Colin Averill

Colin Averill is the Founder and CEO of Funga, a company focused on leveraging forest fungal biodiversity to create sustainable forest landscapes in response to the climate crisis. As an Affiliated Scientist at ETH Zürich's Crowther Lab, Colin collaborates on forest microbiome restoration experiments, building on a previous role as an Ambizione Scholar where research centered on the ecological impact of mycorrhizal fungi. Colin co-founded SPUN, a scientific research organization dedicated to mapping and protecting mycorrhizal fungal communities, and serves as a scientific advisor for RESTOR, a platform promoting global restoration efforts. Prior experience includes a postdoctoral fellowship with NOAA, where Colin investigated the interactions between trees and microbes and their implications for carbon stability, along with academic roles at the University of Texas at Austin and Boston University, culminating in a Ph.D. in Ecology and Conservation.