Episode Summary Founder and CEO of Contain and recurring guest, Nicola Kerslake joins the show today to discuss three exciting and innovative areas of AgTech she and her team at Contain are focusing on currently. Nicola touches on a new microlearning platform they’ve launched, the importance of diversifying revenue streams and what trends she’s noticing in the overall AgTech industry. Thanks to Our Sponsors CEA Summit East - https://indoor.ag/cea-summit-east-2025/ Indoor AgCon - https://indoor.a...
Jul 25, 2022•42 min•Season 5Ep. 63
Episode Summary Founder and CEO of Vertical Future, Jamie Burrows is a passionate leader with extensive knowledge of the indoor AgTech space. Vertical Future is the world’s leading vertical farming technology and research company, providing revolutionary products and services that enable people and nature to thrive. Today, Harry and Jamie talk about Jamie’s passion for health, life sciences, and addressing critical issues like climate change, food inequalities and population health. Jamie expoun...
Jul 15, 2022•55 min•Season 5Ep. 62
Episode Summary Founder and CEO of KETOS , Meena Sankaran joins the show to discuss her passion for leveraging disruptive technologies to make an impact as a social entrepreneur. KETOS is a vertically integrated water intelligence platform that is on a mission to transform how water operators measure, manage, and forecast water quality. Today, Harry and Meena talk about Meena’s inspirational immigration story, launching W.IN.S (Women INner Strength), and her passion for doing good and solving ex...
Jul 08, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 5Ep. 61
Episode Summary CEO of Indoor Ag-Con , Brian Sullivan joins the show to share his years of experience in event management and what led him to acquire Indoor Ag-Con, the premier trade show & conference for indoor vertical farming & controlled environment agriculture. Today, Harry and Brian discuss the highs and lows of the events industry, the resilience Brian showed throughout the course of the pandemic, and the importance Brian places on problem-solving and fostering a familial-type cul...
Jul 01, 2022•57 min•Season 5Ep. 60
Episode Summary CEO and Founder of VoltServer, Stephen Eaves joins the show to share over twenty years of experience in the energy industry and his passion for doing things that have never been done before. Stephen is an expert in battery management, power electronics and energy infrastructure and has fifteen patents issued or pending related to energy storage and power conversion. Today, Harry and Stephen talk about the origin story of VoltServer and the technology behind digital electricity. S...
Jun 23, 2022•53 min•Season 5Ep. 59
Episode Summary Co-Founder & CEO of Agrilution, Max Loessl has a vision of bringing the revolutionary concept of vertical farming to every home to allow everyone to grow their own nutritious plants. Today, Harry and Max discuss the work Max and his co-founder have done to develop a viable Personal Vertical Farming System. Max shares what inspired his affinity for entrepreneurship and vertical farming, discusses the origins of Thought for Food, and expounds Agrilution’s offerings, including t...
Jun 17, 2022•51 min•Season 5Ep. 58
Episode Summary CEO of Netled , Niko Kivioja spent the first part of his career in controlled environment agriculture (CEA) as a grower and has spent the last decade in high-tech closed-environment and vertical farming technology development. Today, Harry and Niko discuss how the vertical farming industry is growing and what opportunities exist for competitors within the industry to share technological advances to benefit all companies. Niko shares some exciting new projects and partnerships, in...
Jun 10, 2022•52 min•Season 5Ep. 57
Episode Summary Co-founder and CEO of Gotham Greens , Viraj Puri is on a mission to transform the way we approach our food system by growing greener foods in better ways. Through his work at Gotham Greens, Viraj and his team help to build and operate sustainable greenhouses in cities across America. Today, Viraj and Harry dive deep into the urban farming industry and why it is critical to educate a future workforce of engineers, scientists and farmers to ensure its continued success. They touch ...
Jun 03, 2022•48 min•Season 5Ep. 56
Episode Summary Vice President of Innovation at Produce Marketing Association, Vonnie Estes is driven by a passion for agriculture, sustainability and wanting to make an impact on serious issues such as climate change and broken supply chains. Today, Vonnie and Harry engage in a rich discussion on Plant Pathology, educating consumers on vertical farming, and promoting diversity in the AgTech industry. Vonnie shares lessons she’s learned from working at big corporations such as Monsanto, Syngenta...
May 16, 2022•52 min•Season 5Ep. 55
Episode Summary President and CEO of Unfold, Dr. John Purcell returns to the show to discuss the progress he’s made helping improve efficiencies within the indoor agriculture community. John speaks to his desire to branch out beyond leafy greens, tomatoes and cucumbers to other crops and talks about the recent launch of their Innovation Partner Program. John discusses the various challenges facing the vertical farming industry, how he approaches strategically growing a team, and what the next ye...
