In this episode of Humans of Agriculture, Oli Le Lievre sits down with Josh Tepper, CEO, and Michael Webb, COO and co-founders of Ornata Technologies, to explore how they're transforming farm operations through autonomous machinery and why now is an exciting time to join their growing team.
Following their appearance at evokeAG, Josh and Michael share how Ornata has evolved from launching its first commercial customers to building strong momentum across Victoria. They discuss their unique approach to autonomy, where experienced remote operators work alongside autonomous machinery to deliver the benefits of automation without adding complexity for farmers or requiring them to replace the equipment they already own.
The conversation also provides an inside look at the newly created Area Sales Manager role across Victoria and Southern New South Wales. Josh and Michael explain why this is much more than a sales position. It is an opportunity to build trusted relationships with farmers, understand their operations, demonstrate the technology in the field, and help producers solve one of agriculture's biggest challenges, finding skilled labour.
Whether you're passionate about agriculture, technology or helping farmers adopt new innovations, this episode offers a genuine insight into life inside one of Australia's most exciting agtech startups. Josh and Michael explain what success looks like, why trust sits at the centre of every customer relationship, and how joining Ornata today offers the chance to grow alongside a business shaping the future of Australian agriculture.
The role is live now, and we'd love to hear from people who are ready to help bring the next generation of autonomous farming technology to Australian agriculture.
Key insights from the conversation:
- How Ornata has progressed from its first commercial deployments to a growing customer base.
- Why Ornata's remote operations platform makes autonomous farming practical for today's producers.
- How the business helps farmers address labour shortages while using the machinery they already own.
- Why building trust with farmers is the foundation of every customer relationship.
- What the Area Sales Manager role looks like day to day.
- Why understanding farming systems matters more than having deep technical knowledge.
- How customer referrals are driving growth across regional farming communities.
- What it is like working in a fast-growing Australian agtech startup.
- Why joining early creates opportunities to grow with the business.
- What success looks like after the first 12 months in the role.
Chapters:
- (00:00) - Introduction to Ornata Technologies and the area sales manager role
- (02:05) - Six months of progress since evokeAG
- (04:05) - Word-of-mouth growth and where the new role fits
- (05:59) - Why Ornata is bringing autonomy to Australian farms
- (08:42) - How remote operators run machines on farm
- (11:32) - Why Victoria and southern New South Wales come first
- (14:59) - Onboarding customers and owning the territory
- (18:18) - Customer profiles, from family farms to corporates
- (22:21) - What it takes to thrive in a high-performance team
- (26:24) - What to expect when you start in the role
- (30:39) - What success looks like after twelve months
- (33:55) - Why this role is an exciting opportunity
- (38:21) - Coffee, country bakeries and final thoughts
Proudly brought to you by RabobankThe future of Australian agriculture depends on the next generation of farmers, producers and agribusiness leaders.
That's why Rabobank is committed to supporting young farmers with more than finance. Through industry insights, specialist agribusiness expertise, networking opportunities and long-term partnerships, Rabobank supports the next generation as they build their skills, knowledge and connections.
Rabobank is committed to supporting farming businesses as they plan for the future and transition across generations.
Visit
rabobank.com.au to learn more.