Episode Summary In this episode, Eric Levesque returns for Round 3 to share his journey of being a former gamer and professional player and the twists and turns that led him to the world of vertical farming. Eric emphasizes the importance of hyper-local food and why he’s excited about the potential for new crops like mushrooms to play an important part of in the future of indoor grown. Eric also highlights the significance of reflecting on one's goals and values, pivoting business models, and bu...
Apr 18, 2023•59 min•Season 8Ep. 93
Episode Summary We kick off Season 8 of the podcast, with Sonia Lo, the CEO of Unfold AG and a prominent figure in the vertical farming industry. She shares her insights on the latest developments in indoor farming, including the role of genetics in improving crop yield and taste. We also discuss the importance of profitability for the industry's scalability and the potential of next-generation agriculture. Sonia’s background in law, management consulting, investment banking provides a unique pe...
Apr 14, 2023•56 min•Season 8Ep. 92
Episode Summary In this episode, David Farquhar, CEO of Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS), delves into the potential of indoor agritech and how the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increased interest in deglobalization and relocalization. He explains how IGS is providing the technology and expertise to enable farmers to grow crops with precision and accuracy, and how IGS is partnering with local councils, food banks, and educational institutions to develop innovative solutions. Learn how indoor ...
Mar 31, 2023•49 min•Season 7Ep. 91
Episode Summary Join us as we explore the exciting world of vertical farming with Alexander Kappes, the CEO of Greener Crop . He shares his passion for CEA and explains how Greener Crop provides comprehensive farm management solutions for clients. Alexander discusses the potential for hydroponic farming to address food security issues and his vision for Greener Crop to lead the charge in this growing industry. He also talks about the challenges and opportunities within the industry, the focus on...
Mar 24, 2023•56 min•Season 7Ep. 90
Episode Summary In this episode, you’ll hear Zale Tabakman's inspiring journey of revolutionizing the way we think about farming. Zale shares his vision for providing locally grown, ready-to-eat salads to a global market, as well as his patent-pending technology for growing 60 different vegetables. He emphasizes the potential of vertical farming to create good-paying jobs, address the climate crisis, and provide consistent high-quality salads to McDonald's at all 35,000 locations worldwide. This...
Mar 17, 2023•57 min•Season 7Ep. 89
Episode Summary Join us as we explore the world of vertical farming with Jaz Singh, the founder and CEO of Innovation Agritech Group. In this podcast, Jaz discusses how his exposure to the farming industry in India and his family's generational farming background led him to explore innovative solutions for food security. You will learn about the challenges facing the agriculture industry, including energy costs, and how IAG is working towards reducing them. Singh also shares how IAG's modular an...
Mar 10, 2023•46 min•Season 7Ep. 88
Episode Summary In this podcast, Emiliano Gutierrez shares his entrepreneurial journey of creating a sustainable food system through vertical farming. He discusses his vision for using technology, such as solar energy, LEDs, blockchain, and NFTs, to transform the way we think about growing food. Gutierrez shares his personal experiences of building a business from the ground up and the challenges and opportunities that come with it. He also talks about his plans for leveraging blockchain and oth...
Mar 03, 2023•53 min•Season 7Ep. 87
Episode Summary In this episode, I speak with fellow Ag podcaster Trevor Williams and we explore the latest trends in the agriculture industry. We cover topics ranging from vertical farming and regenerative agriculture to cellular agriculture and food production for space exploration. On Farm Traveler, Trevor interviews farmers, ranchers and entrepreneurs around the world, as they provide listeners with valuable insight and education about the industry. This one’s a little different and will giv...
Feb 24, 2023•57 min•Season 7Ep. 86
Episode Summary Caleb Wilkins, co-founder of the innovative vertical farming startup Renaissance AG , sits down with Harry Duran, to discuss their revolutionary approach to creating safe and sustainable livestock feed. Listen in to learn how Renaissance AG is creating a consistent, reliable, and on-farm premium feed for livestock producers, as well as tackling the challenges of food independence and security. Thanks to Our Sponsors CEA Summit East - https://indoor.ag/cea-summit-east-2025/ Indoor...
Feb 17, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Season 7Ep. 85
Episode Summary In this episode of the podcast, Harry Duran interviews Tobias Peggs, the CEO & Co-founder of Square Roots, a leading vertical farming company. Tobias shares the company's innovative approach to creating a more sustainable and resilient business, from their technology platform to their sustainability initiatives. He highlights the company's focus on reducing carbon emissions and environmentally friendly packaging, as well as the importance of staying strong and focused on deli...
Feb 10, 2023•50 min•Season 7Ep. 84
Episode Summary Henry Ernst currently occupies the role of Assessment Manager at Control Union UK Ltd, an organization that specializes in sustainability in agriculture, fisheries, textiles, plastics, timber, biofuels, and food safety. He is the Team Lead for MSC Fisheries Assessments and is passionate about sustainable food production. Today, Henry and Harry discuss plant protection, renewable energy use, sustainability, and the importance of educating consumers on vertical farming. Thanks to O...
