Reflecting on the First Year of Vivid Canopy
Vivid Canopy Celebrates One Year of Impact
GLASE is proud to reflect on the first year of Vivid Canopy — our networking group launched to celebrate and foster diversity in the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) industry.
The journey began in July 2023 at Cultivate, where GLASE Executive Director Gretchen Schimelpfenig, Cameron Grant from Tarrant County College, and Stacia Lewis from Eden Green Technologies discussed a problem they felt they could solve: connecting professionals across the industry online and at events to transform the workforce.
Our first Vivid Canopy panel and roundtable discussion was held in March 2024 at Indoor Ag-Con in Las Vegas, Nevada. This session brought together industry leaders and innovators from Vertical Harvest Farms, Dr. Greenhouse, and Skout Strategy and featured interactive roundtable discussions facilitated by Women in CEA (WiCEA), Eden Green Technology, and Re-Nuble. The event sparked meaningful conversations about workforce diversity and inclusion and connected attendees to build new relationships.
Expanding Our Impact
The event’s success at Indoor Ag-Con highlighted the importance of creating a space for conversations about transforming the CEA workforce and increasing access to opportunities for underrepresented groups in CEA to connect and access professional development resources.
We began by launching the Vivid Canopy LinkedIn group and website, which serve as hubs for fostering connections and dialogue among CEA professionals and will continue to expand with additional resources.
Charging forward, GLASE facilitated three more in-person events: a happy hour at Cultivate in July in Columbus, Ohio; a panel and networking breakfast at the CEAg World Conference and Expo in Raleigh, North Carolina; and a happy hour at the 2024 GLASE Summit in Montréal, Quebec.
At the CEAg World Conference and Expo, leaders from Green Box Mushrooms, the Aquaponics Association, and Bridge City Collective discussed ways their work advances diversity, equity, and inclusion in the greenhouse and indoor farming industries. Attendees discussed employment for formerly incarcerated individuals and how hiring practices can address CEA labor challenges.
These events included a range of formats, from panel discussions to networking receptions, providing opportunities to build new connections, learn from industry peers, and develop strategies to address labor shortages while promoting a more inclusive workforce in CEA.
Looking forward
Our first four Vivid Canopy events have strengthened the CEA professional community, and 2025 will be bigger and better! Save the date for our second panel and roundtable discussion at Indoor Ag-Con on March 11, 2025, from 3 to 5 PM. We are thrilled to feature Impact Justice at this event, with additional panelists to be announced soon.
Our online platforms will grow over the coming year as we launch new ways for Vivid Canopy to facilitate connections and provide professional development opportunities for people across the globe. If you’d like to get involved with Vivid Canopy or collaborate with us, please join the Vivid Canopy group on LinkedIn and reach out to our team at glase@cornell.edu.
Thank You for an Incredible Year
We extend our deep gratitude to our founding partners, collaborators, event attendees, and the CEA community. In our first year we partnered with 13 organizations on Vivid Canopy initiatives, and together, we are building a future where diversity is not only celebrated but recognized as a cornerstone of innovation and success.
Here’s to another year of growth, connection, and progress in 2025!
