Archives: Speakers

David Llewellyn has been working in the horticulture industry for three decades. As a Research Associate at University of Guelph, his research has specialized in characterizing and optimizing the growing environment in greenhouse and indoor production systems. His aim is to serve the controlled environment horticulture industry by performing grower-relevant research that will improve crop quality and production efficiency while reducing the industry’s environmental footprint. Especially with the advent of modern horticultural LED technologies, crop lighting has become major research focus, including: intensity, spectrum, and photoperiodic manipulations. Recent scientific publications have included both indoor and greenhouse lighting studies conducted on cannabis, microgreens, and floriculture (potted and cut) commodities.

Rose Buitenhuis joined Vineland Research and Innovation Centre in 2010 as Research Scientist, Biological Control, was named Program Leader, Biological Crop Protection in 2019 and was promoted in 2021 to Senior Research Scientist, Biological Control and became Director, Biological Crop Protection in 2023.

She is responsible for the development and implementation of biological control technologies for management of arthropod pests, supporting sustainable crop management practices for ornamental and production horticulture.

Adam Greenberg is the CEO of IUNU, a Seattle-based startup that provides AI, machine vision, and greenhouse management software to help greenhouse growers optimize their operations. IUNU is an award-winning company, having been recognized as the best new indoor growing technology from United Fresh Produce Association, AI-based AgTech Solution of the Year by the AgTech Breakthrough Awards, and has earned a top spot on the FoodTech 500 list twice over the last two years. Greenberg was named one of Greenhouse Product News’ 40 Under 40 in 2020 and is a sought-after speaker on AI in agriculture, giving talks at such conferences as Greentech Amsterdam, Indoor AgTech NYC, and Indoor AgCon. Greenberg is the co-chair of the Global Controlled Environment Agriculture Consortium (GCEAC) Automation Committee, a member of the Board of Advisors of the Financial Services Innovation Coalition’s American Innovation & Opportunity Fund, and sits on the Advisory Board of the Indoor Farm Collaborative. He earned his degrees in Finance and Entrepreneurship from the University of Washington.

Christine George is a Researcher with the Horticultural & Environmental Sciences Innovation Centre (HESIC) in Niagara College’s Research & Innovation department and teaches part-time in the School of Environment and Horticulture. Her previous experience includes working with field crops, greenhouses, and horticulture, specializing in soil and potting media. Christine holds a bachelor’s in science, minor in Microbiology and a master’s in Land Resource Science from the University of Guelph. With Niagara College, she leads and supports the success of applied research projects that aim to bring together research institutions and greenhouse & technology businesses to accelerate the development, commercialization and adoption of new technologies. Her current research projects focus on validating novel products and/or technology through growth trials within greenhouses.

Ruud Roeleveld is the President and Owner of R3&A Limited, which was founded and incorporated in 2004. He has over three decades of experience in surge and lightning protection solutions protecting people, buildings, objects, and systems. Ruud has been involved in designs, risk assessments for different industries, and is regularly providing industry specific training sessions. He has played a role in the development of Canadian Standards for Surge Protection Devices.

Jacob Basso recently completed his Master of Science degree from the University of Guelph where he specialized in the IPM of greenhouse pests. Under the supervision of Dr. Cynthia Scott-Dupree and Dr. Roselyne Labbé (AAFC), his research focused on the development of a sterile insect technique system as an alternative strategy for managing an economically important pest in North America, the pepper weevil. Jacob has presented his work for scientists and growers alike and hopes to deliver sustainable solutions for managing challenging pests in Canada.

Dr. Fadi Al-Daoud is the greenhouse vegetable specialist at Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). His portfolio includes vegetables and cannabis grown in controlled environments, such as greenhouses, warehouses, and vertical farms. After earning his doctorate from the Department of Biology at McMaster University with a specialization in molecular plant pathology, Fadi worked at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Fredericton, New Brunswick, and in the Department of Plant Agriculture at the University of Guelph in Ontario. He has conducted applied and fundamental research on horticultural and field crops, and has experience communicating his research to the scientific community and agricultural producers. Today, he works in collaboration with producers, researchers, and industry partners to advance controlled environment agriculture in Ontario.