About Ponix MicroAg
Christopher Wark, Chief Executive, founded Ponix MicroAg LLC in 2017. He has 35 years of mechanical engineering experience, including 16 years of advanced tech R&D before becoming involved in green building and vegetation systems with the establishment of SHADE Consulting in 2002 and Green Roof Innovations (GRI) in 2003.
In 2009, Chris also designed a modular planting system in partnership with Guiyang Chuangjia High-Tech Accelerator Co. LTD in Guiyang, China where most of the apartment balconies and rooftops have vegetable gardens. Growing food on a few square feet of elevated concrete is common in this large city. Creating an improved environment for food production on balconies, terraces and rooftops was a key aspect of this project and directly influenced the development of new product ideas based on the EZscape concept. Later that year, Chris and his wife, Wendy, moved to New York City where their 35th floor balcony, with its exposure to extreme weather, became a test bed for cold frame concepts leading to the pPod.
Chris holds BS and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Materials Science Engineering from Washington State University.
Wendy Amengual Wark is our Chief Marketing Officer and was responsible for our dive into greenroofs back in 2002 and has been key to keeping us moving forward. She has 30+ years experience across sectors, including founding a successful consultancy firm that is in its 19th year of operating. She is also an avid gardener and cook who loves urban rooftops being fully used and enjoyed.
Craig Wiesner and Derrick Kikuchi are invaluable advisors, supporters, and active promoters of the pPod. They are the owners of Reach and Teach, an immersive hands-on indie bookstore in downtown San Carlos, CA, offering books, STEM toys, and green/eco-friendly lifestyle products since 2004. Reach and Teach has over 15 years of experience selling entry level food growing systems and books to customers of all ages.
Aramis and Linda Velasquez have been close friends, supporters and greenroof colleagues since we jumped into the greenroof world with SHADE Consulting in 2002. They are the owners of Greenroofs.com, a dynamic interactive website, online media company, vibrant social network, and comprehensive resource for Connecting the Planet + Living Architecture. Greenroofs.com has been Promoting People, Projects & Solutions since 1999.