Partners, Advisors & Team
Our Team
Grow to Know is a student-led innovation initiative supported by nonprofit and community mentorship. The team brings together STEM research, engineering design, and food-access leadership to build scalable hydroponic education programs.
Team Perspective
Through hands-on experimentation with hydroponic systems, the Grow to Know team observed that plants grown in controlled environments consistently grew faster, healthier, and more reliably than those grown in traditional garden beds. Team members experimented with a wide range of crops—including leafy greens, herbs, and fruiting plants—and found hydroponic results to be dependable across multiple growing cycles.
Motivated by these outcomes, the team began exploring how hydroponic systems could be extended beyond individual use into schools and community spaces. In collaboration with Send Hunger Packing Princeton (SHUPP), the team is working to adapt these systems for educational and community-based food production. The team believes hydroponics has the potential to support both personal food growing and broader community food access when paired with student leadership and strong partnerships.
Ryka Iyer
Strategy lead
High School Student, Princeton, NJ
Ryka leads the vision, design, and execution of Grow to Know. She is responsible for overall project strategy, STEM curriculum development, and coordination with pilot schools and community partners. Ryka designs the learning framework and data-collection protocols—including pH, electrical conductivity (EC), light exposure, and plant growth measurements—ensuring that hydroponics functions as both an educational tool and a community impact solution.
Daniel Ludewig
Systems & Data Lead
High School Student, Princeton, NJ
Daniel supports the technical operation and data analysis of Grow to Know’s hydroponic systems. He assists with system monitoring, measurement tracking, and performance evaluation, helping translate real-world data into meaningful STEM learning outcomes. His role emphasizes reliability, efficiency, and data-driven decision-making across pilot sites, including Princeton Middle School and High School.
Gabriel Vermut
Engineering & Build Lead
High School Student, Lawrenceville
Gabriel leads the physical design and construction of Grow to Know’s hydroponic systems, drawing inspiration from community-based hydroponics models. He focuses on system assembly, material selection, and build optimization to ensure the kits are low-cost, durable, and accessible for schools and community organizations. Gabriel works closely with the Lawrenceville-area high school hydroponics pilot, supporting practical implementation and system refinement.
Ross Wishnick
Team Coach & Community Partner
President, Send Hunger Packing Princeton (SHUPP)
Ross Wishnick is the President of Send Hunger Packing Princeton (SHUPP) and serves as the team’s coach and community partnership advisor. He provides mentorship on nonprofit operations, food distribution, and community engagement, and helps connect Grow to Know with local schools, industry experts and food-access initiatives, including SHUPP’s Littlebrook Vertical Farm. His guidance ensures the project aligns with genuine community needs and sustainable nonprofit practices.
Community Partner
Send Hunger Packing Princeton (SHUPP)
Academic & Research Partners
Rutgers University
Dr. A. J. Both – Rutgers University
Controlled Environment Engineering & Hydroponic Systems
Education Partners
Princeton Middle School
Mr. Mark Eastburn – Princeton Middle School
(Classroom integration and STEM education advisor)
Advisors
James Davidge
(Prototype design advisor)
Ross Wishnick
(Coach and mentor)