Bio

George established RipeLocker, LLC shortly after selling Pace International, LLC a world leader in post-harvest treatment of pome, citrus and stone fruit. During his tenure at Pace International, he witnessed firsthand how senescence starts the minute the perishable leaves the controlled atmosphere (CA). He thought wouldn’t it make sense to move the CA room as close to the point of consumption as possible? And also, could there be a postharvest solution for perishables that were not coated, or line processed with water (e.g., berries, asparagus, flowers)? Thus, George and his son designed and built an inexpensive pallet-sized hypobaric vacuum chamber, the RipeLocker – a game-changing agricultural technology that has never been available before in the postharvest processing marketplace to reduce food loss and waste by helping growers/packers keep and store perishables fresher longer. George has held Board positions with numerous companies and foundations, including NeoVision, B-Line LLC, Agrofresh, and the Washington State Investment Board. He’s also served as a part-time lecturer at the University of Washington School of Business and is a member of the Washington State Bar Association (inactive).