Kaben's passion for aquaponics is connected to growing up around his grandparents' farm in Southeast Oklahoma. He has helped prepare the land, plant seeds, maintain the crops and harvest the family farm for over two decades. Working together with his brother Shelby, Kaben has overseen farm operations for the past several years. As a trained economist, he appreciates that aquaponic agriculture has higher yields, less waste and requires less labor. Aquaponics also appeals to Kaben's Native American culture.  He is a proud member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and appreciates aquaponics’ natural and water-conserving aspects.

Kaben has a degree in economics from the University of Oklahoma and a Juris Doctorate and Master of Business Administration from Oklahoma City University and is a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association. He has lived in a number of towns in Oklahoma, but now calls Talihina home.  In addition to his passion for aquaponics, Kaben enjoys being outdoors, playing and watching sports, and spending time with friends and family.

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Please email Kaben if you are interested in more information, consultations, custom and commercial builds, or if you just want to talk (a little or a lot) about aquaponics.

kaben@symbioticaquaponic.com

Shelby has been building (and breaking) things since a young age.  He enjoys working with his hands, being outdoors, and experiencing nature. He attended Colorado Mountain College, furthering his abilities as a fabricator and builder,  skills well-suited for developing aquaponic systems. With experience and natural mechanical ability, he has been developing and testing aquaponics system designs since 2012.  His ability and (self-professed) obsessive attention to detail ensure that he can be counted on to figure out a way to make things work properly. Additionally, since Shelby outgrew his older brother Kaben at the age of 12, he is also the hands-on brawn and can often be found getting his hands dirty. When he's not creating, Shelby enjoys horticulture, fishing, gardening, spending time outdoors and caring for his bee colonies.

If you have technical questions about our aquaponics systems, grow media, system maintenance,  or the science that makes aquaponics possible, then Shelby is your man. Contact him at shelby@symbioticaquaponic.com.

shelby@symbioticaquaponic.com

Regina grew up in Muskogee, Oklahoma.  As a kid, she spent many summers in her family garden harvesting spiny okra in the heat of July and scratching away the irritation from the spines. While she didn't enjoy harvesting okra, she is thankful for her family garden, the fresh food it provided, and the appreciation for nature that it fostered in her.

In addition to her responsibilities of overseeing marketing, outreach, and communication, Regina brings her expertise and knowledge about public health to the company.   Regina received her master’s degree in public health in 2010 and her Ph.D. in 2017 from the University of Oklahoma with a focus on obesity and the social determinants of health. She is passionate about improving health and the quality of life through environmental changes. Regina and her husband John Paul live in Norman with their four happy and active toddlers. She enjoys teaching ZUMBA fitness and backpacking in her spare time.  

If you're interested in information about speaking engagements, aquaponics seminars/classes, community outreach, and event participation, email Regina.

regina@symbioticaquaponic.com

Trevor grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Being good with numbers, he enjoyed math as a kid and developed a love of analyzing data, examining trends and looking toward the future to plan ahead. 

Trevor served in the United States Marine Corps from 2007 to 2012. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in managerial economics in 2013 and a master’s degree in financial mathematics from Georgia State University in 2016 and is in the process of becoming a certified actuary. Trevor currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife and children. He enjoys spending time with his family, board games, building computers and the occasional good dessert. 

trevor@symbioticaquaponic.com

Reese is a third generation teacher and an avid outdoorsman. While growing, up he practiced STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) while building forts and fly fishing with his family in Colorado. Reese grew up in Yukon, Oklahoma, and attended Oklahoma State University. In college, Reese was active in Engineers Without Borders and developed a passion for working with water systems and people. Reese was also active in outdoor recreation, serving as a trip leader for the Outdoor Adventure Program and as a team building/ropes course facilitator. Reese graduated from OSU with a degree in biosystems engineering with a focus on water systems.

Following graduation, Reese worked as a cement engineer in the oil field. Then, as he started a family, he changed his career and became a naturalist for the Camp Loughridge Outdoor Classroom. In his three years at camp, he helped teachers and students connect with the environment as well as problem-solving to address modern issues both locally and globally. During this time, he managed a ropes course as well as directed the summer camp program. Reese uses aquaponics as a platform to address ecological, social, economic, education and health challenges. Reese resides with his wife and two sons in Broken Arrow, OK.

reese@symbioticaquaponic.com

Wyatt is originally from Haileyville, Oklahoma. Growing up in the country, he spent the summers cultivating tomatoes with his grandfather and picking wild blackberries on the family property. At an early age, Wyatt developed a love for storytelling with words and images.

Wyatt graduated in 2016 with an associate degree in mass communication from Eastern Oklahoma State College. In 2018, he completed his bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of Oklahoma’s Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. During his undergraduate studies, Wyatt served as a consultant for two nonprofits and presented research at the 2018 International Public Relations Research Conference. Upon graduation, he was admitted to Kappa Tau Alpha Journalism and Mass Communication Honor Society as well as Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. Wyatt is passionate about his Choctaw heritage, the environment, and sustainable living. He currently resides in Haileyville. He enjoys traveling, speaking French with native speakers, and photography as well as coffee and graphic design.

wyatt@symbioticaquaponic.com