PMA Takes on Tech, Episode 38: A Journey in CEA

Sonia Lo is an indoor farmer, a chef, an angel investor and a mother of two who speaks seven languages and holds a third-degree black-belt in Tae-Kwon Do. Sonia has over 32 years of combined agriculture, technology and business experience. In the industry, Sonia was CEO of Crop One Holdings, Inc., a vertical farming company that owns FreshBox Farms and a joint venture with Emirates Flight Catering in Dubai. Most recently, Sonia was the CEO of Sensei Ag, an AgTech company focusing on CEA founded by Larry Ellison in Hawaii. This conversation goes where most do not in indoor Ag with Sonia’s unique experience and view of the industry.  We spend time on business models and financing which are daunting issues in CEA right now. But we also talk about the political economy of CEA, the problems with lack of diversity, creating an ecosystem and how the industry needs to openly monitor, share and compare data on cost structure and carbon footprint.