Ignite Portsmouth Alumni: Dan Smith
Last summer, the SSU Kricker Innovation Hub launched our first annual Ignite Portsmouth Entrepreneurial Bootcamp. Participants from all over the region took part while developing their business plans, networking with mentors and other entrepreneurs, and developing an effective business pitch while competing for thousands in cash prizes.
Dan Smith, a local resident, took part in last summer’s competition. Aside from working a day job as a library specialist at Shawnee State University, Dan also enjoys nature. He loves hiking, bird watching, and foraging for mushrooms - but he has recently decided to take that love of the natural world a step further.
“I’ve always had a big interest in nature. Even as a kid, I’d go tidepooling with my family and we’d go traveling or snorkeling” said Dan. Like many others during the pandemic, Dan started being further drawn towards the outdoors. “I started doing a lot of bird watching and foraging for mushrooms, and I decided I really would like to grow them.”
And he’s done just that. In fact, some Portsmouth locals might recognize Dan, who occasionally sells his mushrooms at the farmer’s market on the esplanade. Other stores, such as the Earth Candy Farmacy, also have sold some of his products. His dream is to grow his operation and sell directly to restaurants and customers.
Dan grew Lion’s Mane mushrooms over the pandemic and sold them at the local farmer’s market and organic shops in Portsmsouth.
Currently, Dan doesn’t have a dedicated physical location. Ignite Portsmouth gave him the structured process to explore different solutions, and strategies to sell his products. “One of the biggest things that holds entrepreneurs back from pursuing their dreams is uncertainty about how to even get started, and that’s where Ignite Portsmouth came in.”
Entrepreneurs from all backgrounds participated in the bootcamp, and despite a wide spectrum of business ideas, each person was able to collaborate with and learn from each other. For Dan, this was one of the aspects that made the experience so valuable. “I thought it was really cool to meet other people who are going through the same experiences I am. I thought it was really nice that we could discuss things weekly and share different concerns even though it's a completely different market depending on what we're discussing.”
The Kricker Innovation Hub is planning on hosting its second annual Ignite Portsmouth Bootcamp this Spring, kicking off on May 12th. The eight-week program will meet weekly each Thursday evening from 6-8PM.
Dan highly recommends the program to anyone taking the first steps towards starting their own business “I would suggest they ask what kind of skills they can develop now to prepare for that goal. If there’s skills they can’t develop, there’s people out there who can help them with that, especially at Ignite. So I highly recommend, play on your strengths, identify areas where you need help, and kind of chase your dream along with that.”
Update: Dan officially started his business, Appalachia Unveiled, in 2023.