May 07, 2022•55 min•Season 5Ep. 54
Episode Summary Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes to the show Juan Gabriel Succar, CEO and Director of Verde Compacto , the first vertical farming company out of Latin America. Verde Compacto is an organization that is dedicated to reinventing the food industry through technology. Today, Juan shares his origin story and how his passion for environmental sustainability led him to launch Verde Compacto. Juan and Harry talk about the exponential growth of the indust...
Apr 29, 2022•40 min•Season 5Ep. 53
Episode Summary Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes to the show Michael Sichenzia. Michael is the Managing Director at Go Global Advisors and today, he shares his passion for bringing food to communities and what led him to pursue work in the vertical farming industry. Specifically, Michael speaks to the intricacies of developing container farms, everything from getting zoning approval from the local or city government to what he looks for when building a team. Mic...
Feb 12, 2022•54 min•Season 4Ep. 52
Episode Summary: Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes to the show Christine Zimmermann-Loessl, Chairwoman at Association for Vertical Farming . Association for Vertical Farming (AVF for short) is an internationally active nonprofit organization of individuals, companies, research institutions and universities focusing on leading and advancing the sustainable growth and development of the vertical farming movement. Today, Harry and Christine talk about how Christine’...
Feb 06, 2022•51 min•Season 4Ep. 51
Episode Summary: Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes to the show Ray Urrutia, Founder and CEO of Terra Firma Foods, an organization seeking to develop vertical farms and an innovative way to grow organic crops. Today, Harry and Ray discuss how Ray’s illustrious business background and charitable nature led him to the vertical farming industry. Ray speaks to the challenges that Terra Firma Foods faces and their plans to develop and ‘branchise’ their model farms acro...
Jan 28, 2022•58 min•Season 4Ep. 50
Episode Summary: Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes to the show Dandridge Melton, founder of Vertical Growth Farming Systems, an organization that’s seeking to change the way that the world approaches hunger, malnutrition, natural disasters and the effects traditional farming has on our environment through their unique container farms. Today, Harry and Dandridge discuss the vertical farming landscape, competitors to Vertical Growth Farming Systems and how Dandridg...
Jan 17, 2022•57 min•Season 4Ep. 49
Episode Summary Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes back to the show Eric Levesque, co-founder and Managing Partner at Cultivatd , an organization that works with some of the indoor farming industry's best product developers and technologies to help people discover which vertical farm tech is best for their projects. Since he was last on the show, Cultivatd has made some incredible strides, including raising $3.5 million in funds during the past year. Today, Harry ...
Jan 08, 2022•54 min•Season 4Ep. 48
Episode Summary: Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes to the show Scot Bryson, founder of Orbital Farm , a global agri tech company supplying fresh vegetables, fish, and vegan protein to local markets around the world. Scot has spent his life and career as a problem solver, from picking stones and baling hay in farm fields, to becoming an entrepreneur at 22 and building a multi-million dollar advertising agency over a decade. Today, Harry and Scot dive deep into the...
Jan 03, 2022•57 min•Season 4Ep. 47
Episode Summary: Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes to the show Simon Deacon, founder and CEO of Light Science Technologies , an organization that provides integrated solutions for the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) market. A dynamic and forward-looking entrepreneur, Simon has founded and grown businesses in Lighting, Electronics and Display manufacture markets. Today, Harry and Simon discuss the intricate and exciting work Simon is doing to disrupt the ...
Dec 25, 2021•50 min•Season 4Ep. 46
Episode Summary: Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes to the show Matt Ryan, CEO of Soli Organic . Formerly known as Shenandoah Growers, a name inspired by their start in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, Soli Organic is a controlled environment agriculture company that grows exceptional organic produce, at an affordable price, nationwide. Today, Harry and Matt do a deep dive into Matt’s incredible business background, from working at Disney and Starbucks to eventually ...
Dec 18, 2021•57 min•Season 4Ep. 45
Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes to the show Aja Atwood. Aja is the co-founder and CEO of Trella Technologies, an organization that provides technical, innovative solutions to make indoor and urban farming a sustainable, long-lasting industry. Today, Harry and Aja talk about the amazing technologies they’re developing at Trella, including automated plant-training robotics. Aja shares her entrepreneurial origin story which started with her natural curiosity and a...
