One of multiple people who nominated Graves said, “I have worked with Steve for the last year and a half and am reminded every day what an excellent colleague he is. I am continually impressed with the impact Steve has had on the LED and lighting industry throughout his career.”
Graves began working in the automotive SSL space, progressed into key roles in general lighting, and then moved into horticultural lighting. Indeed, he would become the strategic program manager of the urban and digital farming program at Osram and led the development of the first horticultural luminaire. Later, Graves was instrumental in the Fluence acquisition. He has nurtured relationships around the globe focused on smarter growing practices, and has driven research in how plants react to light. He was involved in Osram’s collaboration with NASA relative to growing vegetables on the International Space Station (ISS).
Still, it’s the passion Graves brings to the horticultural applications that seems most inspiring to his colleagues, one of whom said, “I’ve never heard anyone speak about a red vine-ripened tomato the way Steve describes it. His passion is fantastic! Some people think about a greenhouse as a structure made of metal piping, plastics, fiberglass, and other materials, but Steve has a talent to idealize them as a grower’s paradise.”
