{"692967":{"#nid":"692967","#data":{"type":"news","title":"ATDC Startup Brings Community-Centered Energy Infrastructure to Downtown Los Angeles","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn Downtown Los Angeles, damaged lighting infrastructure, unlit pedestrian corridors, and temporary battery trailers have created challenges for businesses, residents, and visitors. As the city prepares for major global events in the coming years, the need for reliable energy infrastructure that complements the surrounding environment has become increasingly important.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClean technology company Gaia Agricultural Technology is working to help Los Angeles address some of those challenges through Gaia Box, its patented infrastructure system designed to generate and store energy while supporting plant growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing a closed-loop water system, Gaia Box integrates energy infrastructure with plant-growing space. It can work alongside solar, utility power, or battery storage, addressing multiple energy needs while contributing to a more attractive streetscape.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGaia\u0027s first public Gaia Box installation is operating near the Los Angeles Department of Transportation\u0027s Pico Station, close to Crypto.com Arena. Through a pilot partnership with the Los Angeles South Park Business Improvement District, the system is supporting decorative lighting along Flower Street while being tested in a high-traffic urban environment. The year-long pilot could include up to 10 Gaia Box units.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESolving Problems With Clean Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor founder and CEO James Highsmith, Gaia Box was never intended to solve an infrastructure problem alone.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We come from the community,\u0022 Highsmith said. \u0022We weren\u0027t trying to build a product just to sell. We were trying to solve problems that we were experiencing ourselves.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe idea grew from a challenge Highsmith and co-founder and inventor DeMarco Millard encountered firsthand. When colder temperatures required crops they were growing outdoors to be moved indoors, the resulting increase in energy costs raised a larger question: Could they create one solution that addressed both energy use and food production?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBuilding it came with challenges. As a hardware startup operating across agriculture, clean energy, and infrastructure, Gaia did not fit neatly into an established category. Highsmith recalls years of skepticism from people who struggled to understand the concept.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We went through years of being told we didn\u0027t know what we were doing,\u0022 Highsmith said. Those experiences forced Gaia to refine both its approach and how it communicated its value. That evolution became an important part of the company\u0027s work with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atdc.org\/\u0022\u003EAdvanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) at Georgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith coaching from ATDC Sustainability Catalyst Jennifer Singh, Highsmith said Gaia learned to explain the company from a systems perspective, connecting energy, agriculture, infrastructure, and community needs, while also communicating its impact on a human level.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022ATDC taught us the importance of communicating with story and not losing the plot,\u0022 Highsmith said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough ATDC\u0027s coaching, Feedback Friday, Entrepreneurs Night, mentorship, and strategic guidance, Gaia also gained relationships and feedback that helped prepare the company for conversations with customers and partners. Highsmith credits Singh, Lisa Bailey, and other advisors with contributing to the company\u0027s growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPartners in Sustainability\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn Los Angeles, Nolan Marshall III, CEO of the Los Angeles South Park Business Improvement District, became a key pilot partner, allowing Gaia to demonstrate Gaia Box against real infrastructure needs. Another step toward commercialization came through Gaia\u0027s partnership with the Alabama Mobility and Power Center (AMP) at The University of Alabama. Working with AMP Research Director Mike Malley and his team, Gaia gained support related to battery-backed infrastructure, customer energy requirements, battery sizing, safety considerations, installation, and maintenance. AMP also provides engineering expertise that strengthens Gaia\u0027s ability to prepare for larger projects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe company\u0027s vision extends beyond the technology. Gaia plans to incorporate workforce development into future rollouts, creating opportunities for people to gain experience and certifications in plumbing, electrical work, and construction \u2014 trades directly connected to building and maintaining Gaia Box units. \u0022These systems should create value for the people who live around them, not just the people who purchase them,\u0022 Highsmith said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith its first Los Angeles Gaia Box operating and additional configurations planned, Gaia is exploring opportunities in Georgia, Maryland, and other markets as it moves toward broader commercialization. For a company that spent years being told its idea did not make sense, the Los Angeles rollout is an opportunity to test how resilient infrastructure can address multiple challenges while creating value for the communities it serves.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EATDC portfolio company Gaia Agricultural Technology is bringing its patented Gaia Box technology to Downtown Los Angeles through a pilot with the Los Angeles South Park Business Improvement District. Designed to generate and store energy while supporting plant growth, Gaia Box is currently powering decorative lighting near Pico Station and Crypto.com Arena. With support from ATDC coaching and mentorship, Gaia has continued refining its technology, story, and path toward commercialization while exploring opportunities in Georgia, Maryland, and other markets.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"ATDC portfolio company Gaia Agricultural Technology is bringing its patented Gaia Box technology to Downtown Los Angeles."}],"uid":"36849","created_gmt":"2026-10-01 16:37:57","changed_gmt":"2026-10-15 17:50:25","author":"acrane34","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-10-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-10-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681328":{"id":"681328","type":"image","title":"MSW_9835_optimized.jpg","body":null,"created":"1790873331","gmt_created":"2026-10-01 16:48:51","changed":"1790876857","gmt_changed":"2026-10-01 17:47:37","alt":"Founder and CEO James Highsmith, Gaia Box ","file":{"fid":"265704","name":"MSW_9835_optimized.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/01\/MSW_9835_optimized.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/01\/MSW_9835_optimized.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1621068,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/10\/01\/MSW_9835_optimized.jpg?itok=Lln1kgSK"}}},"media_ids":["681328"],"groups":[{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192255","name":"go-commercializationnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}