Robert Holmes Trice III

06/23/1967 - 02/19/2026

Rob Trice passed away on February 19, 2026 in Antwerp, Belgium, due to complications from influenza, pneumonia and corona virus. He fell ill while in Berlin on business, then traveled to Antwerp where he was hospitalized on February 8.
Rob was the son of Robert and Susan Trice of McLean, VA. Rob married Wendy Millet in 1995 and they shared 31 amazing years together. Wendy, Rob's mom, sister Samantha Trice, Wendy's mother Robbie Millet, and a family friend, Ted Ladd, were with Rob at the hospital. Rob had a wonderful, but too short, 58 years on earth filled with love, learning, purpose and adventure. His kindness, intellect, sense of humor, generosity and achievements all attest to a life well-lived.
After graduating from the University of Virginia in 1989 with a degree in political science and a minor in Japanese, Rob earned a Masters in International Transactions from George Mason University. Following stints at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, and a DirectTV joint venture in El Segundo, CA and Tokyo, Japan, Rob (and Wendy) moved to Menlo Park, CA where he began his 28-year career as a venture capitalist, first with a focus on telecommunications, and then agriculturally-relevant technologies.
In 2012, Wendy became the manager of TomKat Ranch, an 1,800-acre educational ranch focused on raising grassfed beef with regenerative practices, in Pescadero, CA, thirty miles west of Menlo Park near the Pacific Ocean. Rob soon became aware of the possibilities of employing Silicon Valley IT solutions to advance the production and distribution of food & agriculture.
In 2013 Rob founded Better Food Ventures to invest in companies applying digital technologies to improve food and agriculture. He also founded The Mixing Bowl to connect food, ag & digital innovators for thought and action leadership. His timing could not have been better. In the past dozen years, Better Food Ventures made seed-stage investments in more than 25 companies, and Rob advised governments, corporations, organizations, and universities around the world on topics related to regenerative agriculture and the use of digital technologies in our food system. Rob's impact in the industry touched thousands of lives, organizations, and missions across the globe.
Rob and Wendy have also been enthusiastically engaged in advising and supporting numerous nonprofit organizations. Rob founded the non-profits, Corporate Innovators Huddle and COSSAF. He was an advisor to Cal Poly's College of Ag, Food and Environmental Sciences, the UC Davis Innovation Institute for Food and Health, MISTA, and U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance. He was also a member of the Farm Foundation's Program Committee, and a longtime board member of Full Circle Fund, where he was a critical thought leader who brought life, vision, and drive to the organization.
Rob and Wendy's lovely Willow View Ranch in Pescadero has been a magnet for family and friends for more than a decade, and a paradise of a playground for their beloved pups - Ollie and Anna. Rob was a pivotal member of the Pescadero community. His side businesses - locally sourced berry popsicles called "Tricicles," and "Off Stage," a food truck serving locally grown food - became staples of the town. Whether he was found at the coffee shop gabbing with neighbors, talking about solutions to global food supply chain challenges, or out in his fields admiring the land —Rob was fully, joyfully present in his community. His spirit will forever be felt in the soul and soil of Pescadero.
Rob was an incredible son, brother, husband and uncle, as well as friend, mentor, colleague, and role model for thousands. The Trice and Millet families express their heart-felt appreciation for the outpouring of love and support they've received. Plans for a celebration of Rob's life will be announced in due course.
For those inclined to do so, please consider a donation to BITE: Building Impact Through Eaters [wearebite.org], Fresh Approach [www.freshapproach.org] or the San Mateo Resource Conservation District, [sanmateorcd.org] that helped Rob seed pollinator friendly flowers across Willow View Ranch.