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Updated: September 12, 2025

Friday Food Insider: Portland mushroom company has new CEO and new funding

File photo / Tim Greenway Blue oyster mushrooms grow on a hardwood sawdust block at North Spore.
By Alexis Wells

North Spore, a Portland-based mushroom cultivation company, has appointed a new CEO and secured a $750,000 investment from the Maine Technology Institute.

Both moves are expected to drive growth and innovation and help strengthen North Spore's position in the mushroom industry. 

Provided Photo
Ben Chesler

CEO Ben Chesler, a 2023 Mainebiz 40 Under 40 honoree, played a key role in developing startup programs at the Roux Institute at Northeastern University.  

Earlier in his career, he co-founded an online grocery store that repurposed “ugly” produce that would ordinarily go to waste and delivered it to people’s doors. Since launching in 2015, Imperfect has recovered over 250 million pounds of food from going to waste and has delivered over 20 million orders to customers. 

He told Mainebiz that he has been working as an advisor for North Spore since 2024, getting to know the business and the founders. Chesler is seen as someone with the skills to scale a mission-driven e-commerce business to become the market leader. 

About North Spore

North Spore, with a workforce that fluctuates between 40 to 70 employees, was founded in 2014 by college friends Jon Carver, Matt McInnis and Eliah Thanhauser, also a 2023 Mainebiz 40 Under 40 honoree. The three have been co-CEOs since the company's founding. 

With Chesler's appointment, Thanhauser will serve as president.

North Spore produces a range of products for mushroom cultivation, including "grow kits" that are packaged for home use.

Other products include cultivation supplies, medicinal mushroom products and mushroom spawn, which serves as the "seed" for growing mushrooms.  

All products are created at the company's headquarters at 921 Riverside St. in Portland and are sold on the North Spore website.

File Photo / Tim Greenway
Eliah Thanhauser, left, and Matt McInnis, two of the co-founders of North Spore.

Chesler said the company experienced exponential growth over the past few years. 

"They've done an amazing job growing this business from an idea in their heads to the leading mushroom growing supply company in the U.S.," said Chesler. 

What's next

With the MTI funding, Chesler said the company is focused on growing the team and the business to reach as many new customers as possible. 

The funding will support the launch of functional mushroom supplements, educational content and advanced cultivation tools — while growing Maine-based manufacturing jobs. 

"We think there is tremendous untapped potential in growing the market of mushroom growers," said Chesler. "When people learn about the myriad health and ecosystem benefits of mushrooms, they're hooked. But only a small percentage of gardeners are actually incorporating mushrooms into their annual gardening plans."

Plans also call for selling products at lawn, garden and grocery retailers to reach customers who might not be coming to the website.  

Marketing efforts will include information intended to educate potential customers. 

"We have a massive amount of content we've developed, including YouTube videos and growing guides, to help people get started and so we're planning on sharing that out as widely as possible," said Chesler.  

Reader Feedback

What other food manufacturers should I check out next? The Mainebiz Food Insider wants to hear from you. Contact Alexis Wells at awells@mainebiz.biz.

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