Consumer interest in products made with ingredients from regional smallholder farmers or those practicing regenerative agriculture is on the rise, but CPG companies and suppliers are struggling to meet their demand in part because most farmers are unable to access sufficient capital on their own to scale specialty crops and sustainable growing practices.

Ever wondered how to build a financial model that not only supports sustainable agriculture but also stands resilient during market upheavals? Dan Miller, the visionary founder and CEO of Steward, shares his remarkable journey from co-founding Fundrise to pioneering a platform that empowers farmers with human-centric and flexible financing solutions. Tune in as he delves into the intricacies of Steward's alternative credit model, which has shown exceptional resilience even amid industry shakeups like the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank

Dan Miller is the founder and CEO of Steward, a company dedicated to supporting regenerative farmers by providing access to capital. With a background in law and finance, Dan combines his expertise to create a unique financial platform that connects community investors with sustainable agricultural projects. His work at Steward is driven by a commitment to ethical and ecological principles, focusing on creating resilient financial networks that support the growth and success of small to medium-sized farms.

In the latest episode of Retail Refined, host Melissa Gonzalez speaks with Dan Miller, the founder and CEO of Steward, about the significant impact regenerative agriculture can have on the food industry.

Food52 and Dan Miller discuss the flaws within US agricultural policy, Steward’s origin story, regional supply chains, and what non-farmers can do to improve our food system.

DisruptEd examines the transformative potential of disrupting farming practices with Dan Miller, CEO of Steward. Together, they explored the intersection of purpose-driven entrepreneurship and regenerative agriculture, shedding light on how innovative financing solutions can empower small-scale farmers and revitalize communities.

We also learn more about Steward, an online lending platform for farms, fisheries, ranches, and food producers, is a pioneering force of more than $30 million in funding behind several producer-driven agricultural infrastructure projects aimed at revolutionizing the way agricultural goods are produced, processed, and marketed.

Bringing together top leaders, innovators and renowned faculty from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania discussing topics that matter to consumers and the business world.

On this episode of Think Business with Tyler, I'm sitting down with Dan Miller — a guy who's turning the soil of traditional finance to cultivate a more ethical way of funding our farmers.

After Dan pioneered crowdfunding for real estate investing with his company Fundrise, he decided to move into something he was more passionate about: fixing the food system. 

Steward provides access to flexible financing and expert support services for regenerative farms and agricultural businesses looking to scale their operations, improve the health of their lands, and bolster local food systems.

Dan Miller joins us to talk about how he started and is growing the business. We go deep on regenerative ag, transition finance, and investing in value-add processing and direct marketing.

Steward is a private lender providing regenerative farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and producers the capital they need to expand and sustain their businesses. And through Steward’s innovative online platform, qualified lenders have the opportunity to join in their mission and help fund the growth of regenerative agriculture by purchasing loan participations.

Combining his background in the creation of one of the world's first crowdfunding platforms for real estate, Fundrise, with his passion for regenerative agriculture, Dan Miller set his sights on helping farmers and food producers get access to necessary financing. Steward now helps to decommodify food while giving people like you the ability to invest in their local food chain while earning a healthy return.

Steward is transforming agriculture by equipping human-scale, regenerative farms with the capital they need to grow. As a private commercial lender, Steward provides access to flexible financing and expert support services, partnering with producers to scale their operations, improve the health of their lands, and bolster local food systems.