Joe Hodas serves as President for Wana Brands where he is responsible for positioning Wana for future success as the leading brand seeks to expand its domestic presence across the East Coast while also breaking new ground in international markets such as Switzerland. Joe served as CMO at Wana from 2020-2024, where he led the team that launched new innovative lines–including Quick, Optimals and Live Rosin Gummies–while expanding Wana’s North American footprint to become a top international cannabis brand. An early professional marketer in the cannabis industry, Hodas drove the marketing strategy for Dixie Elixirs as its first CMO, helping build it into one of the most recognized national marijuana brands.

​​​

Prior to joining Wana, Hodas was CEO at Gofire, an innovator of hardware and software IP designed to change the face of plant-based medicine and mainstream healthcare; guiding GoFire’s marketing, product development, software and sales, helping to bring the company’s first metered-dose inhaler to market, while developing the company’s next-generation products intended to redefine how mainstream medicine could be delivered and monitored for adherence and efficacy. Previously, Hodas served as COO for General Cannabis Corporation, a publicly traded company consisting of several ancillary businesses.

​​​​

Joe graduated from the University of Denver with a master’s degree in mass communications and publications after earning his bachelor’s from University of Texas. Hodas serves on the Boards of organizations including Colorado Leads, Volunteers of America and The Global Livingston Institute.

​

Heather Quinn Molloy, Founder and Managing Partner of Speedwell Partners, has over twenty-five years of experience in capital markets and began investing and consulting in the legal US cannabis market in 2015. ​​​​​​

​Speedwell Partners is an active equity investor in proven operators and business models in the US cannabis market. Heather also serves on the board of Gold Flora (GRAM) and select private companies. Previously, Heather was with TerrAscend Corp. where she served as Chief Strategy Officer and EVP of Corporate Development. In this role, she successfully closed over $300mm in acquisitions and managed significant capital raising and investor relations. 

​​

Before moving into the cannabis industry, Heather was a founder of two registered investment advisors with over $800mm in assets under management.  Asset types included senior direct real estate loans, equipment-based financing, emerging market lending, structured credit, derivative strategies, mezzanine debt and private equity.

​

Previously Heather spent over 14 years at Swiss Re, where she was instrumental in launching the structured credit business. She structured and marketed multiple deals, established trading relationships for a proprietary derivatives product company and helped launch an asset backed commercial paper conduit in Canada.

​​

Heather has an MBA with a concentration in finance from the New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business and graduated cum laude from Boston College with degrees in Marketing and Philosophy.

Dai Truong is Managing Director at Arlington Capital Advisors and focused on M&A and Capital Raises for the cannabis industry. Prior to joining Arlington, Dai served as VP Corporate Development for Left Coast Ventures, a diversified cannabis and hemp company specializing in cultivation, manufacturing, brand development and distribution.

​

Prior to Left Coast Ventures, Dai held various corporate development and investment positions at MedMen, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Austin Ventures and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Dai graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Robby S. Pinnamaneni is a seasoned attorney, investor, and cannabis industry operator with extensive experience in operations, retail, delivery, and venture capital. As the current COO and General Counsel for Albert Einstone's, a leading CPG company in the cannabis space, Robby oversees the manufacture, sale, marketing and distribution of products in over 3,000 retailers nationwide and in Canada. He has been instrumental in developing vertically-integrated operations across these regions.

​

With a career spanning over 15 years, Robby has a proven track record of navigating complex regulatory, legal, and market challenges within the cannabis sector. His expertise includes leading development and scaling efforts, managing M&A and post-M&A integration, overseeing litigation, securing licensing, and executing restructuring initiatives for large-scale cannabis enterprises.

​​​​

Before transitioning into the cannabis industry, Robby built a distinguished career as a corporate, real estate, and restructuring attorney at top-tier law firms such as Paul Hastings, Latham & Watkins, and Kirkland & Ellis. His focus was on structuring high-return investment opportunities while mitigating risk.

