Latest news with #Plenty
News.com.au
7 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Plenty luxury home breaks suburb record
A showstopping Plenty residence featured on Open Homes Australia has broken a suburb record of $3.775m for an undisclosed price. This was the first time the completed home at 2 Grange Ave, had ever been offered for sale, following its transformation from a vacant block — sold in 2020 — into one of the region's most luxurious private residences. Set on Plenty's exclusive 'Blackwood Acres' estate the completed home at, the home landed ever been offered for sale, following its transformation from a vacant block — sold in 2020 — into one of the region's most luxurious private residences. The previous suburb record was held by 5 Park Ave, Plenty, which sold for $3.775m in May 2023, according to publicly available property records. Jellis Craig Greensborough and Hurstbridge director Aaron Yeats said did not comment on the sale price but told The Herald Sun the home had attracted strong attention since launch, including multiple private inspections and 'very strong digital engagement'. 'It's almost certainly the most expensive home ever offered in Plenty,' Mr Yeats said. 'But it's also the newest and largest, from a build and replacement cost perspective alone, the value is outstanding.' The six-bedroom residence features a curved concrete staircase, soaring six-metre atrium entry, in-floor slab heating, billiards room and outdoor spa among a suite of luxury inclusions. It was previously showcased on Open Homes Australia before landscaping was complete, and has since gained widespread attention across digital platforms including Melbourne House Spotters, Spacecraft and Jellis Craig's internal reach campaign. Social media has further turbocharged the campaign, with Instagram posts from property pages such as Melbourne House Spotters and Million Dollar Listing Melbourne drawing tens of thousands of views, likes and comments. One reel showcasing the dramatic entry and pool view drew a flurry of interest in just days. Mr Yeats said that while the Open Homes appearance wasn't a major focus, the property had 'absolutely benefited from digital momentum'. The owners, who have built several bespoke homes, worked closely with their architect to realise a lifestyle inspired by luxury hotels and international design. 'They love the creative process,' he said. 'The feedback has been phenomenal, and they're genuinely proud of what they've created here.' The main bedroom includes dual dressing rooms, a private retreat and deluxe ensuite, while the kitchen offers stone finishes, premium appliances and a butler's pantry with integrated fridge-freezers. Mr Yeats said the home was ideally suited to a large or multigenerational family seeking 'resort-style living' in a tightly held location. 'You could go on holiday and still not find this level of luxury or amenity,' he said.
News.com.au
08-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- News.com.au
Plenty: ‘Entertainer's home' boasts theatre, pool, tennis court
This architectural masterpiece in Plenty's Blackwood Acres has been home for three years to the vendor and her family – her husband, four children and pet Frenchie. 'The pocket we are in is really a hidden gem surrounded by grand residences and lush gardens,' the vendor says. 'It's only 21km to the CBD and you get the feel of the country, but you're in the suburbs.' The home at 2 Grange Ave sits on 4014sq m surrounded by nature, with Plenty Gorge on its doorstep. 'There are amazing walking and mountain bike riding trails as well as Blue Lake, which is a well-known watering hole in the summer. It is full of people taking a dip,' the vendor says. While the location is undeniably stunning, it's the home itself that takes your breath away. It was designed by TNA Architecture in close collaboration with the owners. Thoughtfully designed to capture natural light, the entry foyer with an atrium garden and soaring 6m ceilings creates a memorable first impression, while in situ concrete formwork and reclaimed San Selmo bricks imported from Spain add timeless texture and elegance. The dining zone and a sunken lounge room feature a soaring double-height ceiling, gas log fire, and a custom-designed couch, while a glass fibre reinforced concrete feature wall by Concrete Collective adds architectural drama. 'The sunken lounge is a favourite of mine as we all gather there each evening as a family, and it's so cosy,' the vendor says. But more than anything, the house is 'definitely an entertainer's home'. 'We have had countless events and celebrations in this home, as recently as Christmas gone, when we entertained 60-odd family members,' she says. 'We celebrated our daughter's 16th in the home and another's 13th. The kids have hosted their deb after-parties and formal parties. 'It's a place where we all just come together.' The home features multiple living spaces with standout architectural features, as well as outdoor living centres including a floodlit tennis court, solar-heated pool and spa, all of which have been favourite features for the current owners. 'Our little boy loves the theatre room and tennis court, and basketball ring,' says the vendor. 'The kids all collectively love the pool and spa. They sit in the spa on many nights, whether summer or winter. And my husband loves having his own wellness centre with a gym, sauna, steam room and ice bath. He gets lost in there,' she says.
