Cassie Edgar grew up in the Midwest with a chemist-entrepreneur father and a teacher-actress-romance novel author mother: a mix that sparked both curiosity and creativity that have carried through her education and career.
She earned an undergraduate degree at The Ohio State University where she had a diverse set of experiences from clinical rotations in the hospital system to an undergraduate research project in an immunology lab. She completed a master’s degree focused on biomathematics at North Carolina State University, then earned a law degree at Drake University in Des Moines and later completed a six-month executive general management program at Harvard Business School.
Edgar spent 14 years at Pioneer Hi-Bred (now Corteva Agriscience) in research, legal, and management roles before serving as Chief IP & Regulatory Officer at Genus, plc. In 2018, she moved into private practice as a partner at McKee, Voorhees & Sease where she helps agriculture and healthcare innovators around the world grow their businesses.
1. As virtual general counsel, how do you work with companies who are developing and commercializing new products or technologies?
In this role I counsel companies across licensing, IP, regulatory, corporate and M&A matters - but the differentiator is that I triage legal resources and advise on priorities and risks, based on a long-term strategic relationship with the company and an understanding of the business goals.
The most rewarding part of this role is having a long-term relationship-based service model rather than one-off transactional interactions. It is a pleasure to be a part of moving products from conception stage through launch for clients, and seeing the revenue come in as a return on the initial innovation investment.
The biggest challenge as a private practice lawyer is when someone comes in with a specific task absent business context; where there isn’t sufficient overall understanding to determine if that is the best use of their limited legal funds. For example, I’ve talked people out of patents before, where it did not make sense for their goals, or advised on product redesign to lighten the regulatory burden instead of moving forward with their intended iteration. Where the task is transactional without grounding on business objectives, it feels disconnected from how I like to practice.
2. What IP and regulatory needs should founders consider as they research and develop new products and technologies?
Taking inspiration from my days at Pioneer and “The Long Look” philosophy: think about the “customers” for what you are building including all stakeholders, and design product concepts with their success in mind.
Also: protect your brand and product innovations early, don’t overpromise to the board or investors before you understand relevant regulatory timelines, and understand your risk tolerance profile. If you want to take zero risks when working in the biological sciences (or any business for that matter), you will not have a company. Demand a “not no but how” optionality and a high-level risk profile analysis from your legal counsel, then take decisions on that guidance according to your delegation of authority.
3. What excites you the most about Iowa’s startup ecosystem?
Iowa’s startup ecosystem is both practical and generous. We have so many resources for founders, including personal favorite TechStars and startup weekend, many incubators and resource groups, angel investors, and mentors! Here, founders test in real conditions, mentors pick up the phone and meet for coffee, and there’s connectivity between labs, producers, and markets. Less theater and Sand Hill Road egos, more Iowa nice.
For agriculture. with direct access to producers, we have the ability for field trials, rapid feedback, and meaningful pilots with growers and animal health partners. The Cultivation Corridor truly ties companies, educators, and investors together across areas of agricultural innovation. We have strong entrepreneurship education resources, starting with Iowa State University in Ames, Drake University in Des Moines, and Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Centers at universities across the state.
We also have a great quality of life and can get anywhere across the Des Moines metro area in 20-30 minutes. Try that in NY, California, or Boston!
4. What advice do you have for someone considering a move or return to Iowa?
Do it! Dive right in and get involved. Look into ISU Research Park, Greater Des Moines Partnership, and Cultivation Corridor events to accelerate your network. If your product touches farms, animals, or food, design a small Iowa pilot project and listen hard. If you do it January – March, bring mittens!
I came to Iowa for work and stay for family, friends, and the ecosystem! Central Iowa puts us close to producers, and a deep bench of agricultural, biotech and health care talent. You can get from a field trial to a boardroom in the same afternoon, with amazing universities at our doorstep. And you can’t beat the trails, sunsets, and most importantly, community that shows up for each other.
5. Please share three recommendations of things to do or places to go in Iowa.
We have so many trails, from hiking to biking - get a map, and explore. Ideally timed with sunrise.
Join the Iowa Food Cooperative; you’ll support local producers and get pure Iowa grown beef, chicken, bacon, and lamb as well as seasonally fresh veggies and treats.
We also have a ton of parks! Go see the buffalo at Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge, and visit Loess Hills National Scenic Byway for the stunning geological formations, prairie, and big-sky views.
Published in October 2025