What started as a culinary curiosity soon turned into a lifelong passion for Wes Anderson, the founder of Elevated Spores. While working at a restaurant in downtown Minneapolis, Anderson watched as his chef purchased wild-foraged greens and mushrooms from local foragers. He found himself envious of those who spent their days exploring the woods while he remained confined to a hot kitchen. That envy turned into action: On his days off, he began venturing into the forests in search of mushrooms, focusing on the elusive morel.
“It took me about three years before I was able to find my first morel,” Anderson said. “I saw plenty of other mushrooms, but I didn’t even stop to look at them. I was just focused on morels.”
Morel season, however, is short—lasting only about six weeks in the spring. Anderson quickly realized he would need to expand his foraging knowledge if he wanted to explore mushrooms year-round. That curiosity led him down a rabbit hole of fungi diversity, sparking a deep fascination with the vast number of mushroom species growing in the forest. Over time, as his life evolved, so did his focus. After leaving the culinary industry and returning to college at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, he faced new challenges—ones that, once again, led him back to mushrooms.
The pressure of academic demands weakened Anderson’s immune system, leading to recurring head colds. As a result, he fell behind in his coursework and ultimately failed one of his classes—a setback that proved to be both costly and frustrating.
“I have always been a science-based skeptic and didn’t really buy into the supplement industry,” Anderson said. “But out of desperation, I started researching ways to improve my immune function, and I stumbled upon some blogs about chaga.”
That first harvest more than a decade ago set Anderson on a course of exploration. He immersed himself in scientific literature, uncovering research that linked functional mushrooms to improved immunity, stress reduction, and better overall health. During his research, he also came across information on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which has used medicinal mushrooms for centuries. This further reinforced his belief in the potential benefits of functional fungi.
“Chinese medicine has been using mushrooms like reishi and cordyceps for thousands of years,” Anderson said. “It’s fascinating to see how modern research is now validating many of these ancient practices.”
Determined to test the benefits himself, Anderson set out to forage chaga. It took him several months to locate his first batch, but once he did, he learned how to brew it into tea. Drinking it daily, he noticed subtle but steady improvements—more energy, better overall health, and, most significantly, a drastic reduction in how often he got sick.
As he connected with other mushroom enthusiasts online, he found similar stories of immune support and well-being. This fueled his drive to learn more. Anderson dove into scientific research, studying the mechanisms of medicinal mushrooms, and learning how to extract the full spectrum of beneficial compounds through hot water and alcohol extractions. He perfected his techniques, creating concentrated liquid extracts and sharing them with family and friends. Encouraged by their positive feedback, he continued refining his methods until he was confident in the quality of his products.
Turning Passion into Business
By 2019, Anderson decided to turn his passion into a business. He launched Elevated Spores, a one-person operation dedicated to providing high-quality, functional mushroom extracts to the public.
However, he quickly realized that selling liquid extracts alone wouldn’t be enough to sustain a livable income. His background in culinary arts and business gave him insight into the profitability of tea and coffee.
“I learned in school that tea and coffee have some of the highest profit margins,” he said. “So, I decided to combine my love for mushrooms with my culinary skills and business knowledge.” With this in mind, Anderson began developing a mushroom-infused chai. It took months to perfect the spice blend, but once he did, the product proved popular. Encouraged by its success, he started experimenting with coffee.
“I spent a long time figuring out how to infuse mushrooms into coffee without ruining the flavor,” Anderson said. “At first, I used coffee from local Duluth suppliers, blending and infusing it in my commercial kitchen before packaging it.”
The mushroom-infused coffee and tea blends became a turning point for Elevated Spores, allowing Anderson to grow his product line and reach a wider audience. From there, he expanded into instant mushroom chai, matcha blends, and powdered extracts—each formulated using the same high-quality extraction techniques he had spent years perfecting.
Commitment to Quality and Accessibility
For Anderson, the key to his business isn’t just quality, it’s accessibility.
“Anything I do just has to be the best,” he said. “But something can be the best and still not be accessible to people. So, to me, it’s not truly the best unless people can actually use it.”
With that philosophy, Anderson ensures Elevated Spores remains free of artificial ingredients and unnecessary additives, keeping the focus on natural, functional benefits. Operating as a one-person business, he is deeply involved in every aspect, from sourcing ingredients to developing extraction methods.
Looking Ahead
With a growing interest in functional mushrooms, Anderson is focusing on expanding his business through online sales and education. His goal is to make Elevated Spores a trusted name in the industry by maintaining high-quality standards and continuing to educate consumers on the benefits of medicinal mushrooms.
“Our website is a major focus this year,” he said. “We’re building out the infrastructure to support increased online sales and product accessibility.”
Despite challenges, Anderson remains committed to growing Elevated Spores, staying true to his mission of making high-quality, functional products available to as many people as possible.
“This journey isn’t simple,” he said. “It’s full of twists and turns. But here I am, still pushing forward.”
The majority of Elevated Spores sales are on the website (elevatedspores.com), however Anderson does attend festivals and fairs. He is scheduled to attend several festivals and fairs in May, including the Two Harbors Farmers Market on May 24, a Sculpture Garden event in Minneapolis, and the Detroit Lakes Street Fair at the end of May.