Dec 06, 2021•56 min•Season 4Ep. 44
Episode Summary Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes to the show Samantha Johnson. Samantha is the Director of Aquaponics Programs at Commonwealth Charter Academy, a top accredited K through 12 public cyber charter school located in Pennsylvania. Samantha is a highly skilled and student-focused leader who possesses a strong commitment to the development of students and staff through differentiated, innovative and individualized learning experiences Today, Harry and ...
Oct 29, 2021•59 min•Season 4Ep. 43
Episode Summary Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes to the show Rosario Iacono. Rosario is the Founder of Kasveista, a concept stage startup aiming to produce open-source seeds and seedlings for vertical farming. Their goal is to help modern vertical farms expand their range of products by providing seeds and seedlings of tomato of varieties specifically selected for vertical farming. Today, Harry and Rosario talk about the incredible work Rosario is doing at Kasve...
Oct 16, 2021•55 min•Season 4Ep. 42
Episode Summary Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes to the show, co- founder & co-CEO at Local Bounti , Craig Hurlbert. Local Bounti is an organization that strives to deliver the freshest, locally grown produce in your neighborhood. Local Bounti sustainably grows fresh greens and herbs 365 days a year in their greenhouses, using 90% less water and 90% less land than conventional agriculture. Today, Harry and Craig talk about Craig’s extensive background in ene...
Oct 01, 2021•58 min•Season 4Ep. 41
Episode Summary Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes to the show, co- founder & CEO at Brick Street Farms , Shannon O’Malley. Brick Street Farms is a hydroponic, indoor city farm that grows leafy greens year-round in technology based, climate controlled environments. Their mission is to grow the most nutritious produce at the heart of consumption. Today, Harry and Shannon talk about how Shannon became an ‘accidental co-founder’ within the Controlled Environment ...
Sep 10, 2021•59 min•Season 4Ep. 40
Episode Summary Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes to the show, CEO and co-founder of Fifth Season, Austin Webb. Fifth Season is a consumer tech company and indoor farming pioneer with Carnegie Mellon University roots that is creating a new era of fresh foods. Its commercial-scale indoor vertical farms use proprietary robotics, AI, and smart operations technology to grow leafy greens and herbs at affordable prices year-round. Today, Harry and Austin talk about the...
Jul 20, 2021•43 min•Season 3Ep. 39
Episode Summary Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes to the show, co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer at AeroFarms , Marc Oshima. AeroFarms is an award-winning indoor farming company that is on a bold mission to grow the best plants possible for the betterment of humanity. Today, Harry and Marc talk about Marc’s background in marketing and how it has impacted his work at AeroFarms. Marc provides his thoughts on the concept of ‘speed breeding,’ speaks to his passi...
Jul 10, 2021•53 min•Season 3Ep. 38
Episode Summary Harry takes a moment to thank the listeners and provide updates on the remaining Season 3 episodes. Episode Sponsor CULTIVATD Indoor A-Con - save $100 w/ promo code VFPOD2021 Links Mentioned VFP Chat Room Weekly Newsletter Sponsor Info: Cultivatd Website Cultivatd Instagram Cultivatd’s Twitter Cultivatd’s Facebook 🎙️🎙️🎙️ Podcast Production and Marketing by FullCast : https://bit.ly/3sxZ34y See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Mentioned in this episode: 2025 Pre...
Jun 25, 2021•7 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Episode Summary Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes to the show, co-founder at Fazenda Urbana, Thomas Oberlin. Fazenda Urbana is the producer of the MightyGreens brand of vegan microgreens and mushrooms. Today, Harry and Thomas talk about the origin story of Fazenda Urbana and how Thomas became involved in controlled environment agriculture. Thomas provides his thoughts on the evolution of entrepreneurship and why that spirit is so prominent in Brazillian culture. ...
Jun 18, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 3Ep. 37
Episode Summary Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes to the show, CEO at Fluence , David Cohen. Fluence is a horticultural lighting company owned by OSRAM. They explore physiological plant development under various levels of photosynthetically active radiation and custom spectra compositions. Today, Harry and David talk about David’s eclectic background in the LED lighting industry and the circuitous route that led him to Fluence. David reflects on the learning curv...
Jun 11, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 36
Episode Summary Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes to the show, co-founder and CEO at Oishii , Hiroki Koga. Oishii grows the best fruit in the world by deploying ground-breaking vertical farming technology that pushes the boundaries of agriculture. Today, Harry and Hiroki talk about the origin story of Oishii and how they became the first in the world to grow fruit in an indoor vertical farm at commercial scale. Hiroki reflects on lessons he’s learned throughout h...
Jun 04, 2021•58 min•Season 3Ep. 35
