expand_less Mana Mushrooms was a concept born from ZERI principles of nature as a model for business, reframing "wastes" which are not found in nature as "inputs" for systems design projects. In this case, I used industrial by-products from picture frame moulding manufactiring and brewery spent grain and CIP fluids as inputs to generate oyster mushrooms.
[[Mana Mushrooms slide shows]] 
 
Mana Mushrooms, LLC                                                                                                                  Boston & Chicago
Founder (entrepreneurial venture)                                                                                                      2005-2008

Entrepreneur in sustainable agriculture and industrial symbiosis, using wastes as inputs
Financed, designed, and built laboratory, clean room, and cultivation space for research
Developed industrial partnerships and recaptured byproducts using nature as a model
Conducted lab research; collected & analyzed data to determine cost of production
Researched processes to reduce waste for exotic edible mushroom cultivation
Authored, published hundreds of pages of content documenting and explaining research
Worked with River Valley Kitchens to learn retail side of farmers’ markets 

tags: [[agriculture]], [[systems design]], [[mushrooms]], [[ZERI]], [[mushroom cultivation]], [[entrepreneurial]]