Feb 03, 2023•42 min•Season 7Ep. 83
Episode Summary Tristan Fischer has been involved in sustainable energy and sustainable food for over twenty years. He has been the Chairman or CEO of numerous companies, including Fischer Farms , a vertical farming/hydroponics business. Today, Tristan joins the show to discuss the benefits of vertical farm crops over field-grown crops, the looming food security crisis, and the importance of being a kind and empathetic leader Thanks to Our Sponsors CEA Summit East - https://indoor.ag/cea-summit-...
Jan 27, 2023•55 min•Season 7Ep. 82
Episode Summary Tim Hade is Co-founder and COO of Scale Microgrids, an organization that builds and invests in the world’s most cutting-edge microgrid solutions. Today, Harry and Tim discuss the importance of making our energy infrastructure cleaner, more affordable, and more resilient. Tim speaks to the vulnerability of our power grids, the concept of decentralization, and the actions we must take to address the biggest problem facing humanity: climate change. Thanks to Our Sponsors CEA Summit ...
Jan 20, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 7Ep. 81
Episode Summary Dr. Isaac Berzin is the Founder and CTO at Vaxa Life, an organization that is developing sustainable algae-based feed and food ingredients. He was named one the 100 most influential people in politics, business, and science in 2008 by the Time Magazine for his work in sustainability and climate change. Today, Harry and Dr. Isaac discuss the biology of algae and its role in the food chain, his experience working with supplements at Qualitas Health, and the work he is doing at Vaxa...
Jan 13, 2023•48 min•Season 7Ep. 80
Episode Summary Tom Adamczyk is the Founder & CEO at Planted Detroit , a beyond-organic farm that grows nutrient-packed greens and micros in a sustainable & controlled environment. Today, Harry and Tom discuss the origins of Planted Detroit, the revitalization of the city of Detroit, and Tom’s background in finance. Tom touches on the lessons he learned as a leader and CEO during the Covid-19 pandemic, the role mentors have played in his journey and why he believes it is critical for any...
Jan 06, 2023•51 min•Season 7Ep. 79
Episode Summary Brandy Keen is the Co-founder & Senior Technical Advisor at Surna, an organization that designs, engineers and manufactures application-specific environmental control and air sanitation systems for commercial, state, and provincial-regulated indoor cannabis cultivation facilities in the U.S. and Canada. Today, Harry and Brandy discuss the origins of Hydro Innovations and their acquisition by Surna, the powerful impact that controlled environment agriculture has on the world’s...
Dec 19, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 6Ep. 78
Episode Summary Nadun Hennayaka is the Founder and CEO at GAIA Project Australia, an organization with a vision to combine the most developed technologies to produce sustainable food & electricity to every human on this planet. Nadun has over twenty years of experience in engineering and technology and is well-versed in the global technology arena. Today, he and Harry discuss the current offerings of GAIA Project Australia, their recent partnership with NASA, and the ways in which Nadun is s...
Dec 13, 2022•54 min•Season 6Ep. 77
Episode Summary Magdalena Szawarska is the Co-Founder and CEO of Nangatech , an organization that designs the most effective nanogas technology to boost the productivity of farming. Today, Harry and Magdalena talk about the state of AgTech in her hometown of Warsaw, Poland, her background in psychology, and the numerous benefits that nanogas and nanobubble technology has on the agriculture industry. Magdalena discusses the low barrier to entry for farmers to utilize this technology and how it ca...
Dec 05, 2022•51 min•Season 6Ep. 76
Episode Summary Eric Lang is the President and co-founder of ZipGrow, an organization that educates, equips, and empowers local farmers to grow better food for their communities using their patented ZipGrow technology. Today, Harry and Eric talk about the importance of educating the masses on the overall AgTech industry, why local is better than organic, and what ZipGrow is doing to fix the broken food model. Eric expounds on one of the latest offerings from ZipGrow, ZipPods, and advice he has f...
Nov 28, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 6Ep. 75
Episode Summary Dr. Christian Toma is the Founder and Chief Science Officer (CSO) at Kalera , a technology-driven vertical farming company that is delivering sustainable ultra-clean, nutrient-dense produce year-round. Kalera is the world’s largest operator of vertical hydroponic farms. Today, Harry and Dr. Christian discuss the nuances of shifting from CEO to CSO, the inspiration behind the HyCube, and how Kalera is expanding its International footprint through targeted acquisitions. Dr. Christi...
