PanXchange announced that Hillary Clinton visited the startup shortly after it launched the first U.S. pilot of its web-based trading software. Clinton was on hand to discuss her innovation and technology agenda at the woman-led business.
"I know just a little bit about commodities -- and their trading, their buying, their selling -- both futures and the actual commodities themselves," Clinton remarked after touring the facility at Galvanize. "And what you are doing, Julie [Lerner], is just transformational. . . . This kind of effort is opening up markets, creating more transparency which will benefit so many of the people who are actually doing the hard work of producing food and trying to get it to market, and create a better life for themselves, their families, and their communities. So, I'm thrilled by that."
The visit came the day after PanXchange launched its pilot for feed grains in the U.S. The pilot launched with 15 industry partners and already has added more. The pilot will run through July and is expected to launch out of beta in September. In 2015 the company launched its platform in East African countries including Kenya Uganda and Tanzania allowing the trade of maize, millet, sorghum and dried beans.
"I was expecting a quick meet and greet, but was pleasantly surprised at how pointed her questions were. It was clear that she was familiar with the work we're doing," Lerner says of the visit. "She asked about the inroads we've been making in East African grain and beans markets and our launch in U.S. feed ingredients. We then showed her the live trading screens and discussed our plans for growth."
Contact Confluence Denver Innovation & Jobs News Editor Chris Meehan with tips and leads for future stories at chris@confluence-denver.com.
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