DREAMERS & DOERS

After years of study and gathering support from inside and outside the region, Jonathan is turning his dream of a high-tech farming hub in Appalachia into reality. Before founding AppHarvest, Jonathan worked with the U.S. Department of Defense on a massive solar project to help achieve a White House goal of ensuring the military’s hundreds of installations receive 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2025. In February 2017, encouraged by investors, advisers, and politicians of both parties, Jonathan left Washington and came home to Eastern Kentucky to start a new kind of farm and turn Appalachia into the AgTech capital of America. He has a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Kentucky.

David joined AppHarvest in 2020 to develop strategy and engage in operations management, leading the sales, marketing and finance functions. Prior to joining AppHarvest, he served as chief financial officer of Impossible Foods. He is credited with significant growth accomplishments, including securing more than $1.3 billion in funding to accelerate manufacturing, product development and distribution into key national grocery, restaurant, and hospitality venues; and to expand in international markets. Lee also served as Impossible Foods' chief operating officer from 2015 to 2019, during a period of significant transformation. Prior to his work there, he served in leadership roles at Del Monte Foods, Zynga and Best Buy.

Prior to joining AppHarvest, Headley was an Executive Vice President of Bentall Kennedy, a leading North American real estate adviser. Headley led marketing and product development for the company’s MEPT fund platform, a core investment strategy with more than $7.5 billion in net assets that consistently ranked as one of the most sustainable real estate funds in the United States and globally. He joined Bentall Kennedy through its acquisition of Landon Butler & Company (LBC), a co-founder of MEPT. Headley served as President & CEO of LBC. He earned a bachelor's degree from Duke University and a master's in international relations and economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Loren joined AppHarvest in 2019, bringing more than 13 years of experience in finance and accounting. He most recently served as Vice President of Finance at Famous Brands International, the parent company of Mrs. Fields and TCBY, and held prior roles at Ernst & Young, Summit Rock Advisors, and FTI Consulting. Loren holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Kentucky and a master’s in accounting from the University of Notre Dame.

Josh joined AppHarvest in 2021 upon the company’s acquisition of robotics and artificial intelligence farming startup Root AI, the leading agricultural robotics firm he co-founded in 2018. Josh launched Root AI, which developed a universal harvesting robot, to help farms gather more data about their crops, precisely predict yields and optimize overall operations to allow people to focus on more complex tasks. Josh started the company after nearly five years as director of research and development at Soft Robotics. He holds a Ph.D. in biophysics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Brown University. He also served as a postdoctoral fellow in materials science and robotics at Harvard University.

Seth has worked with AppHarvest since the company’s founding. He brings years of international experience, serving as an Operations Officer with the U.S.-China Energy Cooperation Program (ECP), where he coordinated business operations and communications among the ECP Management Board, Executive Committee, and U.S. government officials. Seth has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the College of Charleston, along with additional studies at Beijing Language and Culture University and Xi’an International Studies University.

Travis joined AppHarvest in 2020 after serving in a number of global communications roles in Paris, Tokyo, and Nashville with the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance — most recently as Vice President for Nissan Americas and President of the Nissan Foundation. Prior to his work with Nissan, Travis held public relations leadership roles with companies including General Motors, Ally Financial, Pulte Homes and Lockheed Martin. An Appalachian native, he holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Tennessee and a master’s degree in communications management from the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.

Prior to joining AppHarvest, Jackie served as Chief Sustainability Officer at The Carlyle Group and as Senior Director for the Environmental Defense Fund, where she created a partnerships program that helped reduce environmental impact at global icons including McDonald’s, Starbucks and FedEx. In recognition of her efforts, she received the White House Presidential Environment and Conservation Challenge Award. She holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Yale University and master’s degrees from both the Yale School of Management and Yale School of the Environment. Jackie has served on the boards of numerous nonprofits, including the Appalachian Mountain Club, Arizona State University’s Global Institute of Sustainability, and Conservation International’s Center for Environmental Leadership in Business.

Dave has more than 15 years of experience at every stage of entrepreneurship, having co-founded several technology, agriculture, and energy startups. He began his career in socially responsible investing in 2005, working on carbon credit projects in developing countries under the Kyoto Protocol. Dave then transitioned from carbon trading to clean-tech finance, leading the development of clean-tech projects ranging from energy to agriculture. Dave holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from the University of Delaware and an MBA with distinction from Columbia University.

Christopher joined AppHarvest in 2020 to oversee construction and commissioning of new facilities. An Appalachian native, he has worked around the world overseeing the development and construction of buildings, including state-of-the-art fulfillment centers incorporating complex automation and technology solutions.

His decades of experience include leading facility programs and business development for companies such as CBRE, as well as information technology distribution companies Ingram Micro and BrightPoint. Christopher served in a variety of leadership roles over two decades for Ingram Micro and BrightPoint, which was acquired by Ingram Micro for $650 million in 2012.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Ball State University’s Miller College of Business.

Prior to joining AppHarvest, Matt worked in municipal finance in Chicago, management training and conflict resolution in South America, and most recently as Project Developer for a U.S. Department of Defense office responsible for reducing costs through renewable energy programs. Matt oversaw projects with investments exceeding $250 million and covering more than 1,000 acres. Matt received his bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Kentucky and a master's degree in international affairs from the Universidad Externado de Colombia.

Tim joined AppHarvest in 2020 after a long career dedicated to farming and agriculture. The son of a British tomato farmer, Tim developed his love for fruits and vegetables at an early age. After graduating from one of the United Kingdom's most prestigious agricultural colleges, Tim went to work for what was then the world's largest tomato grower. After immigrating to the U.S., he served as Vice President of Production at Village Farms, where he oversaw facilities across multiple countries, and in various leadership roles at Eurofresh Farms.

A Kentucky native, Amy’s focus includes community partnerships and educational programs. Prior to joining AppHarvest, Amy provided operations management for a regional land trust in Kentucky and she spent several years with The Nature Conservancy. In support of university extension, Amy has also provided community planning outreach and research coordination. Amy holds a bachelor's degree from Clemson University and a master's degree from the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment.

Ramel Smooth Bradley is a former starting point guard for the University of Kentucky, the winningest program in college basketball. Ramel graduated with a degree from the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, then played basketball professionally in Europe and the Middle East for nine years, with stops in Croatia, France, Israel, and Turkey. On a visit home to Brooklyn, he saw firsthand how a lack of access to affordable, healthy food caused difficulties for his family and community. He returned to Kentucky to join AppHarvest and founded the company’s high-tech educational container farm program at Shelby Valley High School in Eastern Kentucky's Pike County.