PemPem is transforming upstream commodity supply chain management from inefficient pen-and-paper to
digital, data-driven,
productive and
traceable.
The stories we hear in the field are what inspire our technology – and our technology is driving a digital supply-chain revolution on the ground.
PemPem was born out of years of in-depth fieldwork in informal supply chains in multiple geographies. Over and over we witnessed technologies perform well in the lab, and then fail when put into practice in remote areas. With one foot firmly rooted in fieldwork and the other in our technical expertise, we knew we had the power to create a better solution, for the benefit of farmers, consumers, and the planet.
I founded PemPem in response to the needs of smallholder producers in Indonesia and the disconnect between their realities and what technology could do for them, as well as what the world demanded of them.
Joann de Zegher, CEO
Our Founder's Story
Founder and CEO Joann de Zegher started PemPem in response to the needs of smallholder palm fruit producers in Indonesia, having studied informal commodity markets across the world during over 10 years of fieldwork in Indonesia, Peru, Colombia, Cambodia, South Africa, and the Marshall Islands. At the time, Joann was a PhD student at Stanford University specializing in operations management and earth systems analysis. She would go on to be an Assistant Professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management before devoting herself full-time to PemPem in 2022.
Leadership Team
Joann de Zegher
Founder & CEO
Montreal, Canada
Passionate about improving the operations and transparency of informal systems across the world, Joann combines her expertise in operations management and over 10 years of field work in informal systems to help build everything that PemPem is.
Jean-Karim Metwalli
JK is a leader and focalizer of technical teams that build and scale cloud applications, mobile apps, and client software. He is deeply passionate about thinking through products from the user’s perspective. With over 20 years of tech experience and a good sense for business, he bridges the gap between business and technology.
Jennifer McDonald
Jennifer brings over 25 years of experience leading strategy, product, and operations for global organizations and startups. She has led development of mobile financial products reaching 2m people in markets from Colombia to Nigeria. She believes in technology for impact, and is passionate about building inclusive products and teams.
Chief Operating Officer (fractional)
Montreal, Canada
Co-founder & Chief Technology Officer
Montreal, Canada
Simon Sutrado
Head of Field Operations & Co-founder
Riau, Indonesia
Simon has over 7 years of experience leading field teams in rural Indonesia and overcoming the diverse associated challenges across over 100 villages. He is a strong believer in the power of consistency, dedication and education in introducing new technologies with the potential to transform the lives of rural users.
Joko Prestiwo
Vice-Head of Field Operations & Co-founder
Riau, Indonesia
Joko brings over 13 years of experience in community empowerment. He believes strongly in empowered communities as a driver of mindset change and societal change in rural Indonesia, and is passionate about PemPem's ability to accelerate such change through technology.
Our Partners
Awards & Recognition
