{"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\u003Cbr\u003Ebattery trailers have created challenges for businesses, residents, and visitors. As the city prepares for\u003Cbr\u003Emajor global events in the coming years, the need for reliable energy infrastructure that complements the\u003Cbr\u003Esurrounding environment has become increasingly important.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EClean technology company Gaia Agricultural Technology is working to help Los Angeles address some\u003Cbr\u003Eof those challenges through Gaia Box, its patented infrastructure system designed to generate and store\u003Cbr\u003Eenergy while supporting plant growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EUsing a closed-loop water system, Gaia Box integrates energy infrastructure with plant-growing space. It\u003Cbr\u003Ecan work alongside solar, utility power, or battery storage, addressing multiple energy needs while\u003Cbr\u003Econtributing to a more attractive streetscape.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGaia\u0027s first public Gaia Box installation is operating near the Los Angeles Department of Transportation\u0027s\u003Cbr\u003EPico Station, close to Crypto.com Arena. Through a pilot partnership with the Los Angeles South Park\u003Cbr\u003EBusiness Improvement District, the system is supporting decorative lighting along Flower Street while\u003Cbr\u003Ebeing tested in a high-traffic urban environment. The year-long pilot could include up to 10 Gaia Box\u003Cbr\u003Eunits.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESolving Problems With Clean Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EFor founder and CEO James Highsmith, Gaia Box was never intended to solve an infrastructure problem\u003Cbr\u003Ealone.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0022We come from the community,\u0022 Highsmith said. \u0022We weren\u0027t trying to build a product just to sell. We\u003Cbr\u003Ewere trying to solve problems that we were experiencing ourselves.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe idea grew from a challenge Highsmith and co-founder and inventor DeMarco Millard encountered\u003Cbr\u003Efirsthand. When colder temperatures required crops they were growing outdoors to be moved indoors,\u003Cbr\u003Ethe resulting increase in energy costs raised a larger question: Could they create one solution that\u003Cbr\u003Eaddressed both energy use and food production?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EBuilding it came with challenges. As a hardware startup operating across agriculture, clean energy, and\u003Cbr\u003Einfrastructure, Gaia did not fit neatly into an established category. Highsmith recalls years of skepticism\u003Cbr\u003Efrom people who struggled to understand the concept.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0022We went through years of being told we didn\u0027t know what we were doing,\u0022 Highsmith said.\u003Cbr\u003EThose experiences forced Gaia to refine both its approach and how it communicated its value. That\u003Cbr\u003Eevolution became an important part of the company\u0027s work with the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWith coaching from ATDC Sustainability Catalyst Jennifer Singh, Highsmith said Gaia learned to explain\u003Cbr\u003Ethe company from a systems perspective, connecting energy, agriculture, infrastructure, and community\u003Cbr\u003Eneeds, while also communicating its impact on a human level.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0022ATDC taught us the importance of communicating with story and not losing the plot,\u0022 Highsmith said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThrough ATDC\u0027s coaching, Feedback Friday, Entrepreneurs Night, mentorship, and strategic guidance,\u003Cbr\u003EGaia also gained relationships and feedback that helped prepare the company for conversations with\u003Cbr\u003Ecustomers and partners. Highsmith credits Singh, Lisa Bailey, and other advisors with contributing to the\u003Cbr\u003Ecompany\u0027s growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPartners in Sustainability\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIn Los Angeles, Nolan Marshall III, CEO of the Los Angeles South Park Business Improvement District,\u003Cbr\u003Ebecame a key pilot partner, allowing Gaia to demonstrate Gaia Box against real infrastructure needs\u003Cbr\u003EAnother step toward commercialization came through Gaia\u0027s partnership with the Alabama Mobility and\u003Cbr\u003EPower Center (AMP) at The University of Alabama. Working with AMP Research Director Mike Malley\u003Cbr\u003Eand his team, Gaia gained support related to battery-backed infrastructure, customer energy\u003Cbr\u003Erequirements, battery sizing, safety considerations, installation, and maintenance. AMP also provides\u003Cbr\u003Eengineering expertise that strengthens Gaia\u0027s ability to prepare for larger projects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe company\u0027s vision extends beyond the technology. Gaia plans to incorporate workforce development\u003Cbr\u003Einto future rollouts, creating opportunities for people to gain experience and certifications in plumbing,\u003Cbr\u003Eelectrical work, and construction \u2014 trades directly connected to building and maintaining Gaia Box units.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0022These systems should create value for the people who live around them, not just the people who\u003Cbr\u003Epurchase them,\u0022 Highsmith said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWith its first Los Angeles Gaia Box operating and additional configurations planned, Gaia is exploring\u003Cbr\u003Eopportunities in Georgia, Maryland, and other markets as it moves toward broader commercialization.\u003Cbr\u003EFor a company that spent years being told its idea did not make sense, the Los Angeles rollout is an\u003Cbr\u003Eopportunity to test how resilient infrastructure can address multiple challenges while creating value for the\u003Cbr\u003Ecommunities 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":"2026-10-01 17:04:07","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":[],"core_research_areas":[{"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":""}}}