42 / SEEDWORLD.COM JUNE 2026 SPEND ENOUGH TIME in the seed industry and a pattern starts to emerge. Innovation may drive the headlines and strategy may shape the direction, but the momentum behind it often comes from something less visible — the relationships that connect people, ideas and opportunity. That’s the space Radicle Seed general manager Lisa Branco has been operating in for years. It’s also why, when Seed World introduced its first Connector of the Year award, her name rose to the top quickly. Not because of a single achievement, but because of the consistent, behind-the- scenes role she plays in bringing people together. The award was created to recognize individuals who strengthen the industry through connection — the ones who make introductions, build trust and help move conversations forward, often with out recognition. It reflects a reality many in the industry understand and often articulate: progress is not a solo effort. Where Connection Starts If you ask around, that definition starts to sound familiar. Most people who have spent time in the vegetable and flower seed space can point to a moment where Branco made a difference: an introduc tion that led somewhere, a door that opened, a conversation that might not have happened otherwise. Sometimes it’s more subtle than that. Sometimes it’s simply the act of showing POWER PLAYER The first Seed World Connector of the Year’s impact isn’t loud or obvious. It’s built in the introductions, the trust and the relationships that move the seed industry forward. By Aimee Nielson, Seed World U.S. Editor The You Don’t See COMING Lisa Branco often spends time in the field and in greenhouses. She shows up connects people through leadership and collaboration. PHOTO: LISA BRANCO up, paying attention and making sure no one is left on the outside looking in. That consistency has become a defining part of her leadership at Radicle Seed, where relationships across breed ers, growers and partners are essential to getting anything done. But for Branco, connection isn’t just part of the job. It’s something she learned early — and some thing she never forgot. “I remember back when I first started coming to my first ASTA event: I was right out of school,” she says. “There were very few women in the business at the time. I remember seeing just a sea of men and maybe like one or two women in there and I sat in the back of the room like, I don't belong here.” She stayed anyway. “I kept showing up, and they haven't been able to get rid of me yet,” she said. Building Belonging in the Room What lingered from that experience wasn’t just the discomfort. It was the realization that the industry works better when people feel like they belong in it. “I remember thinking I need to make people feel included,” she says. “Because together, we can go a lot farther than going solo.” That idea has shaped how she moves through the industry — from the way she builds relationships to the way she supports others coming into the space. It’s not something she talks about as a strategy. It’s simply how she operates. “Coming to events where we have the opportunity to connect and build one another up is really what it's all about,” she says. “Nobody succeeds alone in this business.” The Radicle Effect The seed industry may span continents and technologies, but at its core, it remains a close-knit community. Branco’s influence often shows up in collaborations that take shape faster, conversations that go deeper and a culture that feels more connected because of how she leads. SW
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