Two kea above Doubtful Sound, Aotearoa New Zealand.

David Hera, PhD

Mycologist, systems thinker and project driver.

Studying fungi changed how I see people, communities and systems: how things connect, decompose, and regenerate. Over the last decade of work, I found my strengths lie in bridging disciplines and carrying complex work to completion: from a multidisciplinary PhD in mycology to scientific instrument rollouts across three countries.

I’m drawn to ambitious work at the edge of the familiar, especially if it touches how people live, relate to land and themselves, or navigate this strange and beautiful moment in time. I bring presence, follow-through, and the pattern recognition to tackle what’s actually blocking things. What mycelium does for forests, I do for projects, and I’m not afraid to bring into the light that which must compost and transform.

What we can learn from fungi

Selected work

01

2024–present · Technical lead, Goodbye Monkey

S.A.N (Sentient Advocate of Nature)

An interactive AI orangutan speaking on behalf of nature and engaging the public on ecological themes, built for unforgiving real-world installation contexts. See more here.

What I did

System architecture across AI workflows, TouchDesigner, and physical components. Character engineering, alignment, finetuning and hardware development. Operations and project management across distributed teams.

Outcome

02

2021–2025 · PhD researcher, University of Canterbury & Manaaki Whenua

Oyster mushrooms in Aotearoa: taxonomy, traits, and population genomics

A multi-disciplinary PhD on intraspecific variation in five Pleurotus species (oyster mushrooms) across Aotearoa New Zealand, spanning taxonomy, trait diversity, and population genomics. Core finding: uniformity is a myth, even within a single species.

What I did

Multi-gene phylogenetic analysis to resolve species boundaries. Cultivation of 104 strains across five species, measuring vegetative and reproductive trait variation. Population genomics and the first targeted pangenome assembly of any Pleurotus species: P. purpureo-olivaceus. Field collection across the South Island; original molecular work, microscopy, and bioinformatics.

Outcome

  • Described Pleurotus pulmonarius var. aotearoa, a new indigenous variety with implications for conservation and biosecurity in NZ. Published in Fungal Biology (2026)
  • Intraspecific trait variation often matches or exceeds variation between species
  • Thesis findings presented at British Mycological Society (2023)
  • Wrote policy report for MPI on opportunities for mushroom and mycoprotein production in NZ

03

2015–2020 · R&D scientist → Sales Manager → Director, Syft Technologies

SIFT-MS market expansion across Europe & Asia

Opening new markets for SIFT-MS instruments from Syft across Europe and the global semiconductor industry.

What I did

R&D on negative ion chemistry (published in Environments 2017). Co-developed a product-ready dual polarity ion source. Set up Syft’s German subsidiary, acted as Director (2017–2018). Won three public tenders and led a 37-unit rollout across three countries.

Outcome

  • Established Syft’s European presence; first direct German customers
  • Application development with customers from Vehicle Interior Air Quality and semiconductor industry
  • 37-unit instrument rollout coordinated across Taiwan, Singapore, USA

Currently

Available for project management, strategy and technical execution

I work with creatives, visionaries, founders, and small teams building for the present and the future.

Get in touch

I delight in taking what’s intangible and bringing it into form, so the vision retains momentum without stumbling over admin and logistics. This has come from noticing a pattern where visionary projects stall in the gap between conception and execution. Visionaries are at their best staying in the generative space where new ideas come through. But good ideas need momentum to become real, and the grinding slog of implementation is rarely where visionary energy wants to live.

I untangle complexities through pattern recognition, systems thinking, and the dedication to carry things to completion. I bring presence and grounding alongside output. I’m a clear-thinking partner as much as an implementer, helping you resource yourself to make challenging decisions.

I’m strongest at:

  • Project management & operations for small distributed teams
  • AI workflows and integrations (agent design, automations, prompt engineering)
  • Website builds and technical implementation
  • Editing, technical writing, grants
  • Multi-disciplinary strategic advice and decision-making support

I’m based in Christchurch, New Zealand, and can work with you remotely or in person.

Curious how I might fit into your project? I’m happy to have an exploratory call.

Contact

© 2026 David Hera · Christchurch, Aotearoa