Ross Baird, JS '07, invests in a solution to a fast-growing ecological threat in the United States
Jefferson Scholar alumnus Ross Baird developed Village Capital in 2009 not simply to invest in profitable businesses or inventions, but to solve real global problems. In eight years, the firm has supported more than 600 enterprises across six continents, all of which are providing effective solutions in the areas of health, education, financial inclusion, clean energy, and agriculture.
One of Village Capital’s most recent investments, Fin Gourmet Foods, is a small company in Paducah, Kentucky that is helping to address a fast-growing ecological threat in the U.S.: the population explosion of Asian carp.
According to the National Wildlife Federation, Asian carp were introduced into Southern fish farm ponds in the 1970s and quickly spread across the country. This aggressive and highly adaptable fish is now outcompeting native fish species for food and habitat in much of the South and Midwest. Today they are on the verge of threatening to destroy the ecosystem of the Great Lakes—and draining $42 million from the federal government.
Click here to read about how Ross discovered the work of Fin Gourmet Foods and decided to invest in their unique approach, turning a resource-draining problem into a profitable solution.
