JOHN REID – CEO – Mr. Reid has forty-four years of experience in the design, finance, and operations of, agriculture, aquaculture, hydroponic, and energy companies and systems. He built and ran the world’s largest, integrated aquaculture and hydroponics company, breeding and growing organic fish, shrimp, and produce. He has extensive experience in the distribution, sales, and marketing of fresh seafood and produce. He has worked with PV, Thermal, and hybrid solar and wind power systems, as well as high-efficiency cogeneration and combined-cycle gas turbines for heat and electrical production.
2021 to present, CEO Aquasafra, Inc. Producer of tilapia fry, and developing multitrophic freshwater crustaceans, and mollusk PL/ spat seed-stock for aquaculture farms in the US and international markets. Aquasafra is focused on perpetually breeding and improving species tuned to be the most profitable species for farmers to grow, tuned to be less expensive for farmers to grow.
1997 – Present: Waterfield Technologies, Inc., (WTI) Founder, and President. Development of multitrophic food systems, as well as genetically enhanced brood stock for aquaculture production. Managed all breeding, FDA and EPA approval processes, and funding of the company. WTI currently focuses on solar and other support systems necessary for aquaculture and hydroponic production systems.

Maxim Slaten – Director of Sales & Business Development – Max has been working with Aquasafra since 2021 when he joined the team as an Aquaculture Technician. Before transitioning into a full-time management role in 2023, Max joined the Global Seafood Alliance (GSA) in 2022 to expand his knowledge of global aquaculture supply chains. He holds a B.S. in Marine Science from the University of South Carolina from where he graduated in 2020.
Max is obsessed and enamored with Aquaculture. Or, as he likes to say, ‘obsessed with doing aquaculture the responsible way’. For Max, that means enabling producers of all sizes to maximize their profits. That means engaging with stakeholders throughout the entire supply chain. That means championing the industry as a whole. Max believes that a ‘serious’ aquaculture firm (especially within the hatchery discipline) cannot behave as a hedgehog but must instead behave as a fox (a reference to the Ancient Greek poet Archilochus who once said ‘a fox knows many things, but a hedgehog knows one big thing’). That is to say that within the aquaculture space, thinking of, caring about, and focusing on only one ‘thing’ is not good enough. Max is proud to represent a company whose goals of i) increasing profits for the producers that grow its products and ii) lowering costs for the consumers who purchase its products are trying to be achieved without externalized costs.

angelito castro, rfp – Hatchery Manager – Angelito is the CEO and Founder of his own Multi-Species Freshwater Hatchery in the Philippines and with over 20 years of experience in aquaculture across seven countries, Angelito has a deep expertise in marine and freshwater species, including tilapia and shrimp. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Aquaculture and two Master’s degrees, making him a highly qualified and licensed aquaculturist.
At Aquasafra, Angelito focuses on producing high-quality fingerlings with efficient growth, high survival rates, and low feed conversion ratios. He is dedicated to providing after-sales technical assistance, ensuring the success of growers and partners. Angelito’s contributions to the field have earned him prestigious awards, including the 2022 Outstanding Professional of the Year in Fisheries and the 2022 Outstanding Overseas Filipino Worker Award. His passion and expertise make him a vital asset to the aquaculture community.

JORDAN – Aquaculture Technician – Jordan is a Hatchery Technician currently working on his 3rd year in the field of Aquaculture. He earned his B.S in Marine Biology from the University of South Florida. After college, he spent two years assisting in raising and breeding Glowfish bettas in the ornamental fish market and now has his sights set on the food aspect of aquaculture. He looks forward to honing his skills and gaining new experiences here at Aqausafra Inc.

BIANCA – Aquaculture Technician – Aquaculture technician with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Science with a Biology concentration from Eckerd College in 2021. Currently focused on improving Aquasafra Every day and looking forward to the future of my aquaculture endeavors.
