Gob
GOB makes single-use earplugs from lab-grown mycelium, the root structure of mushrooms. The San Francisco company sells plastic-free, compostable earplugs for concerts and sleep, and appeared on Shark Tank Season 17.
The Story
Lauryn Menard founded GOB in 2022 after a decade working in fashion, furniture, and cycling design. She and her PROWL design agency co-founder Baillie Mishler launched GOB to build the worlds first plastic-free earplug from lab-grown mycelium. The idea came to Menard after a brutal spin class in New York City, where she realized the foam earplugs she relied on as a biomaterials expert were made from the same toxic PVC she spent her career trying to replace.
Menard launched GOB commercially in March 2025 with earplugs grown entirely from lab-cultivated mycelium. The material is biofabricated — grown into shape rather than molded from petrochemicals — and breaks down in compost after a single use. The earplugs sell for five dollars a pair. Within months of launch, GOB landed a national partnership with AEG, becoming the exclusive hearing protection provider at AEG-owned venues, and built a direct-to-consumer business for sleep.
By late 2025, GOB had earned a spot on TIME Magazine’s Best Inventions list, appeared on Shark Tank Season 17 seeking $250,000 for 5 percent equity at a $5 million valuation, and was raising a seed round on a SAFE note. Menard, joined by co-founders Baillie Mishler and Michael Brand, manufactures the earplugs in the United States and was preparing to scale production on the East Coast.
Key Facts & Metrics
Company Timeline
2022 — GOB founded
Lauryn Menard and PROWL co-founder Baillie Mishler launched GOB out of San Francisco, setting out to build the worlds first plastic-free earplug from lab-grown mycelium. The idea came to Menard after a spin class in New York City, where she realized the foam earplugs she relied on were made from the same toxic PVC she spent her career trying to replace.
2024 — Pre-seed funding raised
GOB raised a $1 million pre-seed round led by Baukunst to fund product development and early manufacturing. Michael Brand joined as the third co-founder to lead scaling operations.
2025 — Product launch and AEG partnership
GOB launched commercially in March 2025 and landed a national partnership with AEG, becoming the exclusive hearing protection provider at AEG-owned music venues across the United States.
2025 — TIME Best Inventions
GOB earplugs were named one of TIME Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2025, recognized for being the worlds first 100 percent bio-based, compostable alternative to plastic foam earplugs.
2025 — Shark Tank appearance
Lauryn Menard pitched GOB on Shark Tank Season 17, seeking $250,000 for 5 percent equity, which implied a $5 million valuation. She did not secure a deal.
Episodes Featuring Gob
Advice Line with Tim Ferriss (August 2025)
Tim Ferriss joins Guy Raz for a live Advice Line session, taking calls from three entrepreneurs navigating very different growth challenges. Lauren Menard scales GOB's mycelium earplugs across music venues and DTC while raising a seed round. Emily Bordner decides between wholesale expansion and brick-and-mortar growth after a viral Taylor Swift moment. Kimberly Becker contemplates shifting K. Becker Designs to a pre-order model. Ferriss offers frameworks on parallel verticals, low-cost experiments, and redefining success beyond revenue.
Advice Line with Tim Ferriss
Guy Raz and Tim Ferriss open the Advice Line to three founders at different inflection points. Lauren Menard is torn between a national venue deal and DTC growth for her mycelium earplug company. Emily Bordner's viral moment with Taylor Swift has wholesale taking off but she doesn't know where to focus. Kimberly Becker is testing the waters on pre-orders for her sustainable women's clothing brand. Tim pushes each caller past the obvious trade-off toward an experiment they can actually run.
