Today I was invited to join the Mayor of my Village, Mary Alexander Basta, for a discussion on women in leadership. Join us as we discuss where we’ve been, where we’re headed and advice for the next generation!
https://www.facebook.com/bolingbrook/videos/2659986850959379

In honor of International Women’s Day, FoodHack compiled a list of female leaders working in all facets of nature based solutions. CEO, Joanne Rodriguez, was honored to be one of this included.
https://www.foodhack.global/articles/80-female-foodtech-founders-and-leaders-you-need-to-know

Proof isn’t male or female. Proof is success. This #internationalwomenday2021 go out and succeed! Don’t be told no. Write your own story. If I had stopped when told no, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Solve for the problem. #womenleaders #femalefounders #problemsolvers

#fungifriday Toadstool timers? "Bio" body alarms? The latest in mycelium technology takes us to mycelium processors contained in fitbit like devices. Reacting to our movements via "bioelectrics", will mycelium replace traditional electronic sensors? Read here and learn more! 🍄 #innovation #fungi #materials #regenerativeeconomy #natural #mushroomtech 

https://bioxone.in/news/worldnews/mushroom-mycelium-used-to-make-biodegradable-tech-wearable/

The perks of a commercial lease with Weathertech? These nifty floor mat coasters! The perks of having an architect in the family? A beautiful lay out for the office and lab spaces. We took possession today and can't wait to keep you all updated on our progress. It is the support through this network of investors that we are growing and adding value to our organization every day. 🍄 Thanks!

Know someone in IL who works in mycology, or similar field, with lab experience? We need you! Please share this within your networks.

#fungifriday I’m excited about this one! A cool video about mushrooms as building materials. Peter McCoy recently called mycelium the “rebar of nature”. You’ll get a great sense of why I believe the future is fungi. 🍄

https://lnkd.in/dAueJPJ

An exciting update: we made the list! Our Founder/CEO, Joanne Rodriguez, has been included in Forbes Magazine’s issue recognizing dynamic entrepreneurs driving and scaling innovations across all facets of industry. Here’s the issue: 

https://www.forbes.com/next1000

If you watched the Super Bowl you might be familiar with Weathertech from their commercials (and their awesome floor mats). Headquartered right here in Bolingbrook, we are fortunate enough to be taking advantage of super competitive rent in Dave MacNeil’s incubation lease spaces. Having started his company in his garage, he recognized the need to offer leases for small but growing companies to operate from. Here’s a peak at the property, but we will post more photos as we start the move in process and get our labs set up. Onward and upward as they say!
https://www.macneilrealestate.com/501-505-south-weber-road

#fungifriday We have a super cool one today! Did you know that the hyphae of the fungi grow and adapt in different ways? Researchers noted such a difference, from within the same organism, they gave them names: soldiers, snakes and marathon runners. The “can do” attitude of mycelium is successful because these characteristics work together to get the job done. As my buddy Jerry Strother always wore on his shirt “TEAM”—working together always gets it done! 🍄
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-02/lu-ssa020221.php

Great article by the Sierra Club about the circular economy and the tie to financial opportunity. We are at a junction in society with people paying attention to how we handle social responsibility, environmental outcomes, and financial security. Quoting the article:

"the business consulting firm Accenture promises a staggering $4.5 trillion windfall from investing in new circular economy businesses, including those that focus on advanced recycling technology, innovative new recyclable materials"

We are at the right place at the right time, and so are you if you've invested or are thinking about investing. Innovations always have technology hurdles to overcome--we are in that mode. Supporting us now, through this campaign, means we can move through that hurdle more quickly to scale. 

Here is the link to the full article, and I hope we can count on your continued support! Share this campaign with your networks. Let's drive change and have a positive impact to the world we live in!

https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2021-1-january-february/feature/will-circular-economy-save-planet

#fungifriday Today's post is personal. Late 2018 I made the decision to start a new company (Mycocycle, Inc.) with a big dream--use the power of mushrooms to create value streams from waste streams. I am passionate about it. I am wholly invested. Taking on components of business that I never knew before (on the job learning) has been tasking, but I believe it is never too late to learn. I am not only making an investment in our climate health, I am making an investment in MY health too. 

