Jack Ross, a 2017 UVA graduate and i.Lab alum, shared his journey growing the indoor farming company Beanstalk Farms, and reflected on the evident growth of the entrepreneurial ecosystem across the University since he graduated, with a celebration of entrepreneurship in front of a packed room in the heart of the Academical Village.
© Amanda MaglioneJack Ross, i.Lab alum and founder of Beanstalk, speaks at the i.Lab Demo Night event
"The i.Lab has really filled a role at the University, and it's an incredible resource," Ross said. "To be here in the Rotunda for i.Lab pitch night is truly an accomplishment, and I think it's something everybody here should be very proud of."
Ross described the support he and his cofounder brother have received from the UVA community throughout Beanstalk's journey, noting the alumnus who helped find a place for them to stay rent-free in Palo Alto after being accepted into the prestigious Y Combinator venture incubator, for instance.
Ross, whose company is building the world's largest vertical farm in Northern Virginia, encouraged founders to cultivate a daily practice he described as "exciting mornings, calm evenings."
Wake up every morning with the goal of focusing your time and energy on doing what's exciting, and then transition to a calm evening, content that you've "left it all out on the field that day," Ross said.
Then, plan ahead to ensure that you have an exciting morning in store for you the next day. It's a simple recipe for finding sustainable joy in what can be a difficult journey, said Ross.
