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.

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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).

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

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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.

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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.

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.​​

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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

Nishi Whiteley serves as COO of CReDO Science, a cannabis biopharma formulation, clinical consulting and education company. Whiteley is the author of the book Chronic Relief: A Guide to Cannabis for the Terminally & Chronically Ill, several popular science articles, and has co-authored three peer-reviewed journal articles on the topic. 

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Nishi has 30+ years of international business experience in the areas of agriculture, green energy and wellness, with experience in government, start-ups, small to large companies and non-profits. Whiteley came to cannabis after her mother’s positive experience at the end of her battle with lung cancer.

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In Nishi's role at CReDO Science, she is focused on making cannabis safer and better by helping get optimized formulas to those who need them and through driving important research and education efforts. One of Whiteley's highest priority projects is the advancement of a cannabis-based drug to treat symptoms of ALS.

Chase Eastman is a passionate entrepreneur with 15+ years of experience in EdTech, learning software, and go-to-market strategy. As the founder and CEO of Rootwurks, he's revolutionizing workplace training in the cannabis and food manufacturing industries.

Rootwurks is a cutting-edge platform that empowers businesses to create and deliver engaging, compliant training that fits seamlessly into employees' daily workflows. This innovative approach maximizes knowledge retention and minimizes time away from the production floor or retail counter, boosting productivity and compliance.

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.

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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.

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​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. ​

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

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

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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.

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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.

COMING SOON!

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.

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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.

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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.

Frederika McClary Easley, Executive Director of Cannabis Impact Fund, Vice President of MCBA and Host of The People are Blunt podcast, is a powerhouse at creating and implementing strategy and providing a unique lens that brings an impactful perspective. She pulls from her vast experiences to bring knowledge and efforts that promote harm alleviation, community engagement, inclusivity and impact.

​​She is an experienced strategist with over 15 years in organized labor industries, has spent the past three and a half years analyzing federal and state policies with an equity lens to identify areas of opportunity and advocacy and now will be entering the non-profit space continuing the work of educating all stakeholders around the necessity of equitable practices and tangible change. ​

​​​Additionally, she focuses on stakeholder engagement through leadership roles in industry associations, the creation of thought pieces, interviews, and panel discussions. Frederika is an impeccable resource for campaign development, strategy implementation, policy analysis and creation, addressing health and wellness inequities and equity work. Her work in articulating social inequities and promoting advocacy for change through legislation and the social culture of the cannabis industry has been noted by a host of publications. 

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).

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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​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.

Alison Bosworth is the Chief of Staff at Caliper Holdings, a leader in the processing, manufacturing, and distribution of soluble cannabinoid-infused consumer packaged goods and commercial ingredients.

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Since joining the cannabis industry in 2019, Alison played a pivotal role in launching the nation's first licensed, event-based cannabis consumption space in Denver, Colorado, through her work at HTBX, LLC. She has collaborated with the State of Colorado’s Cannabis Business Office and BIPOCann to develop training materials for social-equity operators. She is an advocate for destigmatizing cannabis consumption amongst veterans and first responders with PTSD, as well as consumer safety initiatives across the industry. 

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Before transitioning to the cannabis sector, Alison was an analyst for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), specializing in threat prioritization and strategic planning for both Headquarters and Field Office Divisions. In recognition of her work, she received the FBI's Medal of Excellence in 2017 from then-Director James Comey.
 

COMING SOON!

Daniel Wacks is a visionary entrepreneur and cannabis industry pioneer with over two decades of experience, known for his strategic leadership and multiple successful exits that helped shape the cannabis landscape. He has built, scaled and transformed cannabis operations worldwide. 

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As a co-founder of Gravitas Nevada, Daniel developed a vertically integrated family of cannabis businesses, including: State Flower, Kiva Confections Nevada, and The Apothecarium (acquired by Jushi Holdings in 2022). Wacks' expertise in facility design and operations led to the creation of state-of-the-art cultivation sites across California, Nevada, the Northeastern United States, Canada and a groundbreaking 500,000-sq ft cannabis R&D campus in Fujian, China — the only legal cannabis facility in China.

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Daniel founded and led State Flower, a super-premium cannabis brand in California and Nevada. In 2019, he sold State Flower to TerrAscend, a leading public multi-state operator (MSO), where he spearheaded cultivation operations for four years post-acquisition and played a crucial role in mergers and acquisitions, contributing to deals worth ~$800M. His innovative processes set new benchmarks for cultivation excellence, driving long-term success across the company’s portfolio.

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Beyond his operational achievements, Daniel serves as an advisor to a top cannabis VC fund and a cannabis technology startup. While collaborating with Sanan Optoelectronics, Daniel developed the Photobio line of LED light fixtures, now Hydrofarm’s exclusive LED brand. A graduate of UC Santa Cruz, Daniel’s journey is driven by his passion for cannabis and his commitment to advancing the industry through innovation and strategic growth.

Dustin Milner is a dynamic and visionary business leader currently serving as the CEO of Talarya Brands, a top California cannabis brand house. He brings a wealth of experience and innovative thinking to his role, driving the company's strategic direction and growth.

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With over a decade of experience in the cannabis industry, Dustin was an early mover in California's cannabis market with the ultra-premium Cream of the Crop brand. Under his leadership, Cream of the Crop has today become a Top 20 Flower and Concentrates brand, marking a significant achievement in the world's largest and most competitive cannabis market. This accomplishment highlights his exceptional business acumen and his ability to successfully navigate and lead in rapidly evolving industries.

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Before leading Talarya Brands, Milner was CEO of Potentia Labs, a mental health startup, where he was the winner of a highly competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Center for Innovation, and through his work with Veterans, first learned of the healing potential of cannabis.

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During his leadership at Talarya Brands, Dustin has led the successful acquisition and integration of three cannabis businesses including a sales and distribution operation, volatile extraction and distribution operation, and a cultivation operation.  Dustin has exhibited excellence in negotiation, leadership, and problem solving throughout these acquisitions which included leading three separate foreclosures.

COMING SOON!