Mike Yohay of Cityscape Farms
The February 12 edition of Fast Company magazine features an interview with GreenMBA grad and CEO of Cityscape Farms, Mike Yohay. Cityscape Farms creates urban greenhouse systems for year round production of sustainable and local fresh food. According to the website: “By growing fresh food within just a few miles of where it will be eaten, we will have healthier, better tasting produce and make our cities cleaner and more self-sufficient.”
When asked how the Fast Company article came about, Mike noted: “I think it was the intersection of our unique venture, favorable timing (urban farming is hot right now), and word of mouth via our social networking efforts. I was amazed that it didn’t even take a press release to reach the editorial staff at Fast Company; rather, they found us. The way information spreads today is truly astounding – having a strong web 2.0 presence is essential.”
In the interview, Mike states, “I would say the cornerstone of sustainable food is transparency, meaning, the externalities of the production of the food are not hidden from the consumer.” He acknowledges that keeping down costs of Cityscape’s vegetables is a challenge, but points to the advantages of building local relationships and an appreciation for the smaller footprint of his produce in terms of packaging and energy and water use as his company’s strengths.
Mike shows his business savvy in his caution about expanding too quickly: “I get emails and phone calls from cities saying, ‘This city needs it as much, if not more, than San Francisco,’ and in some cases I agree. But we’re a startup, and we’re working our butts off to get this off the ground, and we don’t want to stretch ourselves too thin. It would be a disservice. We’ll expand when the time feels right.”
Mike got his GreenMBA from Dominican in 2007, and started CityScape in 2008. While environmental values have always been important to Mike (he’s a vegan, and previously worked at a Costa Rican eco lodge), he first gained business experience in fine art sales, after earning a degree in Art and Computer Science from Grinnell College.
Mike notes that the GreenMBA training supports his decisionmaking: “I wear my GreenMBA like a badge, reminding me of the privilege and responsibility of doing good in this world and using business as the catalyst. Cityscape Farms was born from my constant dreaming of a way to build a better mousetrap in an industry that has profound repercussions on the environment: agriculture. But doing something novel in a vast and highly competitive industry requires tremendous amounts of tenacity and confidence, both of which the GreenMBA program fortifies in its students. As for being an entrepreneur and putting one’s ideas to the test, I say: challenge the status quo, know when to ask for help, and continually seek candid feedback from people whose opinions you respect. Oh, and never stop dreaming!”