​

Robby holds a Juris Doctorate from Vanderbilt University with a certification in Law & Business, a Master of Science in Financial Engineering from the University of Michigan, where he served as class president, and a BA in Economics with Honors from the University of Chicago.

Mike has over ten years of industry experience. At Altmore Capital Mike spearheads the business development and investment functions.

​

Previously, he held various positions at Golub Capital across the fundraising and investment sides of the business. Prior to that, Mike was on a team tasked with investing Rhode Island’s defined-benefit pension plan.

​​

Mike also worked with the Sands Investment Group where he focused on industrial real estate investments. Mike graduated from Brown University with an Applied Math – Economics degree and was a quarterback on the Brown football team.

Dominique Mendiola serves as the Senior Director of the Colorado Department of Revenue's Marijuana Enforcement Division and Natural Medicine Division. She is also the President of the Cannabis Regulators Association (CANNRA), a nonpartisan association of government agencies involved in cannabis regulation.

​​

Mendiola began her work in marijuana policy and regulation in 2014, where she served in various roles, including the Division’s Policy Advisor, then Deputy Director prior to her appointment to Senior Director in 2021. In January 2024, Mendiola’s role expanded to include the stand-up of the Department’s Natural Medicine Division and responsibility to support the implementation of a regulated framework for natural medicine services in Colorado, with an initial focus on psilocybin-based services.

​

Mendiola received her political science degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio and her law degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. Prior to joining the Department of Revenue, she practiced law in Texas and Colorado with a focus in civil litigation.

Vince is Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Nabis, the leading licensed cannabis wholesale platform, improving commerce for over half a billion dollar’s worth of products per year by wholesale value for over 300 brands to thousands of retailers across the United States. With expertise forged at Microsoft and in his prior company later sold to Amazon when he was 23 years old, Vince is a world-class technologist and entrepreneur who has turned his focus to accelerating cannabis industry growth operationally and compliantly. Vince’s prowess in technology, finance and data analysis have made him an invaluable partner to top-tier cannabis brands and retailers across the United States, where he has helped hundreds of businesses launch and scale. Through his leadership, Nabis, a Y Combinator-backed company, is poised to become the largest national cannabis B2B platform.​​

​

Vince, a Forbes 30 Under 30 executive, has held a position as Board Director of the Cannabis Distribution Association (CDA) to help shape regulations for the betterment of the cannabis supply chain. He has studied at Harvard Kennedy School for Public Policy & Leadership, and graduated from the University of Virginia with degrees in Computer Science, Economics and Statistics.

Since its launch in October 2021, Tiana’s brand Queen Mary has taken the cannabis industry by storm. By Q1’22, Queen Mary was on the shelves of 12 different dispensaries; fast forward to today, Queen Mary is available across CA, CO and OR, on track to be in 140+ retail locations before the end of 2024.

​​​​

Tiana’s award-winning brand recently teamed up with Lowell Farms and Oregon Bud Company for manufacturing and distribution, which sets Queen Mary to be in 100+ retail locations before the end of 2024. Queen Mary recently made headlines for selling 1,500+ units at the historic, California State Fair. What sets Tiana apart from other retail brands? Every product is created with intention and consumers in mind, as each product includes natural vitamins and supplements (a major plus as we see the rise for all-natural wellness products across the country).

​​​

As a result, Queen Mary has accomplished what so many other brands struggle to achieve - trust among consumers. Queen Mary is a renowned brand with a reputation for consistency and reliability, backed by a self-made founder that’s truly a force to reckoned with - a feeling that just about every native Texan can get onboard with.

Nohtal Partansky is the Founder and CEO of Sorting Robotics. He is a serial entrepreneur and former NASA-JPL engineer. At NASA-JPL, Nohtal was a cognizant engineer on the MOXIE project; an instrument on the surface of Mars producing oxygen from the Martian atmosphere. After leaving NASA-JPL, Nohtal founded Sorting Robotics with his co-founder, Cassio Dos Santos Jr.