Forbes
30-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Wealthsimple Acquires Plenty Team To Improve Family Finance
Plenty cofounders Emily Luk and Channing Allen now part of the Wealthsimple team. In April 2025, Wealthsimple made a quiet but strategic acqui-hire, bringing on the entire team from Plenty, a U.S.-based fintech startup focused on financial planning for couples. While the Plenty platform shut down shortly after, the acquisition was never about the product—it was about people. By integrating a team with deep insight into modern household finances, the Wealthsimple Plenty acquisition exemplifies a different way a startup can continue its work after it closes its doors. When fintech firms acquire early-stage startups, it is sometimes not for the tech or customer base, but for the talent and vision. Known as acqui-hires, these deals offer a faster way to onboard cohesive teams with proven domain expertise. For Wealthsimple, the Plenty acquisition wasn't about IP. It was about acquiring a team uniquely attuned to the financial needs of modern couples. Acqui-hires are not uncommon in a competitive tech hiring environment. In these scenarios, cultural fit can outweigh existing traction or product-market fit. A majority (65%) of acquirers report that cultural issues hinder their ability to realize the full value of a deal. 'We immediately saw a natural alignment between Plenty and Wealthsimple,' said Chris Arsenault, founder of Inovia Capital, an investor in both companies. 'This wasn't just strategic—it was a win-win for the over 3 million Canadians using Wealthsimple.' Tim Kalimov, Wealthsimple's VP of product, echoed that sentiment, 'The team at Plenty shares our belief that financial services should be simple, smart, and accessible. They've built an impressive product that helps families take control of their financial lives—something we care deeply about.' Plenty wasn't just another budgeting tool—it was purpose-built to address a reality that many fintechs had overlooked: Couples manage money together, but often with a mix of joint and individual priorities. 'What does a truly multiplayer experience look like for today's modern couples, across saving, investing, budgeting, and tracking?' asked co-founder Emily Luk. That was the question Plenty set out to answer. The platform had three core pillars: automated goal-based financial planning, real-time budgeting and savings tracking, and a 'Mine, Yours, Ours' model for account visibility. This model resonated with millennial and Gen Z users who expect both transparency and autonomy in managing shared finances. It also filled a gap in Wealthsimple's roadmap, which has increasingly focused on household financial tools, such as joint accounts, spousal Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs), and Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs). 'The future of financial planning will be powered by both smart technology and real human connection,' said Kalimov. 'The Plenty team's experience will help us design smarter, more connected products that reflect how people actually manage money together.' While the product vision aligned, the acquisition hinged on something more profound: culture. 'It's pretty rare for companies to meet with such a similar mission and culture,' said Luk. 'We saw a chance to accelerate our roadmap and reach a scale of millions, while staying true to our original vision.' Introduced by their mutual investor, the two companies began with informal discussions about their products. Over time, those discussions evolved into a shared understanding of how financial services should be built: with empathy, flexibility, and a clear comprehension of customer behavior. Plenty's product officially shut down in May 2025. Its users were referred to alternative tools, though many now need multiple platforms to match the functionality that Plenty offered in one. Meanwhile, team members—including Luk and co-founder and husband Channing Allen—joined Wealthsimple full-time, with Luk joining the product team and Allen leading engineering contributions. The team remains U.S.-based but is now building for the Canadian market. 'This acquisition gave us the opportunity to take our product vision and implement it with the resources and reach we simply didn't have as a startup,' said Luk. 'It's not the end of our mission—it's a new chapter of scale.' The Wealthsimple Plenty acquisition illustrates how acqui-hires can help some startups exit. As customer needs grow more nuanced, especially around shared financial decision-making, companies are realizing they can't always build fast enough from within. Strategic acqui-hires offer a way to absorb experience, user research, and design intelligence that would take years to replicate. For Wealthsimple, it's a step toward becoming the default financial platform for Canadian families. For Plenty, it's a chance to expand their mission—and impact—on a national scale. And for the broader fintech ecosystem, the deal shows what's possible when acquisitions are built around more than spreadsheets. As Luk put it, 'It would've taken us years to reach a point where we could impact millions. This deal lets us do that immediately.' Acqui-hires, when rooted in mission alignment and product fit, are becoming more than a talent strategy—they're a growth strategy. The Wealthsimple Plenty acquisition is a prime example of how fintechs can build faster and smarter by investing in people, not just platforms.
