Speaker, author, mycologist, medical researcher, and entrepreneur Paul Stamets is considered to be an intellectual expert and industry leader in the habitat, medicinal use, and production of fungi. He lectures extensively to deepen understanding and respect for these organisms that literally exist under every footstep taken on the path of life. His presentations cover a range of mushroom species and research as he explains how mushrooms can help the health of people and planet. His central premise is that habitats have immune systems, just like people, and mushrooms are cellular bridges between the two. Our close evolutionary relationship to fungi can be the basis for novel pairings in the microbiome that lead to greater sustainability and immune enhancement.

Paul’s philosophy is that “MycoDiversity is BioSecurity.” He sees the ancient old growth forests of the Pacific Northwest as a resource of incalculable value, especially in terms of its fungal genome. A dedicated hiker and explorer, his passion is to preserve and protect as many ancestral strains of mushrooms residing in these pristine woodlands as possible. His research is considered breakthrough by thought leaders as he creates a paradigm shift for helping ecosystems worldwide thrive.