S6E77: Nadun Hennayaka / GAIA Project Australia - Creating a More Symbiotic Relationship Between Mankind & Planet Earth

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 shining a light on hydroponics and vertical farming.

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Key Takeaways

07:13 – Nadun Hennayaka joins the show to discuss his educational background, the unpredictable weather of Melbourne, and the origins of GAIA Project

15:32 – Nadun speaks to the eclectic projects he’s working on, from renewable energy to hydroponics

17:52 – The current offerings of GAIA Project Australia

20:26 – Partnering with NASA

25:25 – Shining a light on hydroponics and vertical farming

28:05 – The role that mentors played in Nadun’s career and how Nadun thinks about team building

33:21 – Nadun’s goal for GAIA Project Australia and Nadun’s ‘Why’

40:15 – What Nadun does to relax and unwind

41:43 – A tough question Nadun has had to ask himself recently, something he’s changed his mind about recently, and what he’s most looking forward to

48:36 – A specific ask Nadun has for his peers and colleagues in this space

49:29 – Harry thanks Nadun for joining the show and lets listeners know where they can go to connect with her and learn more about GAIA Project Australia

Tweetable Quotes

“Happiness is a byproduct of service. So, doing something for the betterment of mankind truly was something I wanted to do.” (12:15) (Nadun)

“As you know, hydroponics is not a fix for everything in the food sector. We can fix approximately fifteen to twenty percent of the food sector, maximum. But, if you can fix twenty percent, you only have eighty percent to fix. So the problem is lesser.” (25:10) (Nadun)

“My original plan, two years ago, was truly to build a full turnkey supply, to go from everything from the channels, to the Hvac, to the automation. What I have learned is you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. There’s someone who’s already invented certain components and are really great at it. And, if you have something great, why don’t we just collaborate with each other’s companies and come up with a single solution?” (33:36) (Nadun)

“I’m glad I have chosen a path that I think there’s a potential for it [GAIA Project] to be something really great that can truly change or help mankind. For me, I want to make sure the world is a better place because I was here.” (39:38) (Nadun)