and Beak & Skiff Apple Farms. The interplay between a startup and a fifth-generation farm showed me the full spectrum of how businesses can scale, sustain, flourish, and even fail, in New York State. 

Over the last 10 years, I’ve been deeply committed to food and agriculture; supporting startups, established farms, nonprofits, and food hubs through project management, coaching, and business development.  

And while I’ve always had a boots-on-the-ground approach, my academic foundation in Diplomacy and International Relations continues to shape how I think about collaboration, complex systems, and long-term resilience. 

In the last year, I joined Good Roots, a professional services firm on a mission to help farmers and food entrepreneurs grow sustainable businesses that thrive for generations. It has aligned me with an incredible team of consultants, farmers, and food systems thinkers who are bringing real value to the space. 

Question: What makes the Grow-NY region ideal for startups to put down roots? 

It’s clear that food and agriculture can thrive here. We’ve got real assets: tens of thousands of farms, dozens of contract manufacturers and co-packers, anchor institutions, and multinational brands with roots in the region. You can access major consumer markets — without the inequitable cost of operating in those markets. 

This region has what startups need to build, but also what founders need to stay grounded. Grow-NY isn’t just about building in the region. It’s about growing with it. 

Question: What should food and ag startups keep in mind as they grow? 

Understanding your capacity means knowing your strengths, your gaps, and where you actually need support. The teams that move from reactive to responsive are the ones that invest in clear planning and process. That’s what allows vision to take shape. 

I also think founders benefit from slowing down just enough to reconnect with their story, their impact, and who they’re serving. There are countless ways to model feasibility or explore what’s possible. But are we doing the work to understand the actual needs of our customers — and what our approach is to serving those needs? 

Question: What excites you about mentoring a Grow-NY finalist? 

Grow-NY is an extremely organized and well-supported competition. It’s not just about who wins. It’s about making sure every finalist leaves with a deeper connection to the region. Finalists walk away with real contacts at the institutional, state, and business levels, and mentorship is a big part of that. 

As a mentor, I get to be part regional ambassador, part confidant, and part accountability partner. 

There is so much pressure on founders. Sometimes they just need someone a degree removed from the business. Someone who is ready to listen, stay curious, and help move things forward. 

The 2025 Grow-NY Summit will take place November 12-13 at the Hotel Canandaigua in Canandaigua, NY and virtually. Register today at cvent.me/E10znv.