Joanne Rodriguez is Founder & CEO of Mycocycle, Inc., which uses mushrooms to remove toxins from waste. Recognized for her innovation by Forbes Magazine, FastCompany, and the EPA she is shifting the paradigm on how we view waste: as a reusable resource, not a burden.

Prior to founding Mycocycle, she was a sustainability leader in the construction products manufacturing industry. She is a specialist in technologies like the circular economy, biomimicry and green chemistry.

A frequent national speaker, Rodriguez had the honor of serving on a panel for Hillary Clinton’s “No Ceilings Initiative” representing women in construction. She has participated in convenings at the United Nations, Clinton Global Initiative, and GreenBiz while lending her technical expertise to the US Green Building Council and the Environmental Protection Agency.

In 2022, Joanne was 1-of-17 companies selected globally to The Circulars Accelerator sponsored by the World Economic Forum and Accenture; the 6th Cohort of the Chain Reactions Innovation Fellowship program through Argonne National Labs and the Department of Energy; was 1-of-5 companies to participate in the inaugural Gener8tor Sustainability Program and was awarded ""Industry Disruptor"" thorugh 1871 Momentum awards and ""Up and Comer"" through Chicago Innovation.