Hannah Oh: Bridging Profit and Purpose in Sustainable Innovation
Business and sustainability often feels like an impossible balancing act, Hannah Oh is proving that impactful leadership and commercial success don’t have to be mutually exclusive. As a Board Member at Verde Agritech and Co-founder of IXO, Hannah has dedicated her career to shaping a more sustainable, profitable, and innovative future, one where businesses thrive while also driving meaningful change.
From Corporate Leadership to Impact-Driven Entrepreneurship
Hannah’s journey began with a deep commitment to social impact, sparked during her university years. Initially drawn to NGOs and the United Nations, she soon realized that real transformation often happens within the private sector, where technological advancements can directly enhance livelihoods and drive economic growth.
Her time at Bayer, where she spent 15 years in both commercial leadership and sustainability roles, gave her a front-row seat to how businesses can shape industries—but also revealed the limitations of being confined to one company. This led her to take the leap into entrepreneurship, founding an investment and advisory platform that supports businesses in agriculture, food, carbon markets, and food tech.
“I wanted to address the bigger ecosystem, not just sustainability within one company,” she shares.
Challenges in Sustainability: The Missing Piece
One of the biggest roadblocks in corporate sustainability, according to Hannah, is the lack of real-time, quantifiable data. Many companies engage in surface-level greenwashing, without real metrics to back up their claims.
“Many companies claim sustainability, but without hard data, investor confidence remains low,” she explains.
The challenge is not just ideological but financial. Investors want to back sustainability-driven businesses, but without transparency and measurable impact, trust remains a hurdle. This is where technology and innovation can step in, providing better traceability, measurable outcomes, and consumer confidence in sustainable products.
Investing in Sustainability: Profit and Purpose Aligned
As an impact investor, Hannah takes a strategic and pragmatic approach. Instead of following hype, she focuses on sectors where she can create tangible value, particularly in carbon markets, agriculture, and food tech.
One emerging trend she’s particularly excited about is the rise of sustainable consumerism. Consumers today are demanding more sustainable materials, ethical supply chains, and circular economy solutions—which is pushing companies to innovate.
“I used to focus on B2B solutions, but now I see enormous potential in consumer-driven sustainability,” she says.
Her investment lens prioritizes businesses that replace everyday products with sustainable alternatives, such as biodegradable packaging and carbon-sequestering crops.
The Mindset of Impact-Driven Entrepreneurs
What separates successful sustainable businesses from those that fizzle out? According to Hannah, it’s not just about having a great product—it’s about vision, leadership, and adaptability.
She highlights three key traits that define impact-driven entrepreneurs:
- Agility & Adaptability – “We live in a volatile, uncertain world. Founders must be able to pivot, problem-solve, and embrace change.”
- Commercial & Financial Savviness – “A great idea isn’t enough. Entrepreneurs need to understand markets, finance, and scaling strategies.”
- Authenticity & Purpose – “Never lose sight of why you started. Impact-driven businesses thrive when their mission remains at the core.”
Scaling Impact: The Power of Partnerships
A common dilemma for mission-driven founders is whether to stay local or scale globally. Hannah strongly believes in the power of partnerships to break growth barriers.
“As you scale, you will need investors and strategic partners. Some founders fear dilution and losing control, but the right partnerships can multiply your impact exponentially.”
She encourages founders to embrace collaboration, recognizing that 1 + 1 can equal 3, or even 5, when the right resources come together.
Breaking Barriers for Women in Impact & Investment
Despite the growing emphasis on diversity and inclusion, women-led startups continue to receive significantly less venture capital than their male counterparts. Hannah actively supports initiatives that connect female founders to investors, recognizing that access to capital remains one of the biggest barriers for women in impact-driven businesses.
She highlights female-focused angel investors and accelerator programs as key resources that women entrepreneurs should tap into.
“There is now growing awareness and funding dedicated to women-led businesses. The key is leveraging these networks.”
Final Advice: Finding Your Purpose & Taking the First Step
For aspiring entrepreneurs who feel overwhelmed by the scale of global challenges, Hannah offers simple but powerful advice: start small and immerse yourself in the problem you want to solve.
“Sustainability is broad. Find the one issue that drives you, and get as close as possible to the communities affected. True insights come from being on the ground.”
She also challenges the misconception that making an impact requires founding a company. There are many ways to drive change—whether it’s within a corporate framework, investment, policy-making, or academia.
Her closing thought?
“Teach people how to fish, rather than just giving them fish.”
For Hannah Oh, impact isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a way of leading, investing, and innovating for a better future.