It used to bother me when funders and corporates would be like "you're so passionate about what you do." I've always just viewed those words to be followed by a solid "NO". For some reason we don't place a value on passion, but for me--it fuels my engines. And just like I've sought inspiration from many of you, I've always hope to reciprocate. 2021 brings me to the my point: find your courage and seek inspiration. 

I speak of the CMN (common mycelial network) as a connector of us all. I want to thank Gina Santana for her note. You gave me a boost in the arm this week! Hard work is not always rewarded and you've reminded me that the payoffs frequently come through in acts of kindness. Thank you for valuing passion and hard work. You've inspired me. 🍄 (posted with permission)

We talk it, we live it, and with your help--we're doing it! A great article from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Circulate about what being circular means in a corporate environment. 

With all of the Paris accord reforms being re-enacted, and a whole bunch of new climate measures being implemented, the United States manufacturing is placed right in the middle of this discussion. Manufacturing with better materials--less toxic, longer lasting, biodegradeablibility; Extended producer responsibility--costs associated with end of use management; and greater resource efficiency--reuse or circular designs of new products from the beginning...all bode well for innovations like ours.

The green economy is lean, it is strong, and it is here to stay.

https://medium.com/circulatenews/a-new-measure-of-business-success-9e53b7aafafa

At Mycocycle we can’t do what we do by ourselves. It’s take a cross-pollination of industries and experiences to move us through building not only a company, but a technology—from scratch!

I’ll work to highlight the Team and Advisors over these next few posts so you get a chance to see the depth of knowledge.

Let's talk CORE, TIME, and BALANCE. I when I think about central themes running through the early days of Mycocycle (like pre-Mycocycle, even pre-pre-Mycocycle) my mind will go to Leslie Lopes. Every good company has a core. While I will admit that I am all heart when it comes to Mycocycle, Leslie embodies the very definition of core: the central, innermost, or most essential part of anything.  She lends the balance to the everyday chaos that is a part of entrepreneurial life. She could easily be called the "Joanne whisperer" because she will take the time to 'go there' with me when I'm mad/anxious/disappointed, snap me back to reality, and then rally to bring us back to our discussions of all things life, love, and mushrooms!

Always excited to take on the new endeavors she is also the voice of reason. Her creativity and her business acumen are in such a beautiful balance, she has very successfully grown her solo practice--PureMotion Creative--to the level it is today. As a solopreneur herself she understands what running all the aspects of a business looks and feels like.

Her depth of experiences help guide our decisions on marketing, branding, PR, digital media, and website. But she also guides decisions on strategy and development by paying attention and bringing fresh ideas to the table. If not for Leslie we likely would not be raising on SE today. Check out Leslie's LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/puremotioncreative/ 

I, personally, have a great deal of gratitude for Leslie Lopes and the contributions she's made to Mycocycle. Because of her patience, passion, and spirit I have felt with confidence that we are growing the company of the future! Cheers to Leslie the First!

[The following is an automated notice from the StartEngine team].

Hello!

As you might know, Mycocycle has exceeded its minimum funding goal. When a company reaches its minimum on StartEngine, it's about to begin withdrawing funds. If you invested in Mycocycle be on the lookout for an email that describes more about the disbursement process.

This campaign will continue to accept investments until its indicated closing date.

Thanks for funding the future.

-StartEngine

Let's kick it old school....waaaay back to September 2019. I wrote an article about why it is so important to clean up PAHS, not only for the environment, but for our health. The only known remediator of PAHS? This guy right here 🍄.

What's the deal with PAHs?

Want to help us on our quest to clean up these "bad actors"? INVEST TODAY! We are moving forward with patents, trademarks, scaling, and R&D. All of this gives Mycocycle value, which means we give you value too.

I cannot as a woman in leadership, a female founder, allow this day to pass without recognizing the significance of the days events. Not a political post, a recognition of the role women have in leading our country in business as well as in politics. It has taken us until this day, in the 21st century, to realize the first female Vice-President of the United States. It encourages me to know that even though it is taking a great deal longer than it should to recognize the equivalency of the position--a position holding the capacity for all people to be represented--that we are here, today, none-the-less.

It takes courage to be the first anything. It is not easy to extend yourself in a manner that is vulnerable, and at times, hard to defend. As a woman in a male-dominated field for the majority of my career, I well recognize this vulnerability. 

