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Dan Gardner
Co-Founder, COO at the Mushroom Meat Co.
Dan Gardner is the Co-Founder and COO of The Mushroom Meat Co., a company founded in 2021 that produces plant-based meat alternatives using mushrooms.1 He has over 20 years of experience in operations and management, previously working as Head of Open Source Operations at Cisco Systems.1
Gardner's background includes:
- U.S. Naval Academy graduate
- Former Major in the U.S. Marine Corps
- Leader of the Javelin Missile Development Project
- Training in mushroom cultivation and plant-based nutrition1
He co-founded The Mushroom Meat Co. with Kesha Stickland, starting the business in their home kitchen and garage fermentation lab.14 The company aims to help people replace red meat with health-promoting mushrooms and plants while making a positive impact on the planet.1
Gardner holds several certifications, including:
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
- Certified Scrum Master (CSM)
- Master Trainer and Coach3
His experience also includes product development and data-driven decision-making. Gardner's role at The Mushroom Meat Co. involves turning complexity into elegant solutions, leveraging his diverse background in technology, military service, and nutrition.25
