Mycocycle Founder and CEO Chosen as Argonne National Labs' Chain Reaction Innovations Cohort

Prior to founding Mycocycle, Joanne Rodriguez worked for 30 years in the construction products industry, 16 of which was spent at Tremco, where she was the company’s first female regional sales manager. She later took on the company’s director of sustainable and strategic initiatives role.

BOLINGBROOK, Ill. — Mycocycle Inc., a leader in using mycoremediation to process toxins out of waste, announced that Founder and CEO Joanne Rodriguez has been selected to be part of Argonne National Labs' Chain Reaction Innovations (CRI) Cohort 6. Rodriguez was one of seven selected from a field of 18 finalists.

"Our team has been working to develop a strong platform of science+business opportunity on which to build our climate tech," said Rodriguez. "Being selected by Chain Reaction Innovations and supported by the Department of Energy is a tremendous honor for me and our team. The opportunity to advance our technology with Argonne means working with best-in-class scientists, researchers and labs. It is truly an honor."

CRI provides a two-year fellowship for innovators focusing on clean energy and science technologies. Participants are selected through an annual call for innovators and will receive the financial and technical support needed to perform early-stage research and development that may launch their energy or manufacturing businesses in the future.

"We are excited to support these innovators and help them leverage Argonne's deep expertise and world-class facilities to accelerate the development of their climate-fighting technologies," said Dick Co, CRI's director in a statement. "Addressing climate change will require speed and scale across all sectors, and these startups are poised to make an impact when they graduate from CRI."

Mycocycle is proposing a unique solution that harnesses the natural ability of mushrooms to break down harmful chemicals found in asphalt shingle products and more and potentially create low-emission byproducts.

The support and guidance from CRI help companies develop and scale their technologies. Fellowship funding covers salary, benefits and the use of a dedicated lab and office space. Participants also receive assistance in developing their business strategies, conducting market research and developing relationships with potential partners.