USA Today
29-04-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Strawberries in the sky: How AI is changing the way farmers grow food year-round
Strawberries in the sky: How AI is changing the way farmers grow food year-round Plenty Richmond Farm in Chesterfield, Va., is getting a lot of attention these days, and for very good reason. It's doing something that's never been done in a place you might not expect — an industrial park warehouse. Inside, you'll see row after row of strawberries hanging from 30-foot towers suspended from the ceiling. While most vertical farms are made up of stacked horizontal systems, Plenty Richmond Farm is growing the produce on movable, vertical towers nearly two stories high. Not only does it look futuristic, this innovative approach uses 97 percent less land and up to 90 percent less water than conventional farming, according to the San Francisco-based company. It uses artificial intelligence to analyze more than 10 million data points throughout a dozen rooms each day. With a patent-pending method, Plenty has even engineered the pollination process by evenly distributing airflow across the strawberry flowers — no bees necessary. 'The Plenty Richmond Farm is the culmination of 200 research trials over the past six years to perfect growing strawberries with consistent peak-season flavor indoors year-round,' Arama Kukutai, Plenty's CEO, said in a press release. The farm opened in September 2024 and is touted the first farm in the world to grow indoor, vertically farmed berries at scale. The goal: to produce more than 4 million pounds of strawberries annually — even in the middle of winter — on a piece of land that is a fraction of the size of Central Park. The first batch of strawberries, grown exclusively for Driscoll's, was scheduled for delivery earlier this year. Beyond Earth Vertical farming even has applications in space. The USDA Agriculture Research Service (ARS) is working with NASA to develop growing systems suitable for spaceflight applications since food production in zero-gravity or low-gravity is key for long-term space exploration. 'Nutrients in prepackaged foods degrade over time, and thus only have an estimated shelflife of approximately 18 months,' says James Altland, a research leader for USDA ARS. 'Because there is very little room to grow crops on space stations or within future extraterrestrial ground-based installations, optimizing vertical farming systems will be critical to ensure astronaut health under long duration missions,' says USDA ARS molecular biologist Chris Dardick. As part of a long-term cooperative agreement between USDA and The Walt Disney Company, biotechnology is being used to adapt crops such as plums and apples for production in NASA plant-growth systems. It's all being done at Walt Disney World's Epcot Center in The Land Pavilion. Future of vertical farming There's a lengthy list of benefits when it comes to vertical farming, including extended growing seasons, water conservation, and expanded local and regional food options. And vertical farms can be built in places with extreme weather, areas that do not have quality soil and urban settings. Plenty, for example, has operated a research center in Laramie, Wyo., for nearly a decade. Last September, the company received $20 million — the largest economic development grant ever given by the state — to expand its research and development footprint and build the world's largest vertical farming research center. Plenty also has plans to build five farms in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates — where 80 percent of the land is desert — over the next five years to grow peak-season-flavor strawberries. Significant obstacles to the long-term profitability of vertical farming remain, however. 'Energy costs are the primary cost to vertical farms, so improvements in energy efficiency with lighting and dehumidification are needed for long-term success,' Dardick says. 'In addition, success of vertical farms will depend on maximizing crop yields and quality.' And many crops are not suited to vertical farming, because they are too large, because of seasonality or because of cold dormancy before they flower. 'These crops can be bred to be smaller (and) produce continuously but this will take considerable research investments, similar to what has been done to maximize conventional farming systems,' Dardick says.
