Our origin story plus meet the IIF team …
For twenty years, Nathan MacPhee wore a suit and tie to work each day. He worked in financial services. He shaved every morning. His business card said ‘CEO’.
Then one day on a flight from Melbourne to Sydney he looked down. Below him was a town surrounded by lush green countryside, set at the foot of snow-capped mountains. ‘Now that’s where I want to live’ he thought to himself.
Later he found it on a map – Mansfield, an alpine town in cattle farming country in North East Victoria. The next thing Nathan knew, he and his family had swapped skyscrapers for ski slopes in pursuit of a more balanced lifestyle.
Midlife crisis? No doubt about it. Because it wasn’t long before Nathan, inspired by his new rural outlook, quit his job and decided to become a farmer instead.
There was just one problem: he didn’t own a farm. And unless he won the lotto, he probably never would.
It got him thinking though. What if you could invest in farm production rather than farm land? Buy the cow but not the farm?
And what if that capital – sourced directly from consumers – could help farmers transform their business in ways that wouldn’t otherwise be possible?
He spoke to a lot of smart business and farming minds. The consensus was that this was a great idea that would not only benefit farmers and investors but help break down the barriers between them.
The result is Invest Inya Farmer (IIF) – a world-first way for everyday people to invest in agriculture straight from their smartphone.
As far as midlife crises go, it was a pretty good one! Because now anyone can back a farmer and make money doing it.
We’re a team of doers, connectors, and big-picture thinkers. Driven by a shared purpose to build a stronger bond between farmers and consumers, we’re working towards a simple but powerful vision: to put a farm in every pocket.
Master of Economics
Bachelor of Applied Science, Marketing
Founder of one of Australia’s leading commercialisation and innovation firms
Master of Applied Finance and Investment
Bachelor of Banking Finance and Risk Management
Experienced global financial services executive
Bachelor of Architecture and Psychology
Experienced marketing and communications professional
I wanted to be a farmer but recognised I didn’t and wouldn’t have enough land. So, I thought, what if I could buy a cow instead.
Agriculture is full of depth, diversity and raw beauty, yet it remains one of the most misunderstood sectors. I’m passionate about opening teenagers’ eyes to just how powerful and inspiring this industry can be through our IIFed program.
I’m deeply passionate about Australian agriculture — supporting the people behind it and driving sustainability and productivity across the industry. I’m fortunate to work for a company that shares this vision and is dedicated to helping build resilient, profitable farm businesses.
Food has always brought people together, and now I love being part of reconnecting consumers and farmers through how it’s produced.
Who’d have thought a city-dwelling nerd like me would end up building something that’s so beneficial to farmers?
Writes code. Eats food.
Working for IIF has really opened my eyes to how hard farming is. It has been great to put my skills to use in supporting the industry.
City-born, but country-bound and mud-ready, just like a front-row forward. Being part of IIF, fulfils my passion to learn and share about where our food truly comes from, fostering a deeper connection with what’s on my plate and honouring the hard work and passion that goes into feeding us all.”
