Turning acres into options with Aarden AI CEO Danan Margason

Agriculture, forestry, and land use together account for nearly 24 % of global greenhouse gas emissions. Yet somehow land sits in a weird blind spot: ignored by climate conversations focused on energy and transport, underanalyzed by markets, and mispriced by farmers and timber investors alike. That’s the problem, and opportunity, we’re going to discuss today.I sit down with Danan Margason, founder and CEO of Aarden, to explore how AI can help land owners understand their options. Aarden sits at the center of a messy, trillion-dollar decision problem—enabling landowners and capital allocators to evaluate a single parcel across radically different paths: timber harvests vs. solar fields, carbon projects vs. housing, restoration now vs. monetizing later.We dive into the systems thinking behind land use and why this is such a massive market that’s been underserved by technology.Along the way, Danan shares his journey from crew boats in Seattle to Booking.com, through Carbon Direct’s push for high-quality removals, and into company-building back with his original crew buddy.Referenced:Aarden.aiJobsLand useStepchange ShowGet connected:Danan - LinkedIn | [email protected] - LinkedIn | Climate PapaFeedback? Guest ideas? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]: Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)