RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Two founders of a Richmond-based company that offers sustainable indoor farming services and technologies have made the 2023 Forbes 30 under 30 list in the category of social impact, which celebrates innovators who are “leveraging business smarts to save the world.”
According to Forbes, Alexander Olesen and Graham Smith established Babylon Micro-Farms in 2017 with the goal of bringing farming to the masses so that anyone can grow their own fresh produce.
“I am honored to be included in this year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 list alongside my Co-Founder, Graham Smith. We’ve been building Babylon Micro-Farms together for nearly 6 years,” Olesen told Forbes.
Babylon’s indoor hydroponic farms, or “micro-farms,” and farming service technologies let users grow vegetables, such as lettuce, two to three times faster and uses 90% less water compared to outdoor farming, Olesen and Smith’s profile in Forbes read.
The company, which is based in Scott’s Addition at 3409 Carlton Street, currently operates in more than 30 states. The company has worked with local and national clients, including Harvest Table, Sodexo, VCU, Aramark, Dominion Energy, IKEA, as well as schools, hospitals and senior care facilities.
