Cultivo Global Summit 2025: Celebrating the power of collective action

At Cultivo, we regularly work with ranch owners to help regenerate and improve the resilience of their land and, often, their livelihood. That’s why we chose an historic ranch in California’s Napa Valley, nestled in the rolling, wooded hills of Calistoga, for this year’s Global Summit.

Traveling from all over the world, our 32 teammates converged on the ranch’s 12 acres of historic Victorian buildings, massive trees, and thickly forested western vistas. As much as we thrive in our distributed environment, this chance to spend time with each other, work, and trade ideas in the same place was greatly appreciated.

The cattle boom of the 19th century became a crucial pillar of the Western United States’ economy, with ranches like this serving as bustling hubs for this prosperous industry. As the industry expanded, the motif of the “ranching life” – most often characterized by hard work – significantly influenced the broader American identity.

The team at Cultivo strives to embody that mentality by working hard every day with ranch owners, investors, offtakers, project partners, and other stakeholders to build landscape resilience at scale and we see the power of collective action first hand, which is immensely rewarding.

The ranch was the perfect setting for our Team Summit this year, and for us to get together in-person to strengthen our efforts towards our shared mission.

“The summit is an amazing opportunity to engage in deeper, in-person conversations regarding the trajectory of the company and our collective focus,” said Ernesto Urrusti, our Social Impact Analyst. “At a personal level, it reminded me of the immense wealth of talent and drive across the company. And it’s just good to spend time with good people!”

Co-founders Manuel Piñuela and James Clifton kicked off the summit speaking to Cultivo’s mission to accelerate investment into nature at speed and scale, and the importance of nurturing our values and culture. Emphasising the power of collective action, the goal of the summit, they said, was to tighten our bonds and grow our relationships with teammates.

“Everyone here is an expert in something to do with our business,” said Manuel, standing in the courtyard of a historic vintners’ barn. “Your goal this week is to speak to each other and grow your own knowledge and share your expertise with your colleagues.”

And over the next three days, we did exactly that, collectively as one team and in smaller working groups dispersed throughout the ranch.

“It was fantastic to see the team so engaged; the conversations, the insights, the enthusiasm for making Cultivo better for our partners and customers,” said Caroline Missen, Chief Growth and Sustainability Officer. “The quality of the people on this team just makes Cutlivo’s culture so strong.”

But as Edward Abbey said: “It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it.”

And with that sentiment in mind, we laughed our way through several team-building sessions, including a bilingual game of telephone, a game in which we had to organize ourselves in order of birthday without speaking, and an exercise in which we identified the “superpower” of every team member.

“I’m a big fan of games like this because they build camaraderie, encourage creative thinking, and let everyone tap into their inner child,” said Borja Monforte, VP of Finance and Data. “The superpowers session truly highlighted the incredible talent and wonderful people we have at Cultivo. And at the end of the day, these two elements remain key to the company's success."

We took advantage of the incredible landscape to enjoy morning runs through the rolling hills, watch birds, and soak in the verdant scenery. We also hiked the area’s amazing petrified forest, home of the largest petrified trees in the world, turned to stone 3.4 million years ago by the violent eruption of a local volcano.

Each day was filled with working sessions in small teams to tackle the biggest challenges and unlock the biggest opportunities for the company, our customers and partners.

“It’s strategic planning, but approached in an unconference style,” said Chief Strategy Officer James Clifton. “What matters most is the quality of the conversation. The magic really happens when people from different teams come together in person — it’s incredibly powerful to witness."

And because no Cultivo summit is complete without seeing regeneration in action, on the last morning of the summit, the team took a short ride over to Quintessa, a 280-acre vineyard that has been using organic farming practices to promote a balanced ecosystem full of life since the 1990s. “Every thought and action has put the land first,” we were told “starting with planting small vineyard blocks in sync with the undulating landscape, while preserving 100 acres of natural woodland.”

“It was an incredible summit,” said Colton Castleberry, Senior Manager of Project Success. “I joined Cultivo just after last year’s summit, so this was my first time meeting so many of the team in person – and honestly, it was a blast. I left feeling super proud to be part of this team.”

“This year’s summit was a powerful culmination of a year’s hard work,” agreed Marta Caballero, VP of Investment Partnerships. “It highlighted how each of our unique strengths come together to make this organization truly one of a kind. The energy and laughter throughout the event reminded us just how meaningful – and impactful – our work can be.”

As we said our goodbyes, Manuel also reflected on how our team’s annual summits often serve as the catalyst for exponential impact over the course of the year, impact that would be hard to replicate as individuals.

"It was an amazing week, and it truly showcased our collective energy, commitment and passion,” he said. “Being together with the whole team makes me want to work even harder to deliver on our purpose.”