Gulf Spore Named One of America’s Top 100 Small Businesses by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

We are honored to announce that Gulf Spore has been recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as one of America’s Top 100 Small Businesses. This award represents more than just a milestone—it affirms our mission to transform the way people think about mushrooms, functional health, and entrepreneurship.

A Vision Rooted in Purpose

Gulf Spore was never created just to sell mushroom products—it was born from a calling. Dr. Brandi Brown, a military veteran, bioengineer, and mompreneur, saw firsthand the gap between groundbreaking science and the everyday tools people need to live healthier lives. After years in academia leading bioprocessing labs, she realized her expertise could make a bigger impact outside the ivory tower.

For Dr. Brown, Gulf Spore represents more than entrepreneurship. It is about rewriting the narrative of what’s possible—for families seeking natural health solutions, for veterans finding a new mission, and for communities hungry for sustainable food systems. She built Gulf Spore with a dual purpose: to deliver the most transparent, effective mushroom extracts on the market, and to create a business model that empowers others to thrive as part of a national mushroom movement.

From day one, Gulf Spore has stood on three pillars:

• Health – providing functional mushroom extracts that are verifiably potent, sustainably made, and rooted in real science.

• Opportunity – opening the doors for others through America’s first mushroom farming franchise, helping everyday people start and scale mushroom businesses.

• Innovation – leading biotech solutions like MyDip™ to fight food waste and reimagine what mushrooms can do for humanity’s future.

This is why Gulf Spore exists. Not to follow trends, but to lead a movement where mushrooms become part of the solution to some of our greatest challenges—health, food, and sustainability.

Best-in-Class Mushroom Extracts

At Gulf Spore, transparency isn’t a buzzword—it’s our standard. Every bottle of our liquid mushroom extracts comes with a unique batch number linked to a publicly available lab report, empowering customers to verify potency and bioactive compounds for themselves.

What truly sets our extracts apart is our use of green engineering techniques. We employ a proprietary sound-wave-assisted extraction process—a gentle method that uses acoustic energy to release beneficial compounds without degrading or damaging them. This ensures that every extract captures the full spectrum of bioactives in their most potent, bioavailable form, while also reducing environmental impact compared to traditional methods.

Our formulations—Lion’s Mane for cognitive clarity, Reishi for immune and sleep support, Cordyceps for endurance, and Turkey Tail for gut health—are helping people across the country improve their well-being in tangible, measurable ways.

Here’s what our customers are saying:

• “Lion’s Mane has completely changed my workdays—my focus and clarity are sharper than they’ve ever been.” — Sarah, Florida

• “Reishi has become part of my nightly routine. I’m finally sleeping through the night and waking up rested.” — David, Texas

• “I started taking Cordyceps before my workouts, and my energy and stamina have skyrocketed.” — Jasmine, California

• “Turkey Tail has been a game changer for my gut health. I’ve noticed less bloating and better digestion overall.” — Mark, Ohio

Partnering with Functional Health for Data-Driven Wellness

To take transparency and personalization even further, Gulf Spore has partnered with Functional Health, a leading platform that empowers everyday people with access to hundreds of functional health tests. Through this partnership, Gulf Spore customers can:

• Perform hundreds of lab tests, many of them from the comfort of home.

• Receive detailed insights into biomarkers—identifying where the body may be out of balance.

• Use those insights to receive personalized mushroom supplement recommendations aligned with their individual needs.

This collaboration bridges the gap between science, data, and natural health solutions, ensuring that every customer can make informed, targeted choices about their wellness journey.

👉 Ready to discover your body’s unique needs? Explore our Functional Health partnership today and take the first step toward a data-driven supplement plan.

America’s First Mushroom Farming Franchise

But we aren’t stopping at extracts. Gulf Spore proudly launched America’s first mushroom farming franchise, giving aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity to grow mushrooms, build local businesses, and join a nationwide movement.

Through our Shroom School™ training platform, franchisees learn not just cultivation but also the business fundamentals—everything from farm design and operational flow to branding and product sales. This model empowers everyday people to create profitable, sustainable mushroom businesses in their own communities.

Innovation Backed by America’s Seed Fund

Our vision is also backed by science and innovation. Gulf Spore was awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant—also known as “America’s Seed Fund”—for our work on MyDip™, a mushroom-based natural preservative that helps fight food waste while protecting nutrition and flavor.

This recognition places Gulf Spore at the intersection of biotechnology, functional health, and sustainable food technology—proving that mushrooms aren’t just a niche product but a global solution.

Recognized by Competitions, Grants, and Accelerators

Gulf Spore’s momentum has also been fueled by recognition across the entrepreneurial landscape:

• Pitch Competition Wins: The Pitch in Tupelo and The Mississippi Made Pitch Competition, celebrating Gulf Spore’s innovation and business model.

• Grant Support: Recipient of the Farmer Veteran Coalition Grant and the National Stephen L. Tadlock Veteran Business Grant, recognizing both our agricultural and veteran-led impact.

• Elite Programs Completed: Graduate of the NSF I-Corps program, which sharpened our customer discovery and commercialization strategies, and the VentureCatalyst Startup Accelerator at Mississippi State University’s E-Center, which accelerated Gulf Spore’s growth as a scalable venture.

These achievements highlight the strength of our mission, the resilience of our team, and the confidence that investors, judges, and institutions have placed in our future.

Building Trust, Opportunity, and Impact

Being named one of America’s Top 100 Small Businesses validates the heart of Gulf Spore’s mission. We are building a company that is bigger than any single product or franchise—we are building an ecosystem. One rooted in trust (through transparency), opportunity (through franchising), and impact (through science and innovation).

To our customers, franchisees, and community: thank you for being part of this journey. This recognition belongs to you as much as it does to us. Together, we are growing health, growing food, and growing the future—one mushroom at a time.

Take the Next Step with Gulf Spore

• 🛒 Shop Extracts – Discover our full line of verifiably potent, sound-wave-extracted mushroom supplements.

• 🌍 Join the Franchise – Be part of America’s first mushroom farming franchise and build a business rooted in growth.

• 🔬 Get Tested – Partner with Functional Health to uncover your biomarkers and find the mushroom supplement that’s right for you.

Together, we’re growing health, growing food, and growing the future.

Let's grow together.