Jessi Roesch

Jessi Roesch is the founder of Downland, a fintech startup dedicated to ensuring farmland stays in agriculture and to feed future generations. With a background spanning finance, operations, and human health, Jessi brings a unique perspective to the intersection of land stewardship, food systems, and business strategy. Her work is driven by a deep belief that soil health is human health and that the future of food must be decentralized, resilient, and in the hands of people who care for the land.

Jessi’s commitment to this work is deeply personal. As a teenager, she took on a hands-on role in caring for sick family members, including an uncle, who died from an aggressive brain tumor linked to toxin exposure in factories. She also provided end-of-life care for her grandparents, experiences that made her acutely aware of how the environment and our lifestyles directly impact human well-being. These early responsibilities shaped their relentless drive to build solutions that empower people to take control of their health, food, and environment.

Jessi’s professional journey began in commercial lending, managing P&Ls and leading portfolios up to $1B in asset value. From lending, equipment and underwriting while managing large, international teams, Jessi made the switch to go-to-market roles, supporting GE’s new Digital arm, tech support and $300M renewal support portfolio.

She made the switch to startups in 2018 with work that supported putting skilled workers in the right jobs in ed tech, working with small business owners in home services marketplaces and back to fi nancial services with another round of equipment lending. These throughlines served small businesses and workers alongside high-growth targets. In 2023, Jessi led product & operations at a fi ntech company where it landed the #10 spot in Financial Services on the 2023 Inc. 5000 list, recognizing companies for high-growth. This experience gave her a clear view of how the right business structures can either accelerate or block positive change—a lesson they apply in Downland’s work to transition farmland to regenerative agriculture without compromising profi tability.

With Downland, Jessi is tackling one of the biggest challenges in U.S. agriculture: the 1.5 million farms that will change hands over the next 20 years, many without a clear successor. They recognize that without intervention, much of this land will be swallowed up by developers, corporations, or absentee investors who don’t prioritize conservation or community
resilience. Downland provides an alternative, helping landowners keep their land in agriculture through proper planning.

Beyond their work with Downland, Jessi is a passionate advocate for rebuilding local food systems, breaking habits of convenience, and empowering people to take control of their consumption. Whether through writing, public speaking, or hands-on projects, she pushes for solutions that aren’t just idealistic but practical, scalable, and rooted in real-world impact.

Jessi believes that the future of food depends on a radical shift in how land is owned, farmed, and valued. She is committed to ensuring that shift doesn’t leave the next generation of farmers—or eaters—behind.