Nov 18, 2022•46 min•Season 6Ep. 74
Episode Summary David Ahmed is the Founder and CEO of HexaFarms , an Ag-Tech Startup that develops software for vertical-farming systems. They harvest data and leverage the potential of AI to identify optimal growth conditions for various crops grown in vertical farms. Today, Harry and David expound on the impact of Artificial Intelligence and other technologies on vertical farming, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and his amazing experience at Techstars Berlin. Thanks to Our Spons...
Nov 12, 2022•54 min•Season 6Ep. 73
Episode Summary Allison Kopf is the Chief Growth Officer at iUNU , a software development company that’s building the future of the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) industry through their AI-driven LUNA platform that enables growers to develop a feedback loop between capturing data and managing processes to create precise, predictable production. Today, Harry welcomes Allison back to the show for Round 2 where they discuss the merging of Artemis and iUNU, her new role as Chief Growth Off...
Nov 04, 2022•50 min•Season 6Ep. 72
Episode Summary Henry Gordon-Smith is the Founder of Agritecture , a global leader in urban agriculture consulting services. Today, Harry welcomes Henry back to the show for Round 2 where Henry talks all about his recent travel and nomadic lifestyle, the importance of pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and the evolution of the overall AgTech industry. Henry expounds on the consolidation and hybridization he’s seen in vertical farming, Agritecture’s growth strategy and why he is so passion...
Oct 28, 2022•57 min•Season 6Ep. 71
Episode Summary Keenan Pinto is the founder and CEO of Nordetect , a real-time nutrient analysis product with cloud-connected hardware and accessible software that allows farmers to test their own soil samples and see results in real time. Today, Harry and Keenan talk about his vision for improving the equity, quality and footprint of food through technology, his entrepreneurial journey and why he chose to relocate to Denmark. They also touch on challenges Keenan faced as a first-time CEO, what ...
Oct 21, 2022•1 hr•Season 6Ep. 70
Episode Summary Eric Eisele is an entrepreneur, environmentalist and CEO of Growflux , a horticultural tech company offering automation and cloud technologies aimed at resource efficiency and yield expansion for indoor farms, and greenhouses. Today, Harry speaks to Eric about Eric’s Philly roots and his rich experience in design and architecture, wireless engineering and renewable energy. Eric expounds on circadian lighting, providing controls for lighting and his passion for fostering resource ...
Oct 14, 2022•52 min•Season 6Ep. 69
Episode Summary Founder and CEO of CityCrop , Christos Raftogiannis, joins the show to share his passion for agriculture, how the Indoor AgTech industry has evolved in Greece, and the challenge of assembling a team to take on the complexities of vertical farming. Today, Harry and Christos engage in a discussion on what inspired Christos to launch CityCrop, how Christos has grown as a founder and the work CityCrop is doing to modernize and democratize farming as key to a healthier and greener liv...
Oct 07, 2022•43 min•Season 6Ep. 68
Episode Summary Founder and Chief Content Director of From Farms to Incubators, Amy Wu joins the show today to share her mission of highlighting women in food, farming, and farmtech, especially women of color. Amy is an entrepreneur, storyteller, and award-winning writer for the women’s ag and agtech movement. Today, Amy speaks to the work she’s doing to tell the stories of women innovators and leaders in agrifoodtech. Amy reflects on her time as an investigative journalist, breaks down current ...
Sep 30, 2022•51 min•Season 6Ep. 67
Episode Summary Co-Founder at Ekonoke , Inés Sagrario, joins the show to share her eclectic background, including her time at The Cluster Competitiveness Group, and the work she’s currently doing at Ekonoke, a sustainable indoor farming start-up. Ekonoke develops knowledge and technology to produce great quality hops year-round with significantly lower water and carbon footprint. Today, Harry and Inés talk about their shared experience as startup entrepreneurs, the power of strategic analysis, a...
Sep 27, 2022•55 min•Season 6Ep. 66
Episode Summary Founder and CEO of VegBed , Albert Lin joins the show today to share the work he’s doing to create a better and easier way to use growing medium for the hydroponic community. Albert speaks to his experience as an early stage startup operations expert, the entrepreneurial mindset he has cultivated and the biggest piece of advice he would give to founders. Thanks to Our Sponsors CEA Summit East - https://indoor.ag/cea-summit-east-2025/ Indoor AgCon - https://indoor.ag/ Key Takeaway...
Aug 09, 2022•43 min•Season 5Ep. 65
Episode Summary Founder and CEO of HRVSTS, Ali Daniali joins the show today to share his engineering background, the origin story of HRVSTS and the importance of supporting and promoting small farming both domestically and abroad. Today, Harry and Ali discuss decentralizing the food distribution network, some big wins HRVSTS was able to achieve recently and advice Ali would give to first-time farmers. Thanks to Our Sponsors CEA Summit East - https://indoor.ag/cea-summit-east-2025/ Indoor AgCon -...
Jul 29, 2022•47 min•Season 5Ep. 64
