Eric Roth

About Eric Roth

My journey into Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) began in an unexpected place: the hills of Jackson Hole. I was living the glorious life of a ski bum when a friend sent me an article about a company back in our hometown of Milwaukee, WI, called Sweetwater Organics. They were doing something fascinating—growing food using a system called \"aquaponics\" in an old train repair facility. I was immediately captivated by the concept.This newfound passion led me to co-found Chicago\'s first licensed aquaponic farm, Greens & Gills, in 2011. We aimed to revolutionize urban farming in the Windy City, and our success caught the attention of FarmedHere, then the largest vertical farm in North America. In 2015, I sold Greens & Gills to FarmedHere and took on the role of Director of Agriculture, where I continued to push the boundaries of CEA technology and methods.Throughout my experiences, from starting a farm to working with industry leaders, one common thread was evident: the struggle with labor costs. Every company I worked with faced this challenge, and it became clear that there was no truly affordable automation solution available for most CEA farmers. This realization fueled my desire to create solutions that could ease this burden.To better equip myself for this mission, I spent two years learning software development, gaining a deeper understanding of how smart software could drive success and profitability in CEA businesses. My subsequent consulting work, both independently and with Agritecture, broadened my understanding of the industry and confirmed the need for accessible automation.Most recently, as a head grower for Kalera, I was on the team responsible for opening their Atlanta and Denver facilities. It was here that the need for affordable automation became even more apparent. Now, with Rooted Robotics, I\'m channeling all this experience into developing products designed to address the labor cost challenge head-on. Our solutions are built with a fast return on investment in mind and are designed to be upgradable as the throughput of the farm increases. We\'re committed to helping small and medium-sized farms thrive by providing the tools they need to scale efficiently and sustainably.

Experience

1. Co-founder & COO

   Rooted Robotics

   Jan 2023 — Present · Boulder, CO, US

Education

• University of Denver

  B.A, Digital Media, Business

  2004 — 2007

Skills

• Aquaponics
• Marketing Strategy
• Management
• Urban Agriculture
• Redux
• Public Speaking
• New Business Development
• Webpack
• Microsoft Office
• Javascript
• Yarn
• Github
• Entrepreneurship
• Vertical Farming
• Organic Farming
• Direct Sales
• React-Native
• Public Relations
• Business Strategy
• Sustainability
• Commercials
• Film
• Project Management
• Film Production
• Social Media Marketing
• Social Media
• Microsoft Excel
• Marketing
• Chrome Extensions
• Operations Management
• Market Research
• React.js
• Nonprofits
• Agile Project Management
• Git
• Strategic Planning
• Hydroponics
• Sequelize
• Cascading Style Sheets (Css)
• Non-Profits