Jake Ware, business manager for HM.Clause and chair of ASTA’s LEAD committee. Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Ware currently manages a sales and product development team for Hm.Clause’s processing business in the U.S. and Canada. Ware has been working in agriculture for 10 years and grew up with both sides of his family in active farming — with one set of grandparents focusing on strawberries and cucumbers and the other focusing on apples and cherry orchards. He previously was a product manager selling hot pepper, tomatillo and open field bell pepper with HM.Clause, and he has a degree in economics with a cognate in business from Michigan State University. Not only that, but Ware believes is continuously improving himself — he has multiple accreditations from Cornell and UC Davis, including one on leadership and Seed Business 101.