Louis Ferro and Tom Cellucci

Mr. Ferro, Co-founder and President of Empire State Greenhouses, LLC, (ESG) has more than 30 years of experience in international business. Working closely with leading-edge technology and agricultural experts, local communities, and a variety of public and private funding sources, he has spearheaded the development of a paradigm shift in circular-economy agriculture. He recently spoke at the Davos Green Accelerator during the World Economic Forum on the key to Carbon Negative Agriculture: ESG’s breakthrough Food-Energy-Waste -Fertilizer Continuum. Mr. Ferro has an extensive global network and expertise in foreign policy and international relations at the Council on Foreign Relations where he served as a principal liaison to foreign governments, dignitaries and business leaders.  Prior, he participated as a graduate student at the United Nations Department of Disarmament Affairs. Mr. Ferro is an Adjunct Lecturer at the Graduate Business School of Mercy College. Mr. Ferro is a member of the Invest NYC Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Initiative Working Group, NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business. Louis and his team are pioneering the first installation of the food-energy-waste fertilizer system in Cobleskill, New York, designed as a fully integrated carbon-negative 375,000 sq ft LEED Gold real estate project combining controlled environment agriculture food production with on-site waste to megawatt-scale renewable energy and fertilizer systems. The system is scalable and can be replicated worldwide. The 40-acre site bordering Interstate 88 puts the facility within easy reach of major metropolitan markets, providing better shelf-life and viability than produce shipped cross-country or from abroad. ESG Cobleskill will deliver 8 million pounds of certified organic ready-to-eat salads packed for retail sale annually at peak capacity, while yielding approximately 66,000 tons per year in carbon savings. The facility is situated adjacent to SUNY Cobleskill, New York State’s premier agriculture and technology campus. Through an academic partnership, ESG will provide educational opportunities and an employment pipeline for new generations of agricultural and technology experts. The food-energy-waste-fertilizer model addresses some of the most pressing issues facing our planet: climate change, sustainable agriculture, decarbonization, clean water, fresh organic produce destined for both major consumer markets and to combat food insecurity of those most vulnerable in society, and job creation in low income and rural communities. Without the costs of energy, margins are far greater than grid-energy-reliant operations, benefiting investors and consumers alike. A carbon-negative, renewable energy circular model is not only good business, it’s essential for the health of the planet. || H.E. The Hon, Sir Dr. Thomas A. Cellucci, PhD, MBA is a serial entrepreneur, currently managing several high-tech firms. He was appointed the US Department of Homeland Security’s Director of the Research & Development Partnerships (RDP) Group managing over $12B in assets and over1700 team members. He was also the first Chief Commercialization Officer in the US Federal Executive Branch and continues to assist the President of the United States and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. In 1999, he founded Cellucci Associates, Inc. with headquarters at Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA. Cellucci writes about the intersection of emerging technology, commercialization, and implementation to protect the homeland. Cellucci earned a PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania (1984), an MBA from Rutgers University (1991) and a BS in Chemistry with Honors from Fordham University (1980). He holds two endowed Chairs at prestigious universities in Kazakhstan and has taught at Harvard Business School, Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania.