Interview with Rona Orlicky, Co-founder and CEO of DryGair – HortiDaily

To mark this year’s International Women’s Day, horticulture magazine HortiDaily conducted an interview with Rona Orlicky. Orlicky co-founded DryGair in 2010 and operates as CEO of the company.

The following are excerpts from the article. Read the full interview on HortiDaily.

What Is It Like Being a Woman in Agritech?

Being a woman in this industry has its challenges. But I must say that over the past few years, I’ve seen a big shift in this issue. There are many more women-led companies, and we have definitely made our mark on the industry.

Today, I see the fact that I’m a woman as an advantage. For example, much of what we do at DryGair is to promote an open dialogue with growers in order to constantly improve and adapt to their needs. I feel that, as a woman, I’m naturally adept at managing this discourse, being attentive, understanding our customers’ needs, and ultimately implementing them in DryGair.

How Do You View DryGair Today After 13 Years of Operation?

DryGair is no longer just an idea. It’s grown into something beautiful that I’m extremely proud of.

We save growers a lot of energy, 50% on average. But that’s not all. Our customers also report overall improved cultivation – better yields, higher quality, and close to no diseases and molds without using sprays.

Any Words About the Future of Horticulture?

I believe the need for more sustainable horticulture will really become the leading force in our industry over the next decade. I expect to see more and more growers and growing facilities incorporating DryGair, as well as other efficiency-boosting equipment, to improve cultivation and reduce costs.

DryGair has proven itself as an incredibly useful cultivation tool. Much of the discussion over the past year or two is around energy. But growers that use DryGair know that it’s much more than a way to reduce energy costs.