anu™ (previously gropod)

I'm incredibly honored to be selected as a Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation Class VIII Fellow representing Vanderburgh County in this state wide fellowship! 🙏🌱 As a founder working at the intersection of health, technology, and sustainability, I’m excited to contribute to a future where the State of Indiana leads in combating diet-related chronic disease—a crisis costing our state billions and our nation trillions. Through this fellowship, I’ll continue my mission to increase access to nutrition and education, and inspire the next generation of changemakers to build healthier, more resilient communities. Thank you to the Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation for this incredible opportunity to grow alongside a cohort of passionate, purpose-driven leaders across Indiana! 💡💪 #MDLFClassVIII #Leadership #HealthInnovation #FoodAsMedicine #FutureOfIndiana #PureProduce #ChronicDiseasePrevention #CommunityEmpowerment #TechForGood #FoodisHealth

🌱 Reflecting with gratitude on our journey at anu™ (previously gropod) — winning 1st place at the SCORE Mentors 60th Anniversary National Pitch Competition was an incredible milestone, but even more meaningful was the mentorship we received along the way. 🙌 The guidance, encouragement, and insight from the SCORE community helped sharpen our mission and strategy as we continue to scale our vision: empowering communities to grow Pure Produce® — nutrient-rich, sustainable food that’s better for people and the planet. Lori Barnes Kristyn Shay🌍🍅 We're thankful for the role great mentorship (Spencer Bader) plays in building resilient founders and impactful businesses as well as sponsorship from Global Atlantic Financial Group (KKR) supporting mission driven entrepreneurial growth Shellie Peters and Erin Fast! #Gratitude #MentorshipMatters #FoodAsMedicine #SCOREMentors #AgTech #PureProduce #FutureOfFood #SustainableInnovation #MakersOfWellness #HarvestWhenHungry SCORE Mentors Des Moines Purdue Innovates U.S. Small Business Administration https://lnkd.in/gjn7ZywV

🌱 I had an incredible time speaking on the SBIR Panel in Evansville, sharing our founding journey at anu™ (previously gropod) with the amazing moderator Andie Hines-Lagemann. A theme close to my heart echoed throughout the discussion: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” – African Proverb 🌍 From our early days—hustling toward first sales as Purdue University students with Ivan Ball—to now partnering with national leaders like the LESA Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute through our National Science Foundation (NSF) SBIR grant led by SVP of Research and Partner Dr. Sven Nelson. For our commercial Pure Produce Containers manufactured through ekō Solutions (a Land Betterment Corporation company), USDA SBIR fueled critical growth trials. Our partnership with the University of Evansville's We Grow Aces! program with Dr. Rob Shelby and Erin Lewis secures our talent needs spanning generations. It’s been all about surrounding ourselves with the right team aligned by a shared vision: making high-quality nutrition accessible to all. 🍅💡 The SBIR program plays a vital role in funding tech-driven solutions to massive issues like diet-related chronic disease—costing the U.S. nearly $4 trillion annually and contributing to 1.7 million deaths each year (American Heart Association, Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease). Big thanks to Dominic Poggi (Southwest Indiana Small Business Development Center (SBDC)), Logan Jenkins (Indiana Center for Emerging Technologies), Nicholas Kuhn (Elevate Ventures), and Matt Burkett (ARI (Applied Research Institute) for making this impactful event possible. 🙌 #SBIR #Innovation #FoodAsMedicine #FoundersJourney #TechForGood #NSF #HealthEquity #SustainableSolutions #NutritionAccess #PureProduce

🌱 Growing the Future with We Grow Aces! 🌍🍅 We’re thrilled to support the University of Evansville’s We Grow Aces! program, bringing our #PureProduce® Container Farms to their Evansville campus! 🚀 This collaboration began when Center for Innovation & Change Executive Director Erin Lewis connected Founder Scott Massey with student Neva Verbik, who envisioned integrating agriculture into campus life. With the leadership of Dr. Rob Shelby, this initiative is expanding nutrition education and increasing access to fresh, sustainable food for the community. Thanks to funding from the Eli Lilly and Company Endowment’s Indiana Youth Programs on Campus grant, this program will use upcycled container farming technology, manufactured in partnership with ekō Solutions, to grow fresh, nutritious produce year-round. By combining education, innovation, and community engagement, We Grow Aces! is empowering the next generation of leaders in agriculture and sustainability. 🌿💡 We’re proud to be part of this incredible effort to create healthier, more resilient food systems through hands-on learning and innovation. Let’s grow together! 🌍✨ #WeGrowAces #FoodAsMedicine #SustainableFarming #PureProduce #AgTech #EducationForChange #InnovationForGood #FutureOfFood #Anu Land Betterment Corporation Logan Jenkins Indiana Center for Emerging Technologies Evansville Regional Economic Partnership Indiana State Department of Agriculture Indiana Agriculture & Technology School AgriNovus Indiana Purdue Polytechnic Purdue Innovates Indiana Farm Bureau, Inc. Indiana Economic Development Corporation Indiana Hunger Summit Interns for Indiana - Purdue University SBA Indiana District Office National Science Foundation (NSF) USDA

