Dropping Out of Wharton to Start a Company Back Home: Starting with Mycelium to Get 10% of People Eating the Future
July 24, 2025
This episode of Seriously Though features Ziliang Yang, founder and CEO of CellX.
In 2020, he walked away from his Wharton MBA and left BCG to return to China, heading straight for Shangri-La in Yunnan province. The original plan was simple: taste a mushroom from memory. Instead, he accidentally stumbled into building a new brand.
It all started with a niche yet wildly imaginative question: Is it possible to get the meat we eat, the protein we consume, without harming animals? Is there a way to stop forcing people to compromise?
From initial research into cultivated meat, to unexpectedly discovering the potential of mycelium, to spending six months refining his first product for launch — Yang spent five full years finding his answer.
This March, CellX introduced its new brand Mourish (Mushrooms that Nourish) in the US, using Yunnan mycelium-fermented protein to create a high-protein beef jerky. It carries the fibrous texture of real meat while hiding that unmistakable mushroom umami — what many plant-forward eaters have called "the snack I've been searching for."
In his view, plant-based still isn't mainstream America. Mourish was never aimed at the 90%. It's for that 10% of plant-forward consumers.
Mycelium is a beautiful image. It comes from the root of mushrooms, nature's Superconnector, quietly linking trees, soil, and everything else together.
Now Mourish extends that connection to people and food, people and each other. No lives harmed, yet high protein, high fiber. Yang wonders if eating might become sacred again, rebuilding that intimate bond with nature.
In April 2021, CellX received angel funding from ZhenFund. Four years later, what new connections have Yang and his team made? What future do they see?
In this episode, he tells a story about food, life, and love — and the choices and reflections along this vegetarian entrepreneurship journey. We invite you to try Mourish too. Taste the future.
Mycelium, Nature's Superconnector
00:42 The original intention: searching for a healthier, tastier plant-based protein option 03:49 What is mycelium? Nature's Superconnector 04:50 What are mycelium's core advantages over traditional mushrooms? 06:35 Three different approaches to flavor R&D
Rebuilding the Relationship Between People and Food
07:54 Eating has always been something sacred 09:46 From cultivated meat to mycelium: the story behind CellX's pivot 13:13 You can't have it all — startups need trade-offs and prioritization 13:58 How Mourish was born: starting with cell culture scaffolds 16:03 The beautiful imagery of mycelium: through root systems, building real connections between people and each other, people and nature 17:37 Freeing consumers from having to make peace with eating meat
What I Want Most Is to Bring Great Products to Consumers
19:30 The dual challenges of going from ingredient development to market in six months 22:08 Using market feedback to improve processes and continuously optimize the product 25:01 How do you cold-start an entirely new category? Start by serving the 10% of vegetarian-friendly consumers 27:50 Brand RTB: highly aligned pain points and shared values 29:37 What I want most is to bring great products to consumers 30:10 Beyond high conversion rates — happiness comes from resonating with consumers' energy
Leaving the MBA Behind to Start a Company, Embracing What Feels Right
31:54 Walking away from the MBA to start a company, listening to your inner voice 35:27 Once you start a company, you stop thinking about finding a job 36:01 How do you hire? Kind and optimistic, mentally flexible, with an ownership mindset 37:38 The hope: in 20 years, 20% of the world's population chooses plant-based eating
Executive producers: Xin, Cindy, Wendi, Neya, Dylan
Post-production: newAction
Seriously Though is a general business podcast produced by ZhenFund, where the investment team shares the latest trends and industry insights with leaders across various fields.
Founded in 2011, ZhenFund is one of China's earliest angel investment institutions. Since its inception, ZhenFund has actively sought out the most outstanding entrepreneurial teams and era-defining investment opportunities in artificial intelligence, chips and semiconductors, robotics and hardware, healthcare, enterprise services, new energy, cross-border expansion, consumer lifestyle, and beyond.
ZhenFund — your first stop on the entrepreneurial journey!