From Finance to Fungi

Susanne's Journey, from Katapult Future Fest to Now

Two months ago, Katapult Future Fest took to the stage in Amsterdam, gathering futurists, systems thinkers, impact investors, innovators, and academics under the theme of "Metamorphosis."

Our founder, Susanne Gløersen, was there to give a personal talk on her own journey “from finance to fungi" and what it's taken to build a global fungal innovation ecosystem from the ground up. She also hosted a breakfast session together with award backer and systems investor Hanson Gong, digging into "Fungi, mycelium networks, and what can be learned for system change & system investing."

Susanne on stage at Katapult Future Fest 2026. Photographed by Coen Dijkstra.

Katapult has been part of our story from the very start. It's where we launched the inaugural Future is Fungi Award back in 2023, and where we've met some of our most important backers, including Hanson Gong, Martino Cortese, and The DOEN Foundation, alongside other progressive forces pushing the world in a more regenerative direction. For us, Katapult is a community of changemakers united by a shared belief: that bold ideas, regenerative thinking, and collective action can build a thriving future.

The story behind the talk

Last week, that journey came full circle. After her talk in Amsterdam, Susanne sat down for an interview about what it actually took to get there, leaving 15 years in finance to build a global fungal innovation ecosystem from scratch.

Visuals by The Katapult team

It's a story of true metamorphosis 🦋 and the bravery it takes to step into the unknown and follow your mission.