Wellness isn’t just kale smoothies and yoga classes anymore.
It’s mushrooms as brain boosters, IV drips for recovery, tinctures, biohacking, and more. These trends aren’t fringe, they’re big business, generating $1.8 trillion in U.S. sales alone in 2024. And they’re on the move in Acadiana too.
Christiaan’s guests on this edition of Out to Lunch are building businesses in Acadiana riding these same waves — functional mushrooms, hydration therapies, supplements, biohacking — they all are part of wellness, and more than a buzzword.
Daisy Kerne is co-founder of All Caps Gourmet Mushrooms, founded in 2019 with Michael Campbell. Daisy’s from Loreauville, Louisiana, though she moved back and forth between there and Lafayette during her youth.
Daisy Kerne, Co-Owner of All Caps Gourmet Mushrooms, has seen her business grow post Covid and TikTok as people have had the time and technology to discover the medicinal and nutritonal benefits of non-traditional mushrooms
Daisy studied plant science at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and balances her time between her mushroom business, doing food demos, and nutrition counseling for cardiac rehab patients. As a single parent, she managed multiple gigs while homeschooling, and when Michael asked, “Hey, do you want to grow mushrooms?”, she took a leap.
Their current operations include fresh mushrooms, tinctures, seasoning blends, workshops, and growing kits.
DeAnna Smith is founder of Dripsy IV Bar.
DeAnna Smith, owner of Dripsy IV Bar with 5 locations scattered across Lake Charles, Alexandria, and Lafayette, administers IV treatments from weight loss to NAD infusions
DeAnna is originally from Pineville, Louisiana, holds a business administration & marketing degree, then became an RN after an accident involving an 18-wheeler changed her perspective. She started doing IV hydration on weekends while working as an insurance case nurse.
Deanna gradually built a waitlist for IV treatments, and in 2024 opened the first brick-and-mortar Dripsy IV Bar in Alexandria. That’s Dripsy…as in “everybody in the club getting dripsy.”
Since then, Dripsy has grown to three new locations, including adding outposts in Lafayette and Lake Charles in 2025. Dripsy offers IV drips, weight loss options, shots, telehealth, peptide treatments, and biohacking services.
DeAnna Smith, Daisy Kerne, Christiaan Mader, Out to Lunch at Tsunami Sushi in downtown Lafayette
Out to Lunch Acadiana was recorded live over lunch at Tsunami Sushi in downtown Lafayette. Photos by Astor Morgan.