Thank you for your courage, leadership, and inspiration Madame VP. 

Answering One Big question, Founder Joanne Rodriguez talks about the beachhead strategy of tackling construction & demolition waste streams. 

https://youtu.be/39AByWPDVkY

#fungifriday Time to hit the science books! At Mycocycle, Inc. we are always inspired by the nexus of science and nature. Borrowing from the American Society of Microbiology (AMS), a little "science 101" behind what makes fungi in a class of their own.

https://asm.org/Articles/2021/January/Three-Reasons-Fungi-Are-Not-Plants

Almost a year ago, I got to kick off the 3rd season of Amy Koonin Taylor's Rubicon Global Podcast "TownHaul"! Amy was a delight and offers great content through her sustainably focused podcast. Relatively speaking it is an oldie but goodie, and I wanted to share with you as you follow along here. Make sure to subscribe and download all of her episodes too. If you like sustainability, and business, you'll like what this podcast has to offer.

https://thetownhaul.libsyn.com/magic-mushrooms-mycocycles-joanne-rodriguez

One of the reasons we selected StartEngine as our SEED round platform was because we saw Terracycle, very successfully, raising a REG A here. Tom Szasky has long been discussing the need to develop and drive circular solutions, reducing the need to resource new raw materials. He presented LOOP in 2018, prior to the DAVOS roll out, when I was presenting a paper on the "Bioremediation of Materials" at Rutgers University. Sitting with him at lunch, he drove home the fact that we need to place value on materials to make circularity matter and we need to offer more opportunities to drive circularity through material reuse innovations. Well here we are!

You have a great opportunity to help US drive a renewable and biobased future through material treatment and reuse. Your support in this campaign will afford us the opportunity to get there faster--that is the #1 goal for us in 2021. We thank you for your continued support with a call to action: if you haven't invested yet, why not? Invest today. If you HAVE invested, share our campaign! Share it far and wide because the more of us demanding these technologies the more of these technologies we will see get to scale and impact. 

Thank you, and here is a link to an interview Tom Szasky completed recently: https://www.happi.com/issues/2021-01-01/view_editorials/ready-to-buy-in-on-sustainability/

At Mycocycle we can’t do what we do by ourselves. It’s take a cross-pollination of industries and experiences to move us through building not only a company, but a technology—from scratch!

I’ll work to highlight the Team and Advisors over these next few posts so you get a chance to see the depth of knowledge.

Karen Edwards, Executive Director of RT3 (the Roofing Technology Thinktank), is an acting Advisor. Karen has been a marketing professional for more than 25 years and focused the past 15 years on marketing for the technology and construction industries. As President of Casimir Group, Karen provides strategic marketing consulting for roofing manufacturers and contractors, and she is the editor for RoofersCoffeeShop.com along with the NRCA Smart Brief publication.

Karen's guidance to Mycocycle helps to place us where we need within the industry. Her network and experiences as a Founder and Business owner have been instrumental in our growth. Check out Karen's blog post on managing cash flow during a pandemic:

https://blog.gaf.com/tips-for-managing-cash-flow-during-the-pandemic/

Thank you to Karen for the time and guidance she lends to Mycocycle!

Check this out: https://www.designboom.com/technology/mycotech-lab-sustainable-sneakers-mushroom-mycelium-12-17-2020/

We love seeing mycelium in the news! We know what we are doing will make a difference and that the support from all of you will make the difference in how we view waste--as a resource, not a burden.

At Mycocycle we can’t do what we do by ourselves. It’s take a cross-pollination of industries and experiences to move us through building not only a company, but a technology—from scratch!

I’ll work to highlight the Team and Advisors over these next few posts so you get a chance to see the depth of knowledge.

Day 1=Doug Thagard. Doug and I met via RT3 and have been connected ever sense. He reached out after seeing a talk I gave about bioremediation of roofing materials (pre-Mycocycle) because he wanted to lessen the environmental footprint of Fontana Paper Mills, who produces asphalt impregnated roofing felts. Sending their materials to landfill is not a situation he wanted to see continue for their operations or for the roofing industry in general. Doug still carries a strong interest in Mycocycle via his role as Business Development Manager for Boral Roofing. He has developed a new line of products, is a technical driver, and is acutely aware of what is needed to develop, test and grow a product from innovation.

