Growing confidence: International success stories of vertical farming

Roel Janssen is the head of Business Development  at Planet Farms, a technology company that builds and operates fully autonomous vertical farms at scale. Before devoting his work full-time to Planet Farms Roel spent 13 years at Signify (previously known as Philips Lighting), where he was the Global Director for City Farming. In his years at Signify Roel became an industry expert in the field of vertical farming and has been invited to speak and share his views all around the globe. He was also a guest lecturer at the HAS University of Applied Science in the Netherlands. Roel graduated Business Administration in Eindhoven, where he still lives with his wife and 2 kids. Next to growing plants in a sustainable way Roel has a great passion for wine, which resulted in a WSET 3 certification. 

Erik is an entrepreneur at heart and one of the founders of Ljusgårda. He started his first business at 19 and has since led several ventures before initiating what is now Ljusgårda. Innovation and development have always been at the core of his work—today, he leads research and future-driven initiatives aimed at building a new innovative, regenerative and climate-resilient food system.

As Head of Research, Erik is deeply engaged in exploring new technologies, biological breakthroughs, and scalable models to unlock the full potential of plants for both human health and planetary balance. His work spans national innovation platforms and global networks, bridging science with
ancestral knowledge and plant wisdom.

Beyond his professional work, Erik holds the traditional role of a chief in his village in Samoa—an honor that deeply shapes his perspective on leadership, responsibility, and the long-term stewardship of natural systems.

He is a natural speaker and always keen to challenge the broken systems of today—accelerating the change needed to build a truly sustainable tomorrow. He finds his energy in doing what he believes in and is actively involved in charitable initiatives around the world.

Reinier Wolterbeek is the Chief Product Officer at ONNA Greens, Norway's largest commercial Indoor Vertical Farm. He is largely accountable for moving trial crops into commercial crops.

Before joining ONNA, Reinier was the co-founder and CTO of Sundrop Farms, developing, building and operating 6 medium & high-tech greenhouses in Australia, the Middle East, Europe and USA, growing tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, strawberries & raspberries. 

Reinier has over >20 years of innovative CEA experience with MSc degree from Wageningen University & Research.

Tom Webster is the Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder at award-winning vertical farming business, GrowUp Farms. 

Since 2013, Tom has worked with Co-Founder Kate Hofman to take the concept of vertical farming from a small unit in London to a huge vertical farm in Kent, UK. GrowUp is a certified B Corp, using 100% renewable energy to produce their salads, which are distributed through major UK retailers such as Tesco, Iceland, and SPAR.

As Chief Technology Officer, Tom leads on plant science, data, and optimisation of our state-of-the-art controlled environment production systems that grow tasty, ready-to-eat leafy greens with minimal environmental impact.

In 2017, Tom was featured in the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his work addressing some of the fundamental flaws in the agricultural systems in a way that contributes to a more sustainable society.

Tisha Livingston is the CEO of Infinite Acres, a wholly owned subsidiary of 80 Acres farms.  The company was originally founded as a global joint venture between the Dutch company Priva, a greenhouse technology company, an American indoor farming company, 80 Acres Farms and the British Ocado Group, U.K.’s largest online grocer.

Prior to forming Infinite Acres, Tisha was the co-founder and President of 80 Acres Farms, a pioneer in the field of vertical farming in the United States, where they grow, operate, sell and distribute the freshest vegetables and herbs delivered to supermarkets and restaurants year round. In her prior role, Tisha was Chief Operating Officer of Sager Creek Vegetable Company, a Division of Del Monte Foods. She connected with many American farmers and valued the role of local food in enabling stronger and healthier communities. She brings to 80 Acres Farms her strong track record of growing revenues, reducing costs and enhancing capital efficiencies.

Tisha began her career in the food industry over 25 years ago, encompassing Finance, Manufacturing, Procurement, Warehousing, Logistics, Demand Managing, Planning, S & OP, Quality, R & D, Business Intelligence, IT, and Engineering.