Simon Holloway, Sales and Marketing Director of Vegepod Global began with the company when it had three partners and no sales. He has seen it all as he experienced the ups and downs of growing a global agricultural business.

For this Ag After Dark evening he engaged an audience of students, parents and Agriculture teachers who had been having a network meeting and training day, sharing the realities of his journey including:

  • driving around Australia with thousands of visits to garden centres & hardware stores to develop a wide range of stockists.
  • a foray into reality TV with a successful pitch on Shark Tank
  • the process of product development leading to a patented design which balances the needs of shipping, cost, and the customer.
  • the decisions surrounding global expansion.

Ultimately Simon trusts in the quality product of the Vegepod, meeting a genuine need of amateur gardeners. Vegepods are a weed-free, pest free, self-watering portable container gardening solution available in a range of sizes. For more information on the product visit the Vegepod website.

The Barker Institute thanks the Agriculture department for putting on an event suitable for those with interests ranging from Agriculture to business and technology.

Dr Matthew Hill

Dr Matthew Hill is the Director of The Barker Institute with a focus on professional learning, research, and innovation in the school.  He teaches Physics and the new Science Extension course at the School which introduces students to scientific academic research. Matthew's doctorate reflects his passion for science education focussing on Representational Fluency amongst physics students at school and university. He has published in leadership, education, and science journals and been involved in course development and teaching at The University of Sydney and The University of Western Sydney. He has also completed a Graduate Diploma in Divinity at Ridley College in Melbourne.