Doug has been and will continue to be a great mentor for Mycocycle, and we always appreciate his voice of the manufacturer as we progress through our scale up.

We will all be celebrating the close of 2020, and all the challenges it presented. With challenges come opportunities though, and we have just learned that our International Trademark was awarded! We are excited to be starting 2021 strong, with all of you along for the ride. Thank you for your continued support!

Check out Dylan Welch of “Going Green” podcast and Mycocycle CEO, Joanne Rodriguez discuss mycology, determination and inspiration.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/going-green/id1518310365?i=1000502571171

We've long known about the merits of ESG investing. If you're watching along here, we think you do too. Reading any of the headlines in 2020 you'll catch Forbes, Invesco, Credit Suisse, NASDAQ, Motley Fool all being bullish on ESG investing. The COVID-19 pandemic has raised an awareness of the environmental issues related to waste disposal and has elevated discussions around sustainable innovations to address them long term.

At DAVOS 2020 in June, the World Economic Forum along with the Big 4 Accounting firms released "Davos Manifesto 2020: The Universal Purpose of a Company in the Fourth Industrial Revolution." This is a culmination of reporting, started in 2017 from the Paris Accord, intended to develop guiding principles and metrics to aid more social and environmental investing. The report highlights support of the United Nations SDG (sustainable development goals) as a means for supporting wider societal impact metrics. Mycocycle, by the way, supports 4 of the UN SDG's (9, 11, 12 & 13).

What does this mean? Innovations like Mycocycle are no longer a "nice to have" but a "need to have." It isn't just our opinion but wholly supported by financial reporting and a social imperative to invest better--driving innovation to support the climate reduction goals by 2030 globally. Here is a link to a December 2020 "Freakonomics" interview with Brain Deese, Biden's selection for National Economic Council Director: https://freakonomics.com/podcast/brian-deese/

While all investing holds risk, it also holds rewards. If you are watching along, what are you waiting for?

Using fungi to produce materials isn’t a new concept. Producing materials from trash using fungi is. If you wondered about the viability or market readiness to use mushroom based materials in construction, check out this video from our colleagues overseas.
https://mashable-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/mashable.com/video/mycelium-construction-biofabrication-mogu-arup.amp

At Mycocycle we can’t do what we do by ourselves. It’s take a cross-pollination of industries and experiences to move us through building not only a company, but a technology—from scratch!

I’ll work to highlight the Team and Advisors over these next few posts so you get a chance to see the depth of knowledge.

Heidi Ellsworth--if you don't know her you should. She knows everyone, and I mean everyone, in the roofing industry. She has worked in the roofing industry since 1993 and has held positions with Malarkey Roofing, Carlisle Construction Materials and EagleView Technologies. She is currently a partner with RoofersCoffeeShop® and owner of HJE Consulting. Heidi is a Founding member of RT3 (the Roofing Technology Think Tank) as well as National Women in Roofing. Heidi is a driver of innovation and she never sleeps!

It is because of Heidi that Mycocycle got an early shot at talking about our technology to the roofing industry. She has been a believer since day one and we benefit from her enormous book of knowledge as well as her vast network. Having been with companies that were early innovators in their own right, Heidi understands what it takes to market process and product. 

If you want to hear the latest and greatest in the roofing industry, visit RoofersCoffeeShop and learn more: 

RoofersCoffeeShop

We are grateful for Heidi's energy, enthusiasm, and support as well as the time she gives to Mycocycle!

Seems no time like the present to recognize Chris Batterson, National C&D Waste Manager for Rubicon Global, as an Advisor for Mycocycle. Chris brings miles of experience to issues around C&D waste recycling and his insights are directly contributing to where and how Mycocycle scales.

Rubicon Global is a unicorn in the startup world, achieving $1B in 10 years. They recognize the need to drive circular solutions in waste management, particularly the waste streams we address. Chris’ contributions to Rubicon, as well as to WM in a former position, are changing how contractors view this waste stream and all of the opportunity for reuse.

