AgTech X is a former hub for education and entrepreneurship focused on urban farming and agritech in New York City. From June 2017 – May 2019, AgTech X was NYC’s first shared workspace dedicated solely to these topics.
In June 2019, AgTech X was acquired by Agritecture Consulting to expand our expertise working with early-stage entrepreneurs to a more global audience under the Agritecture Designer platform.
You can read more about our prior work and acquisition here.
Our Team
Ricky Stephens
Co-Founder & CEORicky's expertise is in building and operating digital platforms focused on customer acquisition, engagement, and retention. Ricky spent four years with Red Ventures, a leader in digital marketing & sales technology, where he helped to launch and scale RV’s first international office in Sao Paulo as Manager of Marketing Analytics. Upon moving back to the US in the summer of 2016, Ricky founded res mktg, a digital marketing consultancy focused on helping emerging, sustainability-driven companies grow their businesses through paid marketing efforts. Ricky received his B.A. in History from Davidson College.
Henry Gordon-Smith
Co-FounderHenry’s expertise is in planning and operating urban agriculture projects. Since 2014, he has served as the Managing Director of Agritecture Consulting (formerly Blue Planet), a leader in the design & implementation of urban farming projects globally. Henry is also the founder of Agritecture.com, the premier website for news, events, and emerging technologies in the vertical farming space. In 2013, Henry became a founding member of the Association for Vertical Farming and served as Vice Chair for four years. He's been recognized as a "40 Under 40 Food Policy Leader" by NYC Food Policy Center and one of the "Top 10 People in Produce" by Produce Grower. Henry received his B.A. in Political Science from the University of British Columbia and holds an M.S. in Sustainability Management from Columbia University.
Spencer Martin
Director of Partnerships & EventsSpencer Martin's expertise is in experiential event production and client management. He joins AgTech X as Director of Partnerships and Events. Spencer will be leading the creation, design and production of special events for AgTech X and building lasting partnerships with key cities, brands, and leaders. He has worked on event campaigns for brands such as FILA, Delta Air Lines, Peloton, and Target. These events have ranged from pop-up shops in SoHo to brand awareness nationwide tours to GRAMMYs parties. Spencer joins our team after gaining exposure to modern agriculture through producing international accelerator retreats for environmental entrepreneurs as well as living on various permaculture farms around the world. Spencer received his B.S. in Marketing and Management from the University of South Carolina.
Elyssa Rothe
Strategy AdvisorElyssa’s expertise is in clean energy finance, incentives, and legislation. She is currently employed at PACENation, the nonprofit, national advocacy organization for PACE clean energy financing. Previously, she worked as a marketing and outreach contractor for NYSERDA's energy efficiency programs. Elyssa also serves on the Board of Directors for SPARC Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides services for people with developmental disabilities in Westchester County. Elyssa received her BA in Social Entrepreneurship from New York University and holds a Certificate in Fundraising from NYU’s School of Professional Studies.
Lila Rimalovski
Community Development & Project CoordinatorLila Rimalovski joins AgTech X as the Community Development & Project Coordinator. She has spent the past few years diving into the field of food systems and climate change-- first by working with political institutions and civic-tech startups, and more recently with permaculture farms around the world, agroecology research in New York, and a B.A. in Ecology, Food Systems, & Climate Change from NYU's Gallatin School of Individualized Study (Class of 2019). After spending a summer conducting agroecological field research with the Earth Institute at Columbia University, Lila came to AgTech X with a strong foundation in environmental justice movements, ecological systems science, and community building strategies that work towards equitable access to fresh food for all. Lila believes that resilient food systems have the capacity to heal Earth and humans simultaneously.
Kate Lodvikov
Former Hydroponics TechnicianKate was AgTech X's former hydroponics technician, now working for Farm.One. Kate has operated a number of vertical farming systems in New York City, having worked alongside an entrepreneur at Square Roots and installing a variety of indoor farming systems for private chefs around the city. Kate has taught a number of introductory level hydroponics courses across the city, including a course at the New York Botanical Gardens. She received a certification in horticulture from the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and holds a B.A. in Political Science from the City University of New York, Hunter College.