​

Since the company’s inception, Nohtal has led Sorting Robotics in building innovative equipment for cannabis manufacturers and vertically integrated brands. While building Sorting Robotics, he witnessed firsthand how the lack of automation in the cannabis industry disrupts the value chain and erodes profit margins.

​

Today, Sorting Robotics is working to solve those problems with AI-driven machines deployed across North America.

COMING SOON!

Justin Singer is the CEO and co-founder of Caliper Foods – a pioneering company in the cannabinoid industry and parent company to Caliper Consumer Ingredients and Caliper Consumer Goods. Caliper Foods specializes in the processing, manufacturing and distribution of soluble cannabinoid-infused consumer packaged goods and commercial ingredients. Justin is also the co-founder of Stillwater Brands, where Caliper’s soluble cannabinoid technology was first developed. Over the course of two years, Justin and his team built Stillwater into one of the top edibles manufacturers in Colorado. Its core brand, Ripple Dissolvables, has become the best-selling soluble cannabinoid powder in the country, with the #1, 2, and 3 beverage SKUs in the state (Headset, July 2019).

​

Prior to founding Caliper, Justin spent four years teaching innovation theory and high-growth entrepreneurship at the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University, while also working as a product, strategy, and operations consultant to a variety of early-stage startups. He began his career as an investor with IA Ventures, a seed stage venture capital firm investing in technology companies that create competitive advantage through data.

Justin holds an MBA in finance from Columbia Business School, a JD in telecommunications law from Columbia Law School and a BBA in operations management from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. He’s been quoted as an expert in the consumer cannabinoid industry in media outlets such as Detroit Free Press, Denver Business Journal and Westword. Additional outlets including Forbes, Food Business News, Food Dive and BeverageDaily on the topic of cannabinoids as a functional food ingredient. Justin resides in Boulder, Colorado.

COMING SOON!

Gavin Gillas is the CEO of Project Venkman, overseeing a team of innovators focused on developing unique digital memberships like the Bill Murray 1000.

​

Gavin's expertise lies in enterprise software, venture building, and translating ideas into valuable products and partnerships. With a decade of experience in launching and scaling IP-driven projects, Gavin specializes in intellectual property, international licensing, and blockchain technology.

​

Beyond his professional endeavors, he co-founded Giving Docs in 2015, a legal donation platform driven by his passion for supporting meaningful causes.

​

Gavin's academic background includes a Juris Doctor in Law from the University of Oregon School of Law and a B.S. in International Business from Linfield University.

Aaron develops strategies and leads teams that successfully execute value-creation business objectives, driving growth and overcoming operational challenges with agility and resilience.

​​

Aaron is an investor, operator, entrepreneur, and general counsel with a proven track record of founding, expanding, and optimizing operations across diverse industries including healthcare, technology, SaaS, CBD and medical marijuana. With expertise in lobbying, risk management, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory compliance and HR matters, he brings a comprehensive skill set to any company.

​

As CEO of DocMJ, he directs the mission and financial growth of the company, leveraging over two decades of experience in owning, operating and representing traditional healthcare organizations. He has a deep-rooted passion for improving patients’ lives, stemming from his background in healthcare. Aaron strives to pursue innovative solutions that alleviate suffering and promote better health and wellness through the medicinal benefits of medical cannabis and evidence-based alternative medicines.

Kevin Washburn is a Member of the Business Department and Mergers & Acquisitions Practice Group at McDonald Hopkins and serves as the head of the firm’s Cannabis industry practice. He has over 20 years of industry-agnostic experience leading both buyers and sellers through the entire transactional process and advising on the multitude of legal issues that can arise along the way.

