Season 10 Episode 136 — From History Major to Leading an Asian AgTech Awakening
A conversation with Jesper Hansen of YesHealth
In this episode, I speak with Jesper Hansen, the Chief Commercial Officer at YesHealth. Jesper shares his unique journey from studying history in Denmark to becoming a key player in the vertical farming industry in Taiwan. We discuss his transition into agriculture, driven by a desire to explore the world and a chance encounter with his now-wife’s family business. Jesper’s story is a testament to the unexpected paths life can take and the opportunities that arise from them.
Jesper also delves into the challenges and successes of YesHealth, a company that has become a leader in vertical farming in Asia. He explains the importance of building large-scale farms and the company’s strategy of partnering with local entrepreneurs to ensure the success of these projects. Jesper’s insights into the cultural differences and the evolving landscape of vertical farming in Asia provide a fascinating look at how this innovative industry is developing globally.
Join us for an engaging conversation that highlights the potential of vertical farming to transform the way we think about food production.
Special thanks to our Season 10 Sponsor:
Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit
Key Takeaways
- 00:03:53: The Value of Studying History in Business
- 00:05:13: Cultural Differences Between Denmark and China
- 00:19:31: Importance of Collaborative Partnerships
- 00:21:29: Differences in Vertical Farming Perspectives Between Asia and the West
- 00:27:28: Disrupting Traditional Views on Produce Pricing
- 00:31:32: Increasing Awareness of YesHealth in the West
- 00:37:30: Timeline for Setting Up a Vertical Farm
- 00:39:52: Growing Awareness and Conferences in Asia
- 00:41:57: Challenges in Aligning Partners and Teams
- 00:44:26: Family Involvement in YesHealth
Tweetables
“In Denmark, because I’m from a rural area, we are very individualized, so we have a lot of private space. In China, it’s the opposite. It’s all about the collective. You don’t look at the needs of the person first; you look at the needs of the group.”
“I think the industry in Asia is coming back, but it’s at a slightly slower pace. The initial excitement there was before is not there, but I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing because one of the things that went wrong in the first iteration in the West was that it was too much excitement, maybe too much money and push towards unrealistic goals in the short term.”
“I feel like I could send the design drawing of our farm to anyone in the industry. First of all, they have their own design, so they wouldn’t just adopt ours. Even if they did, they wouldn’t know how to run the farm because there’s so much more to it.”
Links Mentioned
Website — https://www.yeshealthgroup.com
LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/company/yeshealth-group/
Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/yeshealthgroup
Twitter — https://x.com/YesHealthGroup
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