Mycomaterials: A dive into practical mycelium
In this session, we’ll walk through what and how mycomaterials are made; including the build for the Atlanta Mushroom Festival logo from reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) mycelium on straw and hardwood sawdust. I’ll break down the full workflow—substrate prep, inoculation, colonization timeline, mold-making, and finishing—showing how mycelium knits fiber into a solid, biodegradable composite. Beginners will leave knowing exactly how it’s made; experts will pick up practical tips on form design, CO₂/temperature management, and curing.

Paul Grzybowski went to school at Georgia Tech and received a degree in Chemistry, a minor in Material Science Engineering and wrote an undergraduate thesis based on 2.5 years of research in a synthetic organic chemistry lab. Shortly after joining the CDC’s Division of Tuberculosis Elimination Applied Research Team, he started his first business, Mushroom Kings, which imported and sold fresh black truffles from Romania to local restaurants. Since then he as co-founded many business with his long time friend David Claassen including Encapsulate, a mushroom supplement company, the Atlanta Mushroom Market, Atlanta Mushroom Festival and non-profit the Global Mushroom Initiative.