SYNKD’s Innovatively SYNKD award for January 2025 went to Marie Ambusk of TreesROI™, whose decades-long passion project is reshaping how the green industry evaluates tree roots. Her tool INSIGHT™ uses ground-penetrating radar, machine learning, and deep biological knowledge to nondestructively scan container-grown trees. By grading root quality before planting, INSIGHT™ promises healthier, long-lived urban trees—a mission Ambusk sums up simply: “Don’t just plant the tree—grow the tree.”
Ambusk didn’t begin as a horticulture insider. A retired GE Healthcare finance professional, she became curious after young neighborhood trees mysteriously died. An arborist blamed “root collar disorder,” but offered no solution. “The landscaper told me, ‘Lady, you get what you get,’” Ambusk recalls. That unsatisfying answer spurred her to study tree biology, become a Master Gardener, and lead a volunteer project called Triage that excavated and corrected stem-girdling roots. Hand-digging roots was exhausting, and Ambusk dreamed of “a crystal ball” to see below the soil—an idea that, 20 years later, became INSIGHT™.
The device places a radar sensor on a racetrack-like ring around a container’s rim, spiraling downward to collect slices of data that algorithms convert into 3D root images. The system then grades root quality, flags defects, and suggests remedies. “We’re not fixing the problem—we’re identifying and quantifying it so growers, landscapers, and municipalities can act before planting,” Ambusk explains. Early intervention saves money, conserves resources, and prevents trees from failing before they deliver ecosystem benefits.
Developing INSIGHT™ hasn’t been straightforward. Failed experiments—like years spent on microwave tomography—taught her persistence. Recent National Science Foundation and Vermont grants, plus a supportive radar partner, helped refine the technology. Ambusk acknowledges there is hesitancy in the industry, as nurseries fear scrutiny of their inventory, but she reframes INSIGHT™ as a value proposition. Higher-quality trees command better prices, and culled stock avoids wasted water, labor, and replacement costs.
Ambusk’s experience at SYNKD Live—seeing diverse green industry professionals reaching across silos—inspired her belief that collaboration can elevate standards. “Trees start giving back around 20 years,” she says. “If they die at 20, we’ve gained nothing.”
From a frustrated homeowner to an award-winning innovator, Marie Ambusk embodies how one determined outsider can drive meaningful change. INSIGHT™ isn’t just scanning roots—it’s sowing a future where cities grow healthier, enduring canopies that sustain life and enrich communities.
Learn More: Marie Ambusk, CEO & Founder
TreesROI™
Hinesburg, VT
info@treesroi.com
Read the article in the digital issue here.