Brent Williams, MBA

“Success isn’t about the technology; it’s about the roadmap you build to navigate the future. At Mycobio, we are building a roadmap for a resilient, food-secure Aotearoa.”

Brent Williams is the founder of Mycobio and Ōhau Gourmet Mushrooms, a regenerative food venture based on New Zealand’s Kāpiti Coast. After four decades at the forefront of the global digital revolution, Brent has traded the corporate boardroom for the fruiting room, applying the same precision used in high-level IT to the craft of commercial mycology.

From Scientific Publishing to Soil Science

Long before he was mastering the sterile lab work required for high-potency mushroom extracts, Brent was a visionary in the media and technology sector. With an MBA from the Macquarie Graduate School of Management (MGSM), Brent spent over a decade leading digital transformation for Reed Elsevier—the world’s foremost scientific, technical, and medical publisher.

As a senior technologist across the UK, Europe, and the US, Brent managed site-wide infrastructure and web strategy for major imprints like Butterworth-Heinemann. In the early 90s, when digital content was still radical, Brent was already architecting database publishing systems and web-based commerce solutions. His colleagues from that era remember him as a leader with “uncanny accuracy” in predicting digital trends and a rare “bush-cunning”—the ability to solve complex problems with limited resources and creative, outside-the-box thinking.

The Regenerative Mission

Driven by a purpose to “stop grooming the BS of the corporate world” and start living with dirt under his fingernails, Brent returned to his roots to build a planet-positive business.

At Mycobio, he bridges the gap between traditional wisdom (like fermentation and pickling) and modern innovation. His background in managing global scientific data informs every stage of his mushroom production—from substrate sterilization and lab-grade inoculation to the refined extraction of functional compounds like Lion’s Mane.

Award-Winning Leadership & Education

Brent’s work in redefining local food production has earned widespread recognition:

• 2025 Electra Business & Innovation Awards: Winner for excellence in Sustainability and Innovation.

• National Media: Featured on Hyundai Country Calendar and Stuff.co.nz for his leadership in regenerative agriculture.

• Thought Leadership: A sought-after speaker at conferences (such as Conferenz), Brent is dedicated to “sporing” knowledge through community workshops, teaching the art and science of sustainable mushroom cultivation.

Brent remains deeply interested in how small-scale, regenerative manufacturing can redefine global food systems. He is proof that better business outcomes for people and the planet come from combining a scientist’s rigor with a pioneer’s spirit.