Sowing Systems Change: Community, Farming & the Future of Food

This week on the FoodTech Junkies podcast, we’re joined by Nona Yehia — architect, changemaker, and CEO of Vertical Harvest. From Jackson Hole to Westbrook, Maine, Nona shares how her team is reimagining vertical farming not just as a way to grow food, but as a regenerative business model—one where inclusion, local impact, and profitability go hand in hand.

We dive into what makes their newest farm the company’s most ambitious yet, how public-private partnerships and tech collaborations are key to scaling, and why designing for community isn’t a side mission—it’s part of the bottom line. From workforce development to grassroots engagement, this episode explores how Vertical Harvest is turning food systems into engines for equity, resilience, and long-term value.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast

00:41 Meet Nona Yehia: Architect Turned Vertical Farming Pioneer

02:10 Nona’s Personal Journey and Inspiration

05:56 Challenges and Innovations in Vertical Farming

09:33 Scaling and Replicating Vertical Harvest

11:49 The Maine Project: A New Chapter

19:39 Technology and People: A Balanced Approach

25:01 Financial Challenges and Innovations

33:41 Community Impact and Future Vision

43:09 Lightning Round and Closing Thoughts

About Nona Yehia

Co-Founder & CEO, Vertical Harvest Farms

Nona Yehia is an architect-turned-entrepreneur who co-founded Vertical Harvest Farms, the first vertical hydroponic greenhouse in North America. Driven by a passion for design, food, and social equity—and inspired by her brother who has developmental disabilities—Nona helped pioneer a business model that pairs sustainable urban farming with inclusive employment.

Under her leadership, Vertical Harvest has become a national example of climate-resilient infrastructure and regenerative enterprise, now expanding with a new flagship farm in Westbrook, Maine. Recognized by CNN’s Champions for Change, Fast Company, and the Tony Hsieh Award, Nona continues to shape the conversation around community-led food systems and equitable innovation.

About Vertical Harvest

Vertical Harvest is an urban farming company turning cities into fertile grounds for growth, using tech-enabled agriculture to reinvent the future of food.  They are hell-bent on bringing communities the freshest, healthiest and most flavorful produce – grown hydroponically, all year round.  It's why they root their farms within cities, create customized employment for people with disabilities and are farm to fork around the clock. City by city and block by block, they are growing up – working with and within communities to sow the seeds of abundant possibility.  They're not just harvesting the freshest food possible – as a social enterprise they're here to make good taste great.