Last week, Endeavor celebrated 10 years of their Great Lakes region, headquartered in Detroit. And celebrate we did — from the late night river cruise to racing on the M1 track, it was a fitting milestone for a community that knows how to go big.
(For those who don’t know Endeavor: it’s a global organization that supports high-growth founders in emerging tech ecosystems around the world. With over 85 unicorns, they’ve proven that when entrepreneurs are well supported, they can scale massively and create outsized impact in their communities.)
As part of the event, Endeavor produced a series of short films profiling entrepreneurs, including me. The video above was premiered that night, and it captures a piece of my journey and what we’re building at The Electric Plant Co.
It’s tough to make space for things like this — I’m deep in build mode while trying to be a good husband and dad to Krista and our three boys. But this time was different. Between filming the short, speaking on a panel, and catching up with the Endeavor crew, I found myself reflecting on something.
Bold visions spring from deep roots. Here’s what I mean.
Detroit is a dynamic city and it’s been an honor to be a small part in the comeback this city is making. Being surrounded by Great Lakes and even greater people, Michigan is an incredible place to live. Growing up in a strong community in Grand Rapids, having access to top-notch education at Hope College and University of Michigan, finding a community of creative builders here in Detroit, this state has given a lot to me.
As an entrepreneur and innovator, I’ve always wanted to make a big impact. Around 2017, I got to a place where I wanted to build a business that could scale and go a lot bigger. After a healthy recovery from a major brain surgery and with our third son on the way, I was overwhelmed with a sense of God’s blessing — a deep feeling that this life we’ve been given is beautiful and that we have a huge opportunity to participate in how this world is shaped and restored. We are being invited to co-create flourishing, here and now. The decision to take a leap and start Bloomscape felt very obvious at the time.
What also became obvious very quickly was that if I was going to build a high-growth, venture-backed company, I needed to learn a lot. Building a company this way is different and I found that most of the good, solid business advice I was surrounded with was no longer resonating in the same way. I needed people that saw my potential, could help me think big, and connect me with new networks. A handful of people really came through for me1 and more than any other organization, Endeavor.
When I got introduced to Pete and Antonio, I really had no idea what Endeavor was, but immediately, they were connecting me with resources in SF and NY that really helped. Bloomscape was growing fast and those resources were priceless. By the time I went through the international selection panel, I still didn’t realize the extent of how supportive Endeavor would end up being for me, but it was clear that this was a group of people who shared something deep in my worldview: the purpose of business and innovation is to generate flourishing in the world.
Building a high-growth business is very difficult and Bloomscape was no exception. I’m incredibly proud of what we achieved, but as my closest friends and family know, there’s pain and heartbreak there too. One thing I’ve learned is that when you’re really down, you get to see another side of people. Sometimes it’s ugly and painful. But there are the people that stand out and show they’re operating on a deeper level—one not purely driven by optics and momentum, but instead driven by a quiet, but much stronger form of support.2
As most of you know, I’m building something new. This time, we’re going bigger and being a lot more audacious—a plan nothing short of unlocking plant intelligence at scale. We are going to transform how we live with nature. If you’ve read We Are Planetary Gardeners, you know this vision draws on both the world I grew up in and my brightest hope for our future.
No matter how grounded, truly impactful things can’t be contained. They grow outward, tap into strengths, and join movements germinated in other ecosystems. The Electric Plant Co is no exception. We’re infused with talent and support from tech hubs around the world. Already, our collaborators and projects span horticultural sites around the world.
Our mission is nothing short of radical: to transform the way we live with nature by unlocking the vast intelligence currently hidden in the plant kingdom. The only way I know how to go after such a big vision is to draw on deep roots.
Let’s name some names…
I could not have gotten where I did without the early support of Lauren Bigelow, Kyle Hoff, Ting Kelly, Liz Keen, Bridget Russo, Brett deMarrais, and a number of other people who were generous with their time and money, and opening their networks to me.
Prior to starting Electric Plant, the Endeavor crew and a group of fellow entrepreneurs really showed up for me — including Diana Callaghan, Antonio Luck, Nate Lowery, Dug Song, Jason Wenk, Lisa McLaughlin, Mike Vichich, Melissa Butler, Jason Vazzano, Ping Ho, Jenny Fielding, and Scott Hartley. Thank you.
