Standing in a pond outside of Kathmandu, Nepal earlier this year, I realized the essence the of Feed the Future Asia Innovative Farmers Activity. I was surrounded by research analysts, private sector entrepreneurs, a government official, and – most importantly – several farmers. In this pond I was surrounded by a subset of the greater agricultural innovation system. The role of our project was being realized as we brought these diverse, driven, and determined individuals together to source, validate, and market technologies that would change the lives of smallholder farmers throughout the region.