rhyze is a workers’ cooperative.
We believe organisations should be controlled by the workers, not bosses and managers.
Our project is run democratically and directly by our staff who all have an equal say and pay parity.
-
MARCO TENCONI
CO-OP MEMBER
(he/him)
Confused about where he comes from, Marco calls Marx ‘Uncle Charlie’ and aspires to reincarnate as an encyclopaedia. He loves nothing more than an info dump, and is great at figuring things out and then teaching other people how to do them too. Marco researched and developed most of our mushroom cultivation techniques, facilities and educational resources. Equal parts dreamer, builder, and total nerd - he wants to help turn Edinburgh into a city a teaming with edible fungi that anyone can eat for free.
-
Lauren Waterman
CO-OP MEMBER
(they/them)
The living embodiment of every ginger stereotype, Lauren loves chess, nachos, and the art of a good care package. Lauren looks after the farm, takes fancy photos, manages our coms and is the witch behind our medicinal mushroom tinctures. They are excited about growing, preparing and enjoying food as a means of connecting and building mycelium-like networks of mutual aid and global solidarity.
-
Jo Chandler
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
(she/her)
Cheerful in the face of every adversity and always one to think the best of her fellow humans, Jo brings a positive can-do attitude to all situations. As the member of our team most likely to strike up a conversation with anyone, anywhere, Jo is a fantastic volunteer coordinator and is looking to develop children’s versions of our workshops. She is a keen cyclist, excellent cook and always up for outdoors adventuring.
COLLABORATORS
NAOMI SCOTT (SHE/HER)
Naomi is a lino-cut artist, illustrator, and printmaker based in Whales. As one of the founding members of Rhyze, Naomi was responsible for creating our ‘Mushroom Lady’ logo, and overall branding aesthetic.
Follow Naomi on Instagram to see more of her work, or to enquire about hiring her for a commission.
Ruby Scott-Geddes (they/Them)
Ruby is the artist behind our illustrated manifesto, Foraging Journal and ‘Decompose the Corporate Food Regime' print. They are an illustrator, portrait artist, printmaker, event sketch artist, muralist, sign-painter, life drawing teacher and craftsperson working in Edinburgh and Bristol, UK.
Follow Ruby on instagram and check out their website to see more of their work, and enquire about working with them.
Hungry WindoW
& THE TOO MUCH FUN CLUB
We are eternally grateful to Hungry Window and his pals The Worst of the Wildlife, Calum Carr, Ant 198, and Ellietype from the Too Much Fun Club for the ICONIC mural on the back of our office and lab. These guys are actual living legends and you should absolutely follow them/hire them/let them go wild on your outdoor wall space.
Our Board
-
Victoria Beall
(she/her)
With a wonderful willingness to help out in a pinch, Toria was one of our first volunteers and after supporting us through many tech related growing pains it seemed only natural that she join our board. UX developer and avid forager of both plants and mushrooms, Toria is training in permaculture design. Fascinated by the death and decay side of the circle of life, she was the creative genius behind the Dalry Cemetery Mushroom Crypt. Among her many superpowers is her ability to turn any random assortment of ingredients into a tasty meal.
-
Benji Brown
(he/him)
Environmental rights warrior by day, anarcho-klezmer band member by night, Benji is a chess addict who enjoys periodically hurling himself into the sea. Benji is a very serious forager who is none-the-less still immature enough to chortle when he sees a stinkhorn. Benji’s love of queer Orcadian sci-fi has inspired his comrades to improve their literacy in the latter stages of their lives.
-
Mim Black
(she/her)
Posterchild for a free Scotland and renowned for her stellar vibes, Mim is a specialist forager of rare and moving metaphors. A true Selkie, Mim is the first to dive head first into any body of water no matter the temperature. Mim is a Rhyze founder and former co-op member, now off planting trees and exploring more of the world on her epic travels.
-
Mark Quinn
(he/they)
Better hair than Jesus, but also a carpenter. A real life fairy with a moral compass Indiana Jones is still looking for. Mark is our original master builder. He lead the design and build of our farm, transformed a free portacabin from Gumtree into our beautiful office and lab, and personally crafted Scotland’s most relaxing compost
volunteers
We are grateful to our cracking crew of volunteers for supporting Rhyze and helping to build our community. We have regular volunteering shifts at the farm on Wednesday and Friday afternoons, where volunteers get stuck into all aspects of mushroom cultivation, do repairs and upgrades on the farm and contribute to the hive mind of problem solving that keeps things ticking over. Volunteers also support evening and weekend events, markets, workshops and community work. If you’re keen to volunteer with us you can find out more here.