Hamdi Ahmed, a doctor of chemistry, is the founder and CEO of the Tunisian company, Ecomarc. After discovering the potential of nutrient-rich coffee grounds in cultivation, he decided to use them for mushroom growing. In 2018, he produced his first oyster mushrooms, with the plan to dehydrate them for sale.
To control product quality, Ecomarc provides the mushroom substrate to partner mushroom growers in different regions and trains them in-house to ensure they deliver products that meet its quality standards. Next, is patience."Entrepreneurs have to solve problems day by day, always remain positive, be in 'solution mode', while at the same time building each day the pillars that will determine our future success. This doesn't happen in a day. We have to persevere, to maintain our pace and take calculated risks," Ahmed says.