William Padilla-Brown is a citizen scientist who, at a relatively young age, taught himself the ways of mushroom cultivation in order to change the world. William made waves as the first American to grow cordyceps, a rare orange mushroom that grows from the larvae of insects. William heads a citizen-run research center dedicated to environmental regeneration efforts with the belief that connecting more to the environment will aid humans in its preservation. He advocates growing your own mushrooms as a means for both food and education.