Spore to Store

Urban Mushroom Symposium

Thank you for making the inaugural Symposium such a success!

We hope you'll join us for next year's Symposium - coming March 5th and 6th.

Discover the future of urban mushroom cultivation at the Spore to Store: Urban Mushroom Symposium 2026. Whether you are a researcher, grower, chef, or urban agriculture enthusiast, join us for cutting-edge research presentations and practical cultivation and grower insights. Discover how scientific innovation is shaping the future of urban mushroom
cultivation and production.
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Meet our Speakers for 2025

Dr. John Pecchia

Penn State University
Associate Research Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology

Dr. Chris Cornelison

Kennesaw State University
Assistant VP for Innovation and Commercialization, Director of Intellectual Property Development, and Associate Professor of Microbiology

Dr. James Gratzek

FoodPIC, UGA
Director of the Food Product Innovation & Commercialization Center

Dr. Laurel Dunn

University of Georgia
Associate Professor and the Extension Coordinator in the UGA Department of Food Science and Technology

Matthew Kulinski

Georgia Grown/Regulatory
Director of Marketing

Jacki DeHart

Georgia Department of Agriculture
Field Supervisor with the North District of the Food Safety Division

Caitlin Jackson

Georgia Center of Innovation
Director of AgTech

Costas Simoglou

Georgia Center of Innovation
Director of Energy Technology

Allen Carroll

Fungi Farm
Mushroom Educator, Laboratory Operator, and Owner

Emma Reigel

Gowin Valley Farms
Co-founder and President

Gabriel Harrison

Gowin Valley Farms
Co-founder and Lead Mycologist

Cecilia Tran

Fulton County Extension
Fulton County Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) Agent with UGA Extension

Sam Landes & Cornelia Cho

Mushroom Club of Georgia
Treasurer and President of the Mushroom Club of Georgia respectively - both are members of the North American Mycological Association

Our Schedule

Take a look at our itinerary for Spore to Store: Urban Mushroom Symposium 2025
8:30

Arrival

Attendees Start Arriving
8:45

Opening

Opening and Welcome to the UGA Griffin Campus
9:00

Keynote Speaker

John A. Pecchia, Penn State Mushroom Research Center
10:00

First Session

Dr. Chris Cornelison, KSU College of Science and Mathematics
11:00

Coffee Break

Provided Onsite
11:10

Second Session

Dr. James Gratzek (University of Georgia Food Product, Innovation, and Commercialization Center) and Dr. Laurel Dunn (University of Georgia Food Science Department)
12:00

Lunch / Round Table

Catered Lunch and Round Table Discussion
1:00

Third Session

Matthew Kulinski and Jacki DeHart, Georgia Department of Agriculture — Georgia Grown Program / Regulatory
1:45

Coffee Break

Provided Onsite
2:00

Fourth Session

Producer Track: Allen Carroll, Owner and Founder of Fungi Farms, Inc. — Innovation Track: Caitlyn Jackson and Costas Simoglou, The Georgia Center of Innovation
3:00

Fifth Session

Producer Track: Emma Reigel, Gowin Valley Farms — Culinary / Enthusiast Track: Cecilia Tran, Fulton County Extension and Sam Landes with Cornelia Cho, Mushroom Club of Georgia
4:30

Closing

Conversations and Goodbyes, We Depart Energized with New Connections and Ideas

Check Out Our Supporters

These Vendors and Organizations Helped Us
Bring the First Urban Mushroom Symposium to Life!