About The MYCOLabX Team

Zawi - CEO, Kimberly Zawi Carlson has repeatedly created meaningful and lasting connections between business, community, and the environment. She is able to find the mutually beneficial meeting point between the business and the consumer while always considering the environmental impact of actions taken. Her experiential marketing skills include creating proprietary live art performance events which have proven successful in building the business and the brand. 

A belief that collaborations are essential has fueled her team building skills and employing creative minds has garnered much success for the businesses she has been integral in developing.

Kimberly’s education includes life experience from being employed since the age of 15 to launching her first successful business at age 20 and being awarded for her second business launch at age 22. 

Her formal education includes Colombia College Chicago for Public Relations and Marketing as well as Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) with a Degree in Entrepreneurship - with a focus on the lean start-up, product innovation and business management through their, Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine top ranking, School of Entrepreneurship.

Dr. Reid Jilek - Business & Growth Catalyst Dr. Jilek has advanced degrees in both the medical, life science and engineering disciplines. He was both a Presidential Fellow and a White House Fellow Candidate. He has published over 40 papers in national and international peer--reviewed scientific journals.

After completing his National Library of Medicine Post-Doctoral developing computer and mathematical models for Malaria, he decided to utilize his medical and scientific background in a business development capacity by acting as a VP of Business Development for private and public companies and a research institute.

Dr. Jilek has developed in excess of 10,000 professional contacts worldwide in the healthcare industry and investment world, to include: therapeutics, diagnostics, vaccines, gene therapy, medical devices, preclinical and clinical contract research organizations, nutraceuticals, generics, telemedicine, botanical, and biotech products, as well as the venture capital and investment banking industries.​

He was a founding member of Frederick Research Center and of Asia Pacific Alliance Company. He has served on the Board of Directors, Scientific or Medical Advisory Boards, or Advisory Boards for more than 40 private and public companies since 1990, in the US, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Taiwan, China, Portugal, Moscow, Israel and Germany. He has also served as the CEO of four companies.

Alicia M. Fantozzi - Innovation Strategist Alicia M. Fantozzi brings over 25 years of extensive expertise in project management and corporate finance to the MYCOLabX Business Development Team. As Principal at ReGen, she has pioneered a seed- stage idea lab focused on applied biophysics, igniting innovation in regenerative technologies within water and agriculture sectors. With a trail of accomplishments, Alicia held the position of Chief Financial Officer at Resonant Technologies Group, propelling companies specializing in physics-based technologies for health diagnostics, immunotherapy, frequency-enabled agriculture, and material sciences. As Principal at Strategic Advisory, her influence extended to cross-border financial transactions, enhancing internal data intelligence, cyber security, and risk management. She has a proven track record in tax- structured finance and private equity, originating multi-jurisdictional tax- optimized financings for corporations and high-net-worth individuals. 

In her role at MYCOLabX, Alicia’s responsibilities will include identifying emerging business opportunities, cultivating relationships with pioneers in the field, and providing strategic insights based on her background in finance and regenerative technologies. Her commitment to fostering advanced approaches within the fields of biomimicry, mycoremediation, sustainability and in-depth data analytics relative to bio-active applications within the mushroom industry aligns seamlessly with Mushrooms Inc.'s core values.

Dr. Hyder Ali Khoja - Senior Lead Project Scientist  & Lead Scientific Consultant, Dr. Khoja, with over 22 years in Functional Medicine, is a leading voice in Drug discovery and Developmental Science. He's developed treatments for Non-Alcoholic fatty liver disease using “cannabinoids” and “capsaicin”, and partnered on a project extracting Chaga Mushrooms for cancer treatment. Moreover, he's explored the potential of lipids and “Beta-Carotene” from Algae and a cancer drug from “Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin (KLH).”

He founded "Transcendent Life Sci and Emblem Nutraceuticals, Inc.," focusing on “Coma Resurrection Therapy” and the therapeutic benefits of mycelium active compounds.

Dr. Khoja acquired his Ph.D. from INP-ENSAT in 2003, trained at Michigan State University, and later joined faculties like Virginia-Tech. His 2011 research on "Algae to Biofuels" was lauded by the FAO-United Nations.​

As the founder of "Transcendent Life Sci and Emblem Nutraceuticals, Inc," his legacy resonates at the intersection of science and transformation.

Dr. Maqsad Suriev - Lead Project Chemist Maqsad Suriev stands as a cornerstone of MYCOLabX innovative endeavors, serving as the Lead Chemist for our groundbreaking MYCO Thread Technology. Armed with a Master's degree in Organic Chemistry and a Ph.D. from Vancouver, Canada, Maqsad's academic rigor seamlessly complements his vast professional experience in pharmaceutical research.

His pivotal contributions have led to the integration of bacterial detection capabilities into our technology. With a rich background in the design, synthesis, and purification of diverse organic compounds, and an adeptness in chromatographic techniques, Maqsad's expertise propels the MYCO thread's functionalities to new heights.

His unwavering commitment to innovation ensures our technology remains at the cutting edge of textile advancements. Under Maqsad's stewardship, MYCOLabX is poised to revolutionize the future of functional textiles.

Robert Mucci, MPA - Business Consultant: Robert Mucci, MPA is a 1973 graduate of the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science concentration in Natural Resources.  He received a Master of Public Administration from the University of Utah in 1983.  Mr. Mucci has worked in the public and private sector at a variety of positions including working as a Public Utilities Economist for the Department of Energy and working for the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Utah.  He has owned businesses with his wife and formally worked for SSA Marine Terminals.

Mr. Mucci has been a Business Counselor and Analyst with Apex Accelerators (formerly the Arizona Procurement Technical Assistance Center) for over 7 years covering Southern Arizona.  He is considered a subject matter expert for Small Business Innovative Research grants, Department of Defense grants and Federal procurement solicitations. He has assisted clients with Federal procurement questions, bid preparation, SBIR and STTR applications with a past history of success in clients receiving Phase I and II awards of over $8.5 million dollars