ABOUT FarmCek

As the only farmer-owned farmland
crowdfunding company, we have a full understanding of what a good farmland investment looks like and what it takes to make it profitable.

Meet our CEO, Harris Steven

Harris graduated from University of Oxford. After graduating, Harris started his career in the agricultural industry, and has experience managing and farming a large variety of crops.

Harris has bought and sold millions in real estate and currently manages over $100 million in assets. His farm management company was recognizing in 2012 for achieving over 900% growth, and was listed on the “INC. Magazine” list of fastest growing companies at number 701. It was the only agricultural company on the list.

Harris’s specialty is in farm management, land acquisition and a variety of farm and land financing and strategies. His passion is to help bridge the gap between the agricultural industry and the consumer.

FarmCek investors can rest assured they are gaining access to deals selected by a professional that has a demonstrated history of thriving in the farming industry.

"I saw a need to offer people the opportunity to
invest in farmland without putting up huge amounts of capital."
Harris Steven

Our Team

Sophia Mathias

Chief Operating Officer

As someone who has been raised in an agricultural community and farming family, Sophia is passionate about the industry. She is thrilled to play a role in helping farmers find a solution to a problem that has challenged them for years, finding funding and introducing investors to this exciting asset.

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In the past 11 years, Sophia has helped a variety of agricultural companies market their products and services through a variety of projects, everything from social media management to full brand development and market launch. Her experience has given Sophia insight on the entire process of agricultural goods going from farm to consumer.

In her role as Director of Marketing and Operations, Sophia will lead the company’s initiatives to build the FarmCek brand and increase awareness about farmland as a valuable asset class.

Hilary is also responsible for researching and implementing new directives for growth and prosperity of FarmCek and it's valued investors. Creating a positive and seamless investor experience is a top priority for Sophia.

Jack Mildenberg

Investment Analyst

Financial Analyst) and CAIA (Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst), Jack brings a wealth of knowledge to the team, including prior experience in the private equity-crowdfunding space, institutional investment consulting, early/late stage finance, and financial technology over 9 years.

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As an experienced financial professional with accreditations including  the CFA (Chartered Graduating from the University of Southern California with a degree in Economics, Jack previously helped USC based start-ups raise over $3.6M in the consumer products, technology, and other industries.

Similar to the FarmCek team, Jack was also born and raised in a farming community in Boone County Indiana, outside of Indianapolis, and has a passion for helping his community succeed. Given his experience in investment analysis and financing at the institutional and individual level, knowledge of alternative assets, and interest in California Farmland investing Jack provides investors with a solid understanding and ability to teach FarmCek's investment strategies.

Leo Cook

Advisor

With decades of experience in agricultural finance and management, Leo Cook brings a special level of expertise to our team. Having served in CFO & CEO leadership roles in primary production and fully integrated Agribusiness enterprises, he has passed the test of time as a veteran Agribusiness leader.

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During his ten-years as a partner and CFO for McCarthy Farming, Leo oversaw the organization becoming the largest agricultural organization in the United States. His expertise helped the organization develop over 50,000 acres of permanent crops including vineyards in California, and large cotton and soybean farms in West Texas and the Mississippi Delta. This growth was made possible by equity and debt funding from Life Insurance Companies with significant funding from a California bank. These arrangements were negotiated by Leo and his team.

The holdings of the McCarthy agricultural investment companies also included 3.5 Million acres of cattle grazing properties located in Queensland, Australia and approximately 12,000 acres of irrigated farm land in New South Wales, Australia.

Leo's leadership was also instrumental in the development of the new and expanding Pistachio Industry in California and a variety of other plantings including cotton, tomatoes (fresh and canning), melons, and lettuce.
In addition to his work in the agricultural business, in 1995 Leo lead an investment group in the acquisition of Silicon Valley-based company, Precision Components Group, via a leveraged recapitalization deal.

Throughout his career in finance and agribusiness, Leo has earned a reputation for optimizing results and successfully negotiating difficult territory.