S8E93: Eric Levesque / Cultivatd - How Gaming & Poker Led Me to Going All-In on Vertical Farming

Episode Summary

In this episode, Eric Levesque returns for Round 3 to share his journey of being a former gamer and professional player and the twists and turns that led him to the world of vertical farming. Eric emphasizes the importance of hyper-local food and why he’s excited about the potential for new crops like mushrooms to play an important part of in the future of indoor grown. Eric also highlights the significance of reflecting on one's goals and values, pivoting business models, and building a culture that values respect and flexibility. Cultivatd's unorthodox hiring process and emphasis on creating a culture of respect and flexibility make it a leader in sustainable and innovative business practices for a brighter future for the food industry.

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Key Takeaways

• Discover how Eric’s experiences in gaming and poker prepared him for the world of entrepreneurship.
• Learn why reflecting on one's goals and values is important for avoiding burnout and building a sustainable business.
• Find out why vertical farming is becoming a necessity for providing both human food and animal feed.
• Explore the movement towards hyper-local food, where food is grown and distributed within a 25-50 mile radius, and the benefits it offers over traditional local food.
• Understand the importance of pivoting business models and being introspective to avoid getting lost in success or blaming others for failures.
• Learn about Cultivatd's unorthodox hiring process and culture that values respect and flexibility.
• Get excited about the future of the food industry and the potential for mushrooms as a part of the future of food.
• Discover the growing interest in vertical farming and the potential for larger conferences and more attendees.
• Find out how Cultivatd is leading the way towards a brighter future for fresh, locally grown produce.

Tweetable Quotes

“You need some insane mental endurance. You would not believe how much focus it requires because in those games you're playing in real time against just one other person usually and the tiniest mistake can cost you a lot of prize money.”

“It's always been go go, but I'm pretty good at reflecting back. I think it's really important for you to just not lose yourself in that process and to reflect on what it is you're doing, because your goals will change quite a bit throughout your life. And if you're not paying attention to that, I think you can get kind of lost in that rat race of you're just chasing something that never ends.”

“These farms that reduce 90% to 95% of water, they will be encouraged and incentivized in ways that we can't think of right now because we just don't have a choice. Currently, about 25% of all the people on the planet already don't have access to clean drinking water. 25% is staggering. And that's getting worse and worse. There's over 1.5 million people a year that die just due to lack of water intake every year on the planet. So these problems are huge and they're only getting bigger.”

“You have companies like Unfold and some of these newer ones that do seed genetics, that are working with seeds to make them have a better taste profile, a better crunch profile, better flavor, more nutrients.”

Resources Mentioned

Eric’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-levesque-a03a33163/?originalSubdomain=ca 

Eric’s Email – [email protected]

Cultivatd Website – https://cultivatd.com/ 

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Sponsor Links

Cultivatd’s Website – https://cultivatd.com/

Cultivatd’s Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/cultivatdco/

Cultivatd’s Twitter – https://twitter.com/cultivatd

Cultivatd’s Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/cultivatd/

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Mentioned in this episode:

2025 Precision Ag Report by iGrowNews

2025 Precision Ag Report

2025 Precision Ag Report by iGrowNews

2025 Precision Ag Report