Beyond Cannabis: Walt Waetjen’s Quest to Reshape Urban Food Access
How a Self-Described “Business Guy” Found Himself Saving the World Through Better Dehumidifiers
Finding Purpose in an Unexpected Place
By any reasonable standard, 93rd Street in Cleveland wasn’t exactly fertile ground. It wasn’t a place anyone would intentionally plant roots, let alone cultivate dreams. Yet this was precisely where Walt Waetjen—a freshly minted graduate with vague ambitions—chose to begin his career. He took a job with a small, family-owned die-cutting business tucked away in a rough patch of the city. The owner, Walt recalls, was passionate, determined, and authentic—qualities that Walt found captivating and familiar. Something resonated deeply with the young man, who still wasn’t entirely sure what his own passions might be.
“I probably would have been lost at a big corporation,” Walt says today, reflecting on those early days. “By going to a small mom-and-pop shop, I got to wear many different hats and deal with people who genuinely cared about what they did.”
That exposure—the accountant who saw beauty in cash flows, the engineer who could speak poetically about product design, the marketer who found stories in every spreadsheet—changed him profoundly. It taught him the value of listening, humility, and empathy. It also showed him that meaningful work was less about the particular job description and more about the problem one chose to solve.
Those early lessons—about adaptability, problem-solving, and the importance of purpose—stayed with him. While he never envisioned working in the dehumidifier space, he soon realized that the same principles applied: understanding a challenge, refining a solution, and creating something meaningful. Years later, he found himself doing exactly that—this time, in the field of indoor agriculture.
Revolutionizing Indoor Agriculture, One Dehumidifier at a Time
Bridging Business and Engineering for a More Sustainable Future
“Our technology can play a critical part in saving the world.”
At first glance, dehumidifiers might not seem revolutionary. But in indoor agriculture, precision climate control can mean the difference between success and failure. By improving energy efficiency and optimizing plant growth, Quest Climate’s innovations aren’t just about better technology—they’re laying the foundation for a more sustainable food system, one that can directly combat food scarcity in urban areas.
He describes his mission simply but profoundly: “Our technology can play a critical part in saving the world,” he says, pausing briefly to let the weight of those words sink in. Walt doesn’t toss around hyperbole lightly, yet he genuinely believes that better, more efficient dehumidifiers, particularly those developed for indoor agriculture, are part of a much larger revolution. This revolution begins in grow rooms, but its implications ripple outward, touching urban farms, vertical agriculture, and eventually, food deserts that exist in almost every major American city—including those Walt knew intimately from his years in Cleveland.
From Cannabis to Leafy Greens: The Ripple Effect of Innovation
“Having lived in Cleveland, I’m very aware of food deserts—of how difficult it is for families to access fresh, nutritious food,” Walt says. “But sustainability starts with cannabis. It’s a high-value crop, so it’s a catalyst. When you prove the technology and make it efficient, suddenly, leafy greens, herbs, and vegetables follow. And that means better food access, healthier communities, a genuinely better world.”
The conviction in Walt’s voice is unmistakable. His vision rests on an undercurrent of practicality shaped by his earlier days learning from those humble businesspeople in Cleveland. Now, as Director of Product Development at Quest, he continuously explores the interplay of sustainability, innovation, and practicality, viewing each new challenge through the lens of genuine human impact.
Walt is neither naïve nor unthinkingly optimistic. He acknowledges the “mundane” side of his job—the daily grind, the catalogs, the inevitable spreadsheets—but knows those mundane elements sustain the ambitious, world-changing projects. “Nobody loves the day-to-day stuff,” Walt laughs, “but it’s necessary. That’s how the train stays on the tracks.”
Coaching the Next Generation—On and Off the Field
When Passion Meets Purpose, Anything is Possible
In this, Walt sees parallels to his professional work. Whether it’s building next-generation climate equipment or coaching a young athlete to swing confidently for the fences, his approach hinges on humility, listening, and empowering others to lead. The same philosophy guides him at Quest Climate, where collaborative innovation isn’t just corporate jargon but a genuine practice.
“When you accept it’s okay to say ‘I don’t know,’” he explains, “you create space for better ideas, for true innovation. That’s how you change industries.”
And changing industries, ultimately, is how you change worlds.
Quest Climate—and Walt’s vision for more efficient, sustainable agriculture—isn’t merely about improved technology or better indoor environments. It’s a direct response to decades-old urban crises, environmental challenges, and food insecurity. It is, in its quiet way, revolutionary. And at the heart of this revolution is a self-described “business guy” from Cleveland who stumbled upon his mission almost by accident.
But accidents, Walt might argue, don’t simply happen. They’re shaped by people who care deeply, listen actively, and dream earnestly — by the kind of individuals who start careers on 93rd Street and eventually, improbably, aim to save the world.
Walt’s story is proof that world-changing ideas don’t always begin with grand plans. More often, they start with small steps—a curiosity about solving problems, a commitment to improving systems, and a belief that even the most unexpected paths can lead to meaningful change. Whether he’s revolutionizing indoor agriculture or coaching young athletes, his impact is built on a foundation of listening, learning, and leading with purpose.