We have gratitude for Chris Batterson and the time he lends to Mycocycle!

https://www.roofingcontractor.com/articles/95161-mycocycle-aims-to-improve-asphalt-roof-recycling-with-the-power-of-mushrooms

https://mailchi.mp/mycocycle/the-magic-of-christmas

At Mycocycle we can’t do what we do by ourselves. It’s take a cross-pollination of industries and experiences to move us through building not only a company, but a technology—from scratch!

I’ll work to highlight the Team and Advisors over these next few posts so you get a chance to see the depth of knowledge.

Where do I even start with Rene Velasquez, Head of Global Carbon at CBL Markets, and Mycocycle Advisor? Rene and I have climbed some mountains together in the past, seriously, Rene and I met on the side of a mountain during a GreenBiz Conference many years ago and we've been colleagues ever since! His expertise in monetizing and operationalizing carbon offsets is critical for Mycocycle. Based in Germany, he has vast global experience, and can deftly advise us as we look to opportunities in the EU. He has degrees involving microbiology, law, and is well-versed in intellectual property. He sees the big picture for Mycocycle as well as many other emerging technologies. Here is a recent update on the first trades on their platform: 

https://www.xpansiv.com/2020/10/05/cbl-markets-announces-first-trades-of-the-global-emissions-offset-contract/

We have gratitude for Rene and the time he gives to Mycocycle! Personally, I feel fortunate to have made this connection many years ago and to be able to call him friend.

At Mycocycle we can’t do what we do by ourselves. It’s take a cross-pollination of industries and experiences to move us through building not only a company, but a technology—from scratch! 

I’ll work to highlight the Team and Advisors over these next few posts so you get a chance to see the depth of knowledge.

First up? Chris Wirth ( of AMP Robotics! Chris is a great advisor bringing a depth of Cleantech startup experience as well as pioneering AI and robotics in recycling with AMP in order to drive greater circularity. They’ve been recognized in numerous publications, like Forbes 50 AI companies to watch. Here is a link to an article released this week about their innovative facility in Colorado:

https://www.wastetodaymagazine.com/article/amp-test-facility-targets-recovery-specific-cpg-packaging/

We have gratitude for Chris Wirth and the time he lends to our organization!

Mayor Lori Lightfoot (Chicago) announced the inaugural class of companies for a new initiative Startup Chicago! We are one of the 100 companies selected as part of this initiative to highlight the most promising startups based in Chicago. We are excited about the opportunity to extend our reach while supporting economic development within our region. We are Midwest proud!

Read more in the Mayor’s announcement to understand how this initiative will support our growth here and beyond.

World Business Chicago

Frequently asked about competition, we know it isn’t just about who could move our cheese but is there a market readiness for Mycocycle. A year ago (December 2019) Nanalyze did a market overview of companies operating in the “mycelium” mushroom-based space. You can follow up on the activities of those listed last year to see they’ve gained significant investments and traction in 2020. Is the market ready for our type of nature-based technology—we think it is! The future is fungi. 🍄

Nanalyze 2019 overview

#fungifriday Let's talk mycorrhizal networks. We've discussed how connected fungi are through their root structures to exchange nutrients, develop communications and create symbiosis in nature. These networks are known as "CMN" (common mycelial networks) and they affect competitive outcomes and community compositions through resource allocation.

YOU are our CMN. With the launch of Mycocycle, Inc. equity crowdfund this week, we are encouraged by your continuing support. Together we will advance mycological technology for the betterment of us all. THANK YOU for your support!

Many of you are likely trying to figure out if mushrooms can really be trained to digest waste. Early on I knew that there was only one known cleaner of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in nature: fungi. Realizing that the materials I knew were creating waste issues contained PAH, I set about getting to someone who knew fungi and how to apply them to the materials we address now.

Peter McCoy’s name kept coming up and I’m going to show you a video that convinced me that this “idea”—remediation of waste using fungi—could be more than an idea. We’ve been fortunate enough to have Peter leading our mycological efforts and his pioneering spirit and love of mycology have been perfect for Mycocycle’s development!

https://youtu.be/fCAX9P50SNU

Just 24 hours since launching and we have to give it to our early birds--you guys are awesome! We are humbled and inspired by your support. We've got a lot to do and hope to keep this momentum up. Our mycelial network has GROWN and we are proud to call you team. THANK YOU!