Clarity in Complexity
Whitney at a Glance
Whitney Rottman is known for her contagious energy, fierce clarity, and no-BS approach to complex projects that need forward motion. Communication and strategic boundary-setting form the foundation of how she builds robust, focused teams that are relentless in achieving their goals.
From Physiology to Product Strategy
Whitney Rottman's super power is the ability to take complex biological processes and distill them down to bite-sized, actionable insights.
With a MSc from Penn State University, she studied the intersection of circadian biology, nutritional physiology, and rumen physiology. This is where she first realized that you can influence biological processes to drive a different outcome. In this case, it was changing milk and milk component output by changing feeding behavior. She also realized that the microbiome of the rumen was the gatekeeper of any change you wanted to see in the host (in this case the cow).
After graduate school, Whitney joined a research greenhouse as a scientist for a multinational biological solutions company. There, she noticed a parallel; just like in the rumen, the soil microbiome is the gatekeeper of change for its host (agronomic crops). She applied her deep knowledge of physiology to plant processes. Focusing on microbes and microbially derived products, she honed the ability to take biology and apply it to complex biological environments.
After getting her MBA from Loyola University of Maryland, Whitney founded Wildflower Ventures to empower founders, CEOs, boards, and investors to create robust biological products backed by scientific rigor all while keeping the end user in mind. She set out to close that gap between business, science, and farming by offering fractional product development leadership for small to medium-sized biological companies in the plant and animal agriculture market.
The Three Pillar Approach
Whitney’s approach to product development is structured AND flexible. It's built around a clear and repeatable framework. Her method asks leaders to evaluate their experiments, priorities, and decisions through what she calls the three product development pillars:
Product registration
Mode of action and efficacy
Sales and marketing
This framework de-risks product development in a high-stakes industry defined by long timelines, seasonal pressures, and tight milestones. Whitney’s number one priority? Helping teams meet launch deadlines with confidence and with a product that actually sells. She builds teams, projects, and products that launch successfully now and into the future.
Built to Launch. Launched to Last.
How Whitney Supports Clients
Advises on current go-to-market strategies and uncovers hidden potential.
Co-creates a product development strategies that achieves a balanced three pillar approach.
Provides temporary leave coverage so lean teams don't fall behind.
Translates scientific findings into marketing content that drives demand and equips sales teams with the messaging they need to close.
Real-world Results
In one engagement, Whitney redesigned two animal trials to address all three development pillars in a single study sequence. This allowed the client to eliminate the need for an additional trials, saving over $100,000 and accelerating their path to commercialization.