RIDGE SHINN, CEO founded Big Picture Beef in 2016.  His work with cattle stretches back to his twenties when he was herdsman for a dairy farm, but for the past 20 years he has focused on beef.  Ridge was the founding director of the New England Livestock Alliance and for two years ran a slaughterhouse in Stafford Springs, CT.  In 2002 he submitted a grass-fed filet mignon to a Wine Spectator competition that triumphed over the grain-fed entries, establishing that grass-fed beef can be a gourmet food. Subsequently Ridge co-founded a meat company and developed markets and distribution systems for grass-fed beef throughout the Northeast. Since then, in addition to managing his own herd, Ridge has consulted in New Zealand, England, Uruguay, Argentina, and all over North America. His work has been recognized in the Smithsonian, the Atlantic, the New York Times, and Time Magazine.

JERRY SHINN, CFO has built a number of successful companies as owner, president, VP of sales, and board member. He has been a part of early-stage venture-backed startups, one of which went public—Silknet. When he joined Gehrlicher Solar in May 2011, a German based solar installation company, as VP of Sales, the company had $0 sales in the US. Over the next five years, he grew that company to $4440M in annual sales serving as President for the last three years. With a MBA, BS, and CPA, Jerry also brings early experience and training in livestock management to his role at Big Picture Beef.

JOSH SCHWAB, COO, has worked with high-growth companies across industries in corporate development, FP&A, operations and analytics. In addition, he owns a small farm and raises grass-fed cattle in New York’s Hudson Valley.

CRAIG STEVENS, Sales and Marketing, is a meat specialist with 40 years of experience in sales, marketing, processing and operations, most recently with Great Northern Cattle Company.

Lynne Pledger, Communications Director, as a writer, editor, and public speaker, has had extensive experience in outreach and advocacy on environmental issues.  She directed successful campaigns for Clean Water Action in Massachusetts and developed online Zero Waste materials as a contract team member for US EPA. 

ADVISORY BOARD

We’re building a network of advisors who are experts in the topics central to our goals.

DR, RICHARD TEAGUE, Ph.D, is a Range Ecologist and Professor at Texas A&M. His work gives producers information to improve their practices and his peer-reviewed research documents significant amounts of carbon stored as a result of AMP (Adaptive Multi Paddock) grazing in many different regions of North America.

LISA SEBESTA, is a Founder and Managing Partner at Fresh Source Capital, and brings her 15 years of experience in portfolio management and equity analysis to creating investment solutions and advising companies in the sustainable food and agriculture space.