S3E32: Nona Yehia & Caroline Croft Estay - Empowering the Underserved
Episode Summary
Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes to the show co-founders of Vertical Harvest, Nona Yehia and Caroline Croft Estay. An architect and entrepreneur, Nona conceptualized and built Vertical Harvest, the first vertical hydroponic greenhouse in the world. Combining her expertise in behavioral health and experience in training and case management, Caroline crafted and implemented the innovative “Grow Well” employee model at Vertical Harvest. In today’s episode, Harry, Nona and Caroline discuss the inspirational work they are doing to bring architectural, economic, and social innovation to communities nationwide. Their mission is to bring meaningful employment to underserved populations and educate communities on how good jobs help differently abled individuals to thrive.
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Key Takeaways
- 03:05 – Harry welcomes to the show, Nona Yehia and Caroline Croft Estay, who share the story of how they met and the work they’re doing at Vertical Harvest
- 09:27 – The origin story of Vertical Harvest
- 15:39 – Caroline talks about her vision for diversity and inclusion at Vertical Harvest
- 19:22 – How Nona and Caroline became ‘unexpected farmers’
- 24:07 – Caroline talks about the ‘Grow Well’ model they’ve developed at Vertical Harvest
- 28:02 – Caroline and Nona reflect on the passion they share for working with those with disabilities
- 35:44 – Nona talks about a powerful life lesson she learned early on
- 37:51 – Caroline shares why her father was such an influential person in her life
- 41:01 – Nona and Caroline talk about the importance of representation in the vertical farming industry
- 49:43 – What excites Nona and Caroline the most about the future of Vertical Harvest
- 56:33 – A little known fact about Nona and Caroline
- 58:34 – Harry thanks Nona and Caroline for joining the show and let’s listeners know where they can learn more about Vertical Harvest and connect with Nona and Caroline
Tweetable Quotes
“If you take the time, if you slow down, if you pay attention, everybody can teach you something.” (32:14)
Links Mentioned
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