From opera to agroforestry and agrifoodtech: Marcela Flores’ journey to global entrepreneurship and focus on soil health
From opera student in Hungary to sustainability leader in the UK and now founder of TierraSphere, Marcela Flores’ journey has been anything but linear
Can you tell us about your personal background?
Rooted in her early connection to the landscapes of northern Mexico, her work today centres on her goal of building food systems that work with nature, rather than against it.
Marcela Flores: ‘I was born in Mexico, in a beautiful area where the Sierra Madre mountain range meets the desert. As a child, I was surrounded by extraordinary nature, and I loved it deeply.
At the same time, I became very aware of the lack of care for the environment and the way it was being destroyed. I also saw how many business models were deeply extractive - both towards nature and towards people - with little or no redistribution of wealth.
Because of that, I was convinced for a long time that I didn’t want to become an entrepreneur. It felt impossible to choose that path and still live in harmony with nature without exploiting others.’
Yet today, you are the founder of TierraSphere. What changed?
Marcela: ‘In reality, I’ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset - even as a child I was selling things. But because of my values, I initially chose a different direction and studied opera. For my postgraduate studies, I went to Hungary to learn the Kodály teaching method together with people from 35 different countries. It was in Hungary that I also met my English husband. As with many international groups, we would get together and cook. I made traditional Mexican dishes for my fellow students and, in return, discovered Japanese, Greek, Norwegian and many other cuisines. It was such a beautiful exchange.’
‘Eventually, I settled in the UK and after a few years working in the field of education, I decided to start a food business, producing premium Mexican products for customers such as Harrods and Selfridges. I won several awards, which also gave me access to advanced training in food safety and preservation. As I was scaling my business, and was able to choose the provenance of the ingredients that went into my products, as I was looking for healthier ingredients, so I started to look for what I thought was organic. But I accidentally discovered agroecology and agroforestry, in the deep Chiapas countryside, seeing how maize grew in “milpas” the indigenous way to mix crops. These agricultural systems were full of nature, birds, pollinators, even the odd snake, and the soil seemed rich. I also visited the single-minded, monocropping systems where rows upon rows of only maize were growing, no birds, no pollinators in sight, and the soil was like dust. Before my eyes, I saw the stark difference: one system growing food with nature, one against it. A few years on, I moved into commercial and sustainability roles at Unilever and at Quorn Foods, where my interest in regenerative systems deepened.’
How did indigenous foods and agroforestry come onto your radar?
Marcela: ‘Back in 2010, I visited indigenous farms, and saw the difference between their agroecology systems, and monocultures. I deeply appreciated the indigenous systems but wondered how they could scale. A few years later, I stumbled across something that really puzzled me: a flour that came from a tree! It turned out that it was the dehydrated and pulverised seed from a tree, the Brosimum Alicastrum. A lightbulb came on - what if we can make these type of ingredients, at scale, for the food industry, from living forests? And restore forests with native trees that also produce ingredients we can eat? I was hooked.
Few people realise that the Amazon rainforest was partly designed by humans - it is a living, complex food system. While working as a Commercial Director at Divine Chocolate, I also began studying at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. I completed my Master’s degree in 2022. My dissertation focused on the enablers and barriers that Indigenous people and local communities face in preserving and restoring the Maya rainforest. In many ways, it reconnected me to my childhood, to nature, and to my awareness of social injustice.’
Source Photo : (7) Marcela Flores | LinkedIn
What inspired you to apply for the WE Lead Food programme?
Marcela: ‘In 2021, I joined Carbon13’s Venture Builder, which focuses on developing high-growth start-ups that can help tackle the climate crisis.
That’s where TierraFoods - now TierraSphere - was born.
One of the founders was a friend of Shima, who told me about WE Lead Food. I found her vision and experience incredibly inspiring, and I saw the programme as a chance to expand my network and deepen my contribution to transforming the food system.
I took part in 2022, while I was in Mexico developing our supply chains.’
Tell us about the journey of TierraSphere. How has the company evolved, and what is your vision and mission?
Marcela: ‘My core goal has always been to transform our food systems so that they are both nature-friendly and socially just. Our initial agroforestry projects were a powerful way to restore degraded ecosystems. However, we realised that carbon removal in this form is not necessarily permanent, and we wanted to solve that challenge. TierraSphere developed a methodology for durable carbon removal by mineralising atmospheric CO₂ into stable calcium carbonate in the soil. We received support from the UK government and won a Tech Validation Award from EIT to continue to develop that methodology towards scalability. We are currently assessing whether - given the current economic context -.the concept can be viable at scale. , There is still further investment required. So, we will need to make a conscious decision whether to continue or pause that part of the work. We have the option to return to our roots: agroforestry, biodiversity-rich ingredients and, above all, soil health.’
Could you walk us through your key fundraising milestones and the main challenges you faced?
Marcela: ‘To date, we have raised €1.6 million, half through grants and half through funding from business angels, largely via EIT Food’s Food Accelerator Network.
In 2025, we won €30,000 through the Food Accelerator Network Tech Validation Funding, granting start-ups funding to accelerate breakthrough agrifoodtech innovations. Although we had to rethink our strategy, our purpose hasn’t changed.
We continue to work towards nature restoration, biodiversity and food production in harmony with ecosystems and communities.
Our focus is to continue to develop our ingredients from native plants, and we’re currently in discussions with a global leader in the food industry - which is very encouraging. One of our key challenges now is the process of obtaining the right food safety certifications.’
In what ways did EIT Food support you on your entrepreneurial journey?
Marcela: ‘The Tech Validation funding was a crucial step for us. As part of the AgriFoodTech cohort, we were connected to an inspiring community of corporates, academics and visionary partners. I’m especially grateful to Rita Laukemper and Nikola Baumschlager from the Technical University of Munich, and to Yulia Bodnar from the Food Accelerator Network. Their support, structure and flexibility - especially during moments of change - have been invaluable.’
‘WE Lead Food, on the other hand, gave me something just as powerful: a global network of extraordinary women. It is an incredibly enabling environment of women supporting women, and that sense of solidarity is rare and deeply needed.’
Would you recommend the WE Lead Food Programme to aspiring entrepreneurs?
Marcela: ‘Absolutely, because no one can do it alone. You need a network that inspires you and connects you with the right people for the next step.
My advice would be: stay pragmatic. Start from a real, existing problem and make sure your idea is commercially viable.
Fall in love with the problem but validate it first, the solution can and will transform over time. From there, you can shape it into something tangible and transformative.’
What impact are you creating with TierraSphere
People How is TierraSphere impacting our Society?
‘Our ingredients are not only beneficial for soil health, but also incredibly good for people, as they are rich in complete protein, calcium, iron, and tryptophan, and so many other nutrients. Socially, our goal is to empower rural communities. In Mexico, we’ve witnessed the creation of food hubs led by women, who are producing and commercialising carbon-negative, plant-based ingredients that come from live forests.’
Planet How is TierraSphere impacting our Environment?
‘Over the past year, we have removed approximately 400 tonnes of carbon. Next year, we plan to improve the soil quality of around 150 hectares of land through our regenerative practices.
Our vision is to promote food systems that are in harmony with the conservation and restoration of forests, protecting 1 million hectares of primary forests and restoring a further 1 million hectares of degraded land.
We want the people who eat our products to also feel connected with nature.’
Profit How is TierraSphere impacting our Economy?
‘TierraSphere currently has four employees and works with a number of contractors and consultants. We are planning to hire a nutritionist and a certification officer in the near future. We are active in Mexico, Italy and the UK, and we see particularly strong opportunities in Africa, where young people could play an important role as future agripreneurs.’