​​

As a trusted advisor of cannabis clients, Kevin assists clients in a broad range of matters from formation and governance to licensing and strategic partnership to compliance and IP protection. Kevin has extensive experience serving as outside general counsel to startup and high-growth companies in a variety of industries, serving as a trusted advisor and strategist to top executives and handling a broad array of business matters including business formations, drafting and negotiation of operating, shareholder and buy-sell agreements, drafting company policies and procedures, and advising on succession planning, for clients ranging from small private companies to publicly traded entities. His practice also includes a focus on business counseling, corporate structure and governance, corporate finance, and general commercial and real estate transactions.

​​

​Kevin represents clients in a broad range of industries, with specific experience and expertise in cannabis, healthcare, e-sports, real estate, emerging technologies, food and beverage, and automotive and manufacturing. ​

​​​​

Kevin earned his J.D. from Michigan State University College of Law and his bachelor’s degree from Grand Valley State University.

Livi McKay is the founder and CEO of MyTEPI, a startup dedicated to helping consumers navigate cannabis products. Prior to starting MyTEPI, Livi spent 8 years working in the financial industry, most recently as Head of Investor Relations for cannabis investment manager and advisor, CB1 Capital.

​

In her early to mid-twenties, Livi first began suffering from grand mal seizures and then a serious of conditions that resulted in over dozen hospitalizations and 5 major operations. During this time, she had been supplementing her prescription medications, including daily opioids, with cannabis. By the time she turned 30, she had weaned herself off all prescription medications using cannabis and plant-based medicines.

​

In 2019, Livi became a nationally ranked athlete in the equestrian sport of Three-Day Eventing. Having this experience and full turnaround thanks to cannabis, she decided to become more vocal about her story.

​

In 2020, she left the financial world to pursue her dream of normalizing plant medicines and legitimizing cannabis as a viable health alternative.

Dotan Y. Melech is a seasoned federal bankruptcy trustee and court-appointed receiver with over two decades of asset management experience overseeing nearly 10,000 cases. He is known for his

problem-solving skills and strategic acumen in quantifying companies' health to achieve positive outcomes—from mitigating risks and navigating hyper-growth periods to remedying distress situations.

​​

At CTrust, Dotan leverages his expertise in asset management and corporate governance to assist the cannabis industry in navigating financial risk. He champions a proven approach to risk assessment, scoring and ongoing monitoring, revitalizing struggling enterprises through innovative and cost-effective methods. Notably, Dotan led

one of the largest cannabis receiverships in North America, underscoring his commitment to fostering opportunities for

cannabis businesses.

​​

A native of Israel, Dotan holds a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. He retired as a Captain after eight years of service in the Israeli Army and he is a passionate tennis player and lifetime member of the USTA. He now lives in Dallas, where he enjoys spending free time exploring and learning alongside his wife and four children.

Ernest Toney is the Founder and CEO of BIPOCann, a company that removes barriers to business entry and growth for minority entrepreneurs and business owners in the cannabis industry. Since founding BIPOCann in 2020, Ernest has collaborated with business, government and media stakeholders across the country to create programs and partnerships to help cannabis entrepreneurs access capital, education, networking and business development resources.

​​

In 2022, he launched a program in collaboration with Colorado's Office of Economic Development & International Trade to design and lead an accelerator for social equity-licensed business owners. Through the program, Ernest has mentored 40+ entrepreneurs from six cannabis license categories – cultivation, processing, manufacturing, retail, delivery and hospitality – helping several become operational and revenue-producing businesses. Because of Ernest’s successes in building inclusive and equitable business programs in the cannabis industry, BIPOCann was nominated as a finalist for Advocacy Group of the Year at the 2023 EMJAYS International Cannabis Business Awards.

​​​​​

In addition to BIPOCann, Ernest is an advisor at Relentless Endeavors, board member at the Industrial Hemp Research Foundation and a member of the Cannabis Advisory Board at Metropolitan State University of Denver’s School of Hospitality.

​​​

​Prior to launching BIPOCann, Ernest managed global marketing initiatives for MJBizDaily, where he grew domestic and international partnerships that increased global customer acquisition and attendance at MJBizCon and cannabis events in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Latin America.

COMING SOON!

COMING SOON!

COMING SOON!