Nadav Kempinski

Nadav is aiming to tackle an environmental challenge rarely paid attention to: brownfields. Across the U.S., millions of acres are left polluted, abandoned, and often located in frontline communities. In San Diego, CA, this magnifies health risks in underreprensented communities, with asthma and lung disease rates sometimes 3x higher in areas with brownfields. Nadav is building Hypha to address this challenge head-on by turning to an unexpected ally: fungi.

Hypha’s work centers on mycoremediation, the use of fungi to naturally break down toxins in soil. These living systems offer a low-cost, climate-friendly solution for remediating contaminated land while improving soil structure and enabling communities, often food deserts, to cultivate their own healthy foods. By deploying fungal networks where traditional cleanup methods are too costly or invasive, Hypha aims to make soil healing accessible to all.

Nadav's vision is to empower impacted communities to reclaim their land through regenerative practices. Through hands-on training, open-source tools, and scalable field kits, the Hypha team is building pathways for community-led remediation—transforming brownfields into safe, vibrant spaces for growth.