Gilbert Ishimwe

I lead Product and Marketing Strategy at One Acre Fund - Rwanda, overseeing teams across product management, marketing, youth and gender, and go-to-market strategy. My work is to shape how we identify farmer needs and market opportunities, develop relevant products and services, and build the strategies, systems, and channels that take them to scale and drive adoption.

I have 8 of experience building, launching, and managing both technology and non-technology products, and I bring a combination of product, business, marketing, and operational leadership to solving complex problems in agriculture. What motivates me is the opportunity to make agriculture a stronger engine of prosperity. I believe the sector should go beyond helping farmers achieve a better harvest to helping them build productive businesses and earn more consistent, dignified incomes. My work therefore sits at the intersection of farmer value, organizational growth, and stronger food-system markets. I am joining the Food Fellowship to develop a deeper understanding of what it takes to build food systems capable of feeding a food-secure growing humanity. I want to collaboratively contribute to how we can design food systems that work not only for large markets and institutions, but also for someone like my grandmother, a young farmer in Nyamasheke District and for millions of smallholder farmers like her across Africa who work incredibly hard to feed their families and communities, yet often remain vulnerable, under-financed, and unable to fully benefit from the value they create.