Founder, Actor, Singer, Guitarist
Current City: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Current Job and Entrepreneurial Focus:
CEO & Co-founder of MycoFutures, a cleantech startup that is creating a circular and plastic-free leather alternative made with cultivated mycelium, the root system of fungi.
Notable Prior Jobs:
Guitar teacher, Graphic designer, Fashion photographer, Cruise shop photographer, Co-op Housing manager, Vintage seller
When I Started Performing: I was 6 in my first grade musical, I had a solo! And started performing around that time in my church choir.
Performing Arts Background: My earliest memories of performing include me standing on my dining room table as a toddler in my favourite dress and boa belting out Celine Dion. My parents must have recognized my passion for the stage, and I continued to sing in choirs, act in church musicals, play piano and even had a stint in jazz dance class throughout my elementary years. At 11 at started guitar lessons and writing songs, then soon joined my school band playing bass. Becoming a rockstar was my life's ambition.
I was fortunate enough to successfully audition for a place in a Regional Arts Highschool as a drama major and had to opportunity to act, sing and learn the production side of theatre on set, costumes, props and directing teams. I continued participating in both school choirs and in a community choir, also part of their chamber ensemble. With my community choir we performed in Ontario as well as Montréal, New York City and Cuba. I also formed and performed with several bands - rock bands, and for a time an Air Cadet marching band (playing Cymbals and Alto Sax - at different times). Although music isn't in as central a role as was in my youth, I still enjoy playing guitar and don't have to be asked twice on karaoke night.
How did your performing arts background supercharge your entrepreneurship?
Participating in theatre and choirs really prepared me to show up on time and prepared, ready to contribute to the success of a team, while being able to react and adapt, because anything can happen when you are live! Performing in bands and solo taught me the value of practice, confidence and connecting to an audience. Before I founded a startup I didn't think I would be good at or enjoy pitching, but soon realized that I had cultivated a set of skills that would make me really great at. It was very unexpected how creativity, structure and storytelling are essential to entrepreneurship, just like in performing arts.
Favorite Performer: The Barcelona born superstar Rosalía
Follow this Performer:
Instagram – @myceliumofthefuture @safeupontheshore
