30 / SEEDWORLD.COM DECEMBER 2017 FINDING BLACK INK (FBI) is a small group of former CEOs and EVPs who are experts in agriculture and specialize in seed businesses and seed-related technologies. Collectively, they have more than 300 years of experience spanning crops from vegetables, to row crops, to algea and forestry in compa- nies of every size from startup to multinational. They have worked on six continents, advised regulatory boards, and actively managed situations from rapid growth to sudden crisis. “We have all served on industry boards and held executive and advisory board positions for ASTA, the USDA, foreign and domestic seed businesses, banks, state associations, local hos- pitals and community boards,” says John Nelsen, FBI founder. “Each member of the Finding Black Ink team brings a unique perspective developed from hands on seed industry experience.” In 2016, Nelsen and Alan Ostercamp were observing several small, startup companies and noted that the challenges facing these new companies were no different from the challenges they had encountered earlier in their careers. “We had both recently retired and we were working with companies in transition for a variety of reasons. We saw an opportunity to draw from our experience and make a positive contribution to the growth of these emerging companies and their respective executives,” Ostercamp says. “We reached out to five more experienced executives who share our passion to help agricultural businesses grow and formed Finding Black Ink.” The core philosophies that guide Finding Black Ink’s experts align with the factors today’s CEOs consider daily: objectivity, creativity, integrity, collaboration, and, perhaps most importantly, market understanding. “During the early stages of forming a new business enterprise, the executive challenges are comparatively straightforward and predictable. As business activities gain speed, the challenges become more complex. This is when an outside perspective becomes most valuable,” Nelsen says. Members of FBI include: •  John Nelsen — A 45-year veteran of the seed industry, Nelsen has held positions of CEO, EVP and Director of Worldwide Production. He served two terms on the advisory board of Rabo Bank and the USDA Plant Variety Protection Office, 10 years on the executive board of the American Seed Trade Association. He is the founder of Finding Black Ink. •  Alan Ostercamp — He has more than 44 years of U.S. and global seed industry experience, including 30 years with Monsanto and 14 years with RiceTec. Ostercamp is the co- founder of Finding Black Ink. •  Ed Shonsey — Shonsey is merger and acquisition expert and specializes in the global commercialization of technology. He has been a CEO and CFO. He is currently the Chairman of the Board for ArbroGen. •  Don Wertman — He has more than 50 years seed and industry experience, with many executive management roles including seed production, marketing, seed conditioning and distribu- tion for row crops, vegetable and turf seeds. Don is the former EVO, COO, President CEO of Seedway. Some former CEOs and EVPs who specialize in the seed industry came together to provide executive resources to accelerate the performance of startups, tuneups, turnarounds, mergers and growth businesses. Joe Funk jfunk@issuesink.com FINDING BLACK INK John Nelsen  Alan Ostercamp Ed Shonsey Don Wertman Craig Newman Paul Bratney Jim Tobin