We are heartbroken to share the passing of our dear friend, partner, mentor — Rob Trice.
We are heartbroken to share the passing of our dear friend, partner, mentor — Rob Trice. Rob passed away on February 19, 2026 after a brief illness while traveling for work in Europe. He was the driving force behind Better Food Ventures, The Mixing Bowl, and COSSAF, where he worked tirelessly to strengthen our food and agriculture system.
In 2013, Rob saw the opportunity to use digital technology to improve the agrifood value chain. He pursued that vision wearing many hats: venture investor, ecosystem builder, advisor, board member, thought leader, and partner in innovation. In those roles, his efforts spanned from idea hacks with small gatherings of farmers and ranchers, to investing in more than 25 founders with bold ideas, to speaking in front of large international audiences at World AgriTech in San Francisco or Fruit Logistica in Berlin.
Rob believed that the world was a complex place. He had the ability to see both the high-level vision and the detailed steps required to enact change. But most importantly – he was pragmatic, often stating that to effect change we had to “crawl, walk, then run”, and that incremental change was better than taking no action at all. Rob was impatient; he did not want to change the world in 2050, he wanted to have impact now.
One of his favorite quotes was from Teddy Roosevelt’s 1910 speech Citizenship in a Republic, “It is not the critic who counts…the credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again…who spends himself in a worthy cause…” Rob was always in the arena.
To know Rob was to know there was not a microphone he didn’t love. He always had an insightful perspective to voice, and questions to ask that pushed others to think deeper. He had serious intentions, but didn’t take himself too seriously. He could be silly (and loved his own creative acronyms), always laughing with a mischievous smile! Rob was warm, compassionate, and gregarious — a person whose presence brought people together.
Rob’s legacy will continue through all the start-ups he backed, the community networks he nurtured, and the ideas he fostered. But most importantly, it lives on in all of us who had the gift of knowing him for far too brief a time.
We extend our deepest condolences to Rob’s wife, family, friends, and loved ones. We are grateful for his life, his leadership, and his friendship. The world is better because he was here.To honor Rob, we invite you to share remembrances for his wife and family.
Please email RememberingRob@mixingbowlhub.com with memories and photos (feel free to share this with others). Plans for a celebration of Rob’s life will be announced by the family in due course.
Rest in peace, Rob. You’ll forever be missed. Thank you for everything.