With that box checked off, they went to Michigan State University’s Product Center — which specializes in helping food-based entrepreneurs — where they learned how to make a product legally, develop nutritional facts and set a competitive price. The couple then explored grant funding, networking channels and food show opportunities. They developed locally sourced mushroom farming partnerships and decided to sell their “Mushroom Burgers” — that’s what it says on the label — at Eastern Market on weekends.They created recipes using the portobello patty in a breakfast platter, chickpea rice bowl, tacos, and spaghetti and “meatballs.”They now lease a production facility in Eastern Market. The Mushroom Angel Company gained business funding through winning several pitch contests that include ones hosted by BasBlue and Michigan Small Business Development Center.
Da’Cruz says Eastern Market is where they had made their first sale. Their time at the market led to connections with local restaurant owners, which later expanded their networks and helped them secure a business deal to sell their product at Meijer across six states.
“Detroit has one of the most amazing business ecosystems. It’s accessible to those who understand that Detroit has fertile ground for anyone to bloom. People support each other and want each other to succeed,” she says, who moved to Detroit from New Jersey in 2016 when her husband secured a new job opportunity. “Detroit is much different than how things are on the East Coast. I don’t know if it’s because Detroit is a smaller, tightly connected city, but that accessibility in the community is a game-changer. Everyone is connected. I look forward to submersing my students into these pipelines as part of their COB experience and beyond.”
In the classroom, Da’Cruz believes in showing rather than telling. She says it’s helpful to have a concrete way to demonstrate the ways to bring a business from ideation to market.
“I’m very honest with my students. I include them in on what it’s like to own a business, along with all the successes and struggles — and, most importantly, how to overcome them,” she says.
“Everything I share with them is to teach them the real deal. I have them watch my pitches. I want them to know what it takes to scale and grow,” she continues, adding that she also talks about promotion and the various ways to get the word out.
Da’Cruz spoke about The Mushroom Angel Company at TEDxDetroit in November; her company has also been featured on Bridge Detroit, Fox2 Detroit, Local 4 Detroit, and WJR Radio. “It’s important to openly talk about all of this stuff because you don’t know what you don’t know. And I’m here — along with the awesome College of Business colleagues I work with — to help students fill in any gaps by answering questions on what it’s like to run a small business and how you can do it,” she says. “Learn to bloom where you’re planted. The market has ‘mush-room’ for you. Pun intended.”
Back in McKinley Cafe, people in the UM-Dearborn community — in addition to Picasso’s cook Monrreal — are making room for mushrooms. Junior Noah Christian ate the mushroom burger on a recent lunch break. He isn’t normally a plant-based eater, but wanted to give the nutritious option a try. His assessment? “It has a different taste than I’m used to, but I enjoy it.”
Da’Cruz says working at a university that supports her venture, while enabling her to share what she’s learned, is a full-circle moment. And so is giving people healthy food options, just like she and her husband do with their family from their kitchen.
“What I’m putting into the marketplace, I practice in my own home. What I teach in the classroom, I have learned through experience,” she says. “My classroom is a marketplace.”
Story by Sarah Tuxbury
