Princeton, W.Va. (April 4, 2025) – The West Virginia Hive Network is hosting a “Coffee Talks” networking session from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 9, at The Dream Bean, located at 860 Mercer Street in Princeton, W.Va.—an Accelerate WV community. The event is sponsored by City National Bank. 

Judy Moore, executive director of the WV Hive and deputy director of the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority, will interview Joe Foye and Brenda Outsen, co-owners of E.B. Fungi, whose fungi and mushroom products are sold at Dream Bean, New Roots Farm, and at farmers markets, festivals, and online. Their products include:

• Lion’s Mane coffee and hot chocolate 

• Double-extract mushroom supplements 

• Mushroom-themed apparel and accessories 

The business, initiated as E.B. Fungi nearly 10 years ago in East Bridgewater, MA (“EB”), really took off during the pandemic. Foye and Outsen, who met about six years ago, opened a store front location in Mercer County but closed recently to reorganize and restructure the business and to focus more on mushroom cultivation, added value hand crafted products, education and supplies. They are currently seeking a property that can accommodate a storefront, their residence, and a growing site in a single location. 

Both Foye and Outsen have lifelong experience with foraging and nature, and they enjoy supplying farms and hobby growers; offering education in cultivation and foraging; consulting for hobby growers looking to turn their passion into a business; and traveling to organizations and festivals to teach and present about mushroom cultivation and uses. 

They also share a vision for a farm where customers can visit, learn hands-on, and see the growing process. Their collaborative community mindset of working with other mushroom growers throughout southern West Virginia, sharing ideas, and supporting each other’s growth could help propel their small business journey. 

More on E.B. Fungi at: https://www.ebfungi.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/ebfungi/ 

Coffee Talks is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register click here. 

WV Hive is the entrepreneurship program of the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority. Its 13-county service area includes Raleigh, Fayette, Summers, Nicholas, Webster, Greenbrier, Pocahontas, Monroe, Mercer, McDowell, Wyoming, Logan, and Mingo counties. More information about the WV Hive can be found at https://wvhive.com/.