As we start a new decade, we are asking community to to tell us what you learned in 2019, and what your dreams are for the next decade. Next up is Kevin Jakiela. Kevin is the Co-Founder and President of Just Vertical, a modern hydroponic garden that enables vertical farming. With their equipment, you can grow over 70 different plants, and up to 10 lbs of fresh produce on a monthly basis. Just Vertical is one of 16 ventures in the inaugural cohort of CSI’s Climate Ventures Earth Tech 2020 Program.
What were your biggest wins and lessons this year?
We were recently chosen as one of the most sustainable start-up companies in 2019 by Huffington Post and got the privilege to shoot a commercial with Toyota. Lessons learned so far this year deal with time management. Utilizing our time more efficiently throughout the work day and prioritizing tasks with greatest importance.
How has being part of the CSI community impacted your work?
The advisers and mentors have been instrumental on providing us with advise and direction for upcoming pitches and projects. Having the ability the run ideas by them and getting constructive feedback has been extremely helpful for us when trying to make appropriate decisions based on specific scenarios.
What is your favourite CSI memory of the year?
So far my favourite CSI memory this year has been the Earth Tech Kick-off Day. We were selected to be part of the first cohort among some other really incredible companies. It was really great to meet and really get to know other like-minded individuals all contributing social and/or environmental good to the same cause we believe in.
What is your big dream for the next decade?
We hope to make an impact in helping to decrease food insecurity across Canada and the world. Our goal is to enable individuals and communities to grow their own nutritious food, all year round, and help create more of sense of food sovereignty within remote communities with little access to fresh food. We hope to leverage our indoor farming technology to help compliment the existing food system by providing healthy food, with no GMO’s or pesticides, while using 95% less water
Do you have a product, service, or strategy to help tackle the climate crisis and put people and planet first? CSI’s Climate Ventures provides coworking, community, and programs to accelerate your success and amplify your impact.