Los Angeles Times
24-04-2025
- General
- Los Angeles Times
Readers reflect on their most treasured cookbooks and recipes
What priceless items would you grab when fleeing disaster? It's a sobering question that thousands of Angelenos were forced to answer when wildfires erupted across the region in January. That experience made us curious about our own emotional attachment to cookbooks and the titles that have had the most impact on our cooking. Our Food writers — and a handful of local chefs and culinary figures — recently rounded up 62 cookbooks that we can't live without, spanning memoirs, out-of-print pamphlets, collector's items and forthcoming releases. We also invited L.A. Times readers to share the cookbooks they cherish most, including the recipes that they can't get enough of. Here are some of their responses: 'I also lost my cookbook collection in the Palisades fire. My daughters posted a picture of my cookbooks on their Instagram and cookbooks started arriving from all over the country,' wrote Amy Lebenzon. Lebenzon names 'Plenty' and 'Plenty More' by Yotam Ottolenghi as two favorites, and in particular Ottolenghi's Chickpea and Tomato Bread Soup, Barley and Pomegranate salad and Cabbage and Kohlrabi Salad recipes. Barbara Thompson's top five cookbooks and recipes include: Blueberry Lemon Verbena Galette from 'Pie School' by Kate Lebo; Croissant Bread Pudding from 'Barefoot Contessa' by Ina Garten; general recipe instructions in 'How to Cook Everything' by Mark Bittman; Creamed Corn and Magic Carrots from 'The Los Angeles Times California Cookbook' by Betsy Balsley; and 'Nordstrom Entertaining at Home Cookbook' by John Clem. 'All my cookbooks burned in the Palisades fire,' wrote Janet Davis. 'I've replaced my two (1976 and 1998) copies of 'Joy of Cooking,' a couple of Sunset magazine cookbooks and 'The Vegetarian Epicure Book 2' by Anna Thomas.' Davis adds that, 'My entire Thanksgiving dinner is bookmarked in the 1998 edition of 'Joy of Cooking': Cranberry Sauce, Yams with Apples, Creamed Onions, Spinach Salad, Gravy. The 1976 edition has the better split pea soup recipe; my family is waiting for a batch.' 'When my house burned down,' wrote Kim Janssen, senior director of content strategy here at The Times, 'the one personal possession I saved — beyond a small overnight bag of clothes — was a cookbook my mum handmade for me when my wife and I bought our first place in Chicago a decade ago. When she died last year, I scanned it and made a bunch of copies to give to folks at her funeral. I keep it in the kitchen and cook from it often. I love that she made a handwritten index and included oven temps inside the cover.' Amateur baker Jim Potter, who lost his house in the Eaton fire, told us about his five essential bread books: 'The Perfect Loaf: The Craft and Science of Sourdough Breads, Sweets, and More' by Maurizio Leo, 'a home baker who left his job as a software engineer to devote himself to bread. Leo maintained the Perfect Loaf website for many years before producing this indispensable book. The pictures, clear instructions, a smattering of scientific explanation and helpful recipe timelines showcase Leo's exacting analytical mind and his life's passion for baking. 'Trained as a chemical engineer, Melissa Weller changed careers after baking every recipe in Nancy Silverton's foundational 'Breads From the La Brea Bakery.' Her subsequent training, and her experience as head baker, not least at Per Se, shows in the precision of her recipes in 'A Good Bake.' She has the last challah recipe you'll need and the best morning glory buns you could ask for. 'My first bread book was 'Tartine' by Chad Robertson. And here is the great irony: The recipes in this book and its sequels are deeply unclear and practically impossible to follow. Yet somehow 'Tartine' taught me and countless others how to make beautiful bread — and to fall in love with baking. I will be forever grateful. 'Jeffrey Hamelman, the chief baker at King Arthur, approaches his job with reverence. In 'Bread,' he writes, 'I believe that, in the lives of many bakers, an immense inner dignity develops from the daily immersion in the labor of the bake.' This is the first book I turn to when I want a recipe for a particular bread such as one made with spelt or einkorn. Hamelman always has it and with useful tips. Someday I will succeed with one of his three-state rye breads. 'Apollonia Poilâne has the best origin story of any bread book author — who can compete with her running the best bakery in Paris while a freshman at Harvard? Along with Peter Reinhart and Éric Kayser, Poilâne validates using sourdough and commercial yeast together. In 'Poilâne: The Secrets of the World-Famous Bread Bakery,' she has a recipe for rye and currant bread, which I make as rolls (90 to 100 grams each). Crusty on the outside, soft, studded with currants within, nourishing and just sweet enough, they're my most requested bread. After the fire, those rolls, as much as anything, assured us life would resume, even without the house we loved so much.' The cookbooks and recipes that Katie Lipsitt can't live without are: Minestrone Soup, Tomato Sauce and Meatballs from 'Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking' by Marcella Hazan; Buttermilk Chicken from 'Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat; 'all the pizzas' from 'The River Cafe Cookbook' by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers; vegetable and salad dishes from 'Nothing Fancy' by Alison Roman; and Turkey Zucchini Meatballs with Yogurt from 'Jerusalem' by Yotam Ottolenghi. 