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Jean-Paul Kyrillos
Cofounder and CEO at Farmshelf | Grow Wherever You Are
Jean-Paul Kyrillos is a seasoned professional in the food and services industry who currently serves as the Cofounder and CEO of Farmshelf, a company specializing in indoor hydroponic farming systems.23
Career Background
Kyrillos has an extensive 25-year career in the food and services space. His professional journey includes:
- Farmshelf: Cofounder since March 2017, Board Member since February 2021, and CEO since April 2023.2
- Previous Roles:
- Chief Revenue Officer at Galvanized Media
- President of The Daily Meal
- VP/Publisher at Travel+Leisure and Food & Wine magazines
- Various leadership positions at Maxim Inc.
Farmshelf
Under Kyrillos' leadership, Farmshelf has developed bookcase-sized indoor farms that enable users to grow leafy greens, herbs, and other produce with less water and space than traditional farming methods.3 The company, founded in 2016 and based in Brooklyn, New York, aims to make food growing more accessible to people where they live, work, and eat.1
Education
Kyrillos attended The Lawrenceville School and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Vermont.2
Vision and Impact
Kyrillos is passionate about bringing sustainable and fresh food production closer to consumers. He believes that Farmshelf's technology can revolutionize how communities grow and distribute fresh produce, particularly in regions with limited arable land and high food import dependency.3
Highlights
Super scary to see the chemicals that are all over our food system. Yes, I am biased, but I like being able to grow some of my food at home.
URBAN-X is a startup platform and accelerator that brought Farmshelf from its infancy in San Francisco to Brooklyn and added tremendous value in our early years. Sponsored by MINI, they provided us with a company car in 2019. I always regretted us not being able to figure out a way to keep it beyond that generous gratis period. Having a Farmshelf branded car to run around the city sent some very powerful messages: We have arrived. We are real. We mean business. Don’t underestimate the value of putting your brand out there to remind people who you are and what you are doing.
#FarmshelfDiaries part seven Johan Schwind