🎉 Congratulations to Dr. Sven Nelson! 🌱🏆 We’re thrilled to celebrate Dr. Sven Nelson, Senior VP of Research at Anu, for being named Work-Based Learning Supervisor of the Year by Institute for Workforce Excellence and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce! 👏🎉 Dr. Nelson’s exceptional leadership, mentorship, and dedication to nurturing the next generation of innovators in agriculture and sustainability make him truly deserving of this honor. His hands-on approach, deep expertise, and commitment to professional and personal growth have made a lasting impact on our interns and work-based learners. 🌍💡 Thank you, Dr. Nelson, for your unwavering support and guidance—your leadership is shaping the future of sustainable agriculture and beyond! 🚀 #Congratulations #MentorshipMatters #WorkBasedLearning #AgTech #SustainableInnovation #Leadership #FutureOfFarming #IndianaChamber #Anu Purdue University Interns for Indiana - Purdue University Indiana Economic Development Corporation Southwest Indiana Small Business Development Center (SBDC) AgriNovus Indiana Indiana Grown University of Evansville Purdue Office of Professional Practice Patrick Francis

Delighted to be speaking at #IndoorAgCon2025. Who's going? Join us and save 20% off your pass with our promo code SPEAK20.  #indoorfarming #verticalfarming #controlledenvironmentagriculture #greenhouse Indoor Ag-Con iGrow News

🌟 Exciting News! We Won the TechPoint #2025MiraAwards! 🌱🏆 We are beyond thrilled to be named the Tech Innovation of the Year winner at the #MiraAwards! This recognition highlights our commitment to advancing AgTech, sustainability, and AI-driven agriculture to empower communities with Pure Produce®—food that’s better for people and the planet. 🌍🍅 A huge thank you to our incredible team, partners, and supporters who make this work possible. Congratulations to all the other winners who are shaping the future of tech and innovation in Indiana! Read more about this exciting achievement: www.miraawards.com 🚀 #Mira2025 #TechInnovation #AgTech #SustainableFarming #FutureOfFood #PureProduce #IndianaTech #Gratitude #InnovationForGood #TechForGood Mira Awards Purdue Office of Professional Practice Purdue Innovates Purdue Research Foundation Purdue Polytechnic Indiana Economic Development Corporation Interns for Indiana - Purdue University

🚀 Honored to Win TechPoint’s #Mira2025 Tech Innovation of the Year! 🌱🏆 We are beyond grateful to be recognized as the Tech Innovation of the Year at the #MiraAwards accepted by our Director of Software Engineering Austin Ottinger! 🎉 Thank you to TechPoint for celebrating groundbreaking solutions that shape the future of technology and sustainability. At anu™ (previously gropod), we’re leveraging AI-driven image data collection and controlled environment agriculture (CEA) to empower communities to sustainably grow Pure Produce®—food that’s better for people and the planet. 🌍🌱 Our AI-powered systems analyze plant health in real time, optimizing growth conditions, reducing water and nutrient waste, and creating tailored environments for each plant. This cutting-edge approach ensures consistent, high-quality yields while enabling scalable, resilient food production in urban settings, food-insecure regions, and remote locations facing supply chain vulnerabilities. Through technology, we are redefining self-sufficient food systems, giving communities the tools to cultivate fresh, nutrient-rich produce—anytime, anywhere. 🚀💡 #Mira2025 #TechInnovation #AgTech #AI #SustainableFarming #FutureOfFood #InnovationForGood #TechPoint #Anu Mira Awards IndyAWS Purdue Research Foundation Indiana State Department of Agriculture Indiana Economic Development Corporation Indiana Farm Bureau, Inc. Indiana Hunger Summit Purdue Polytechnic Inside INdiana Business University of Evansville Evansville Regional Economic Partnership Tri-State Manufacturers' Alliance - Evansville Regional Economic Partnership Indianapolis Business Journal

Join us for an insightful event on March 18 designed to help entrepreneurs understand SBIR/STTR funding 💵 and how to leverage it for startup success. This event will feature Scott Massey, CEO & Co-Founder of anu™ (previously gropod), a Southwest Indiana entrepreneur actively navigating this funding path, as well as panelists Matt Burkett from the ARI (Applied Research Institute), Logan Jenkins from the Indiana Center for Emerging Technologies, and Nick Kuhn from Elevate Ventures. If you're a entrepreneur or innovator interested in new technologies, don't miss it! 📆 Register at https://lnkd.in/g3Q9TgNB. #SmallBiz #Technology #Funding

Indiana's digital innovation economy is advancing rapidly, and TechPoint's Mira Awards showcase of that growth. The annual event celebrates the most innovative companies in Indiana’s tech ecosystem. Congratulations to all the Purdue University-connected winners who took home awards Thursday evening!   AgriNovus Indiana AgBioscience Innovation Award: ReproHealth Technologies, Inc. BioCrossroads Life Sciences Innovation Team Award: GeniPhys Higher Education Innovation Award: MathTrack Institute Rising Entrepreneur of the Year: Jorge Ivan Saenz Talent Impact: STARTedUP Foundation Tech Innovation of the Year: anu™ (previously gropod) #Mira2025 #MiraAwards #Purdue #PurdueInnovates