“My father is a phytopathologist. He is a plant doctor for the Spanish government. So I’m half Spanish, half American and my mother is from New York,” said Portela, founder of Hifas de terra. “My entire life, since I was little, was about mushrooms and going to the forest and foraging the mushrooms and understanding the differences between them and understanding the role in ecosystems and the role in nature.”
After earning her PhD in clinical oncology and her bachelor degree in biology, Portela launched her company with the goal of bringing the health benefits of medicinal mushrooms into everyday life. With mushrooms remarkably en vogue largely for their immunity benefits, she explained the shift toward prevention is reflective of today’s longevity goals requiring proactive exercise, mental wellness and supplementation.
As a female scientist leading a company in the male-dominated natural medicine field, Portela sais she faced significant challenges requiring her to consistently demonstrate excellence beyond what male counterparts needed to prove. She also navigated skepticism from conventional medical professionals about mushroom-based research by grounding her work in rigorous science and traditional knowledge from Asian cultures.
After operating Hifas de Terra in Europe, Portela is expanding into the United States.
“I’m so happy to bring this to the U.S.,” she said. “As an American overseas, it’s like I’m so proud of being able to bring this home and to bring this for the Americans.”