'I have my grandmother's copy of 'The Settlement Cook Book' and my mother's 'Joy of Cooking,' which I treasure. (The notes written inside are wonderful.) My favorite cookbook is 'San Francisco à La Carte,' which was published by the Junior League in the 1970s. And just to be a little silly, I have my original 'Betty Crocker Cookbook for Boys and Girls.' I used that cookbook to teach myself how to cook when I was a child in the 1950s,' wrote Margot Tobias. Heidi Haaland calls these five cookbooks 'Mandatory rereading, particularly during times of stress': 'Christmas Memories Cookbook' by editors Connie Colom, Lynn Anderson and Lois Klee with illustrator Lynn Anderson and a roster of '80s chefs and writers; 'The Country Kitchen Cook Book' by Edward Harris Heth; 'Pure & Simple: An InCircle Cookbook,' published by Nieman Marcus; 'Holiday Gifts From a Country Kitchen' by Mary Reynolds Smith; and 'A Child's Christmas Cookbook' by the Denver Museum of Art. 'When I was 18, I went to France to care for four children as an au pair. The family lived in Alsace. The mother was an American woman named Carol and married to a French man. She had a copy of 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' and taught me to cook from it. I still have my original copy that I purchased once I was back home in California. It's been my cooking bible for over 40 years. While I was in Alsace I picked up a book I still use, 'Petit Recueil de la Gastronomie Alsacienne' by Jeanne Hertzog. Carol and I often prepared Alsatian dishes like Choucroute Garnie. This little book allowed me to make many of these dishes once I was back in the States. Another book I treasure is 'Laurel's Kitchen: A Handbook for Vegetarian Cookery and Nutrition,'' wrote Charles Thompson. DeeAnn Wong refers most often to 'Burma' by Naomi Duguid for its Japanese Pickled Cucumbers, Tomato and Spinach Salad, Eggplant Salad and Egg Curry recipes; and 'Jerusalem' by Yotam Ottolenghi for Roasted chicken with Ouzo and Clementines. According to Beth Glazener, 'I use a ton of recipes that come from various magazines, cookbooks and the recipe repository on America's Test Kitchen, Cook's Country and Cook's Illustrated websites. I happen to use a bunch from 'Baking Illustrated,' like Banana Bread, Sugar Cookies, American Sandwich Bread, Whole Wheat Bread, Buttermilk Biscuits, Thick and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies, Yellow Layer Cake, Rich Chocolate Cream Frosting, Ham and Asparagus Quiche, Molasses Spice Cookies, Maple Syrup Pecan Pie and Brown Sugar and Bourbon Whipped Cream (it's to die for on top of the pecan pie).' Barbara Felsinger's go-to title is 'The Moosewood Cookbook' by Mollie Katzen. The Pea Soup, Spinach Ricotta Pie, Rebaked Stuffed Potatoes and Gazpacho are her favorite recipes. Anne Whitacre wrote that, 'I cooked my way through a 1973 edition of 'The Seasonal Kitchen: A Return to Fresh Foods' by Perla Meyers in my 20s and 30s and still return to it for recipes that are ranked easy, medium or hard and in three ranges of cost, especially Coquilles Saint-Jacques Printanier, Blueberries in Lemon Mousse; Salmon Steaks Suedoise and, of course, Spaghettini Primavera.' The most loved titles from The Times' former cartoonist for restaurant reviews, Donna Barstow, include, 'An early edition of 'Joy of Cooking' from my grandmother that's falling apart. The original chocolate mousse recipe is written as if it's perfectly normal to crave such a decadent dish, with no guilt implied. And 'The Cake Bible' by Rose Levy Beranbaum, because in the preface, she explains that she fell in love with her husband when he said he weighed science ingredients the same way she did with cake recipes! Can't resist a good love story! Plus, she invented a new way to combine ingredients: flour with butter versus sugar with butter makes a richer cake.' 'My journey into appreciating the literary qualities of cookbooks came from my own work as an author. When I finished a draft of my first book, I had spent hours and hours in libraries doing research and, as some relief, wanted to start a project that involved more physicality. We had just welcomed our second son into our family, so I also wanted a project to do at home. Thus, I cooked up the idea of working my way through an entire cookbook and landed on Alice Waters' 'Chez Panisse Menu Cookbook.' I did it over the course of several years. This project pushed me into some complex lessons that remain with me to this day, namely, to think simply about the ingredients and build a meal up from their purity. That exemplified her approach, even if her first cookbook sometimes deviated from that mission. Journeying on to more of her cookbooks, and some of those by her collegial chefs, led me to understand her original vision,' wrote Tom Kemper.
