NEW YORK STATE SENATOR

Senator Liz Krueger is currently the Chair of the Senate Finance Committee and was the lead sponsor of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, which became law in March of 2021.

CEO, LEAFLY

Yoko Miyashita is Chief Executive Officer of Leafly. As CEO, she drives the company’s vision and strategy for continued growth as a marketplace to connect consumers with cannabis retailers and brands.

DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL EQUITY AND INCLUSION, US CANNABIS COUNCIL

As the Director of Social Equity and Inclusion at The US Cannabis Council and Marijuana Policy Project, Tahir advances the mission of achieving social justice for those impacted by cannabis prohibition.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MINORITY CANNABIS BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

Amber Littlejohn is the Executive Director for the Minority Cannabis Business Association, the only U.S. trade association representing minority cannabis businesses and their communities.

CEO, CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE

Richard Carleton has been CEO of the Canadian Securities Exchange for seven years. Prior to this appointment, Richard served as Vice-President Corporate Development with responsibility for the CSE’s technology, operations, market data and trading sales teams.

FOUNDER, LAST PRISONER PROJECT

Steve DeAngelo is a globally recognized cannabis leader who was dubbed “the father of the legal industry” by former Speaker of the California Assembly Willie Brown. As a lifelong activist, author, educator, investor, and entrepreneur, he has spent more than four decades on the front lines of the cannabis reform movement.

PARTNER, CONOR GREEN, AND MEMBER OF THE SHINNECOCK INDIAN NATION

Barré Hamp is a Partner of Conor Green a tribal economic development group focused on cannabis projects with Native Tribes. Barré is also CEO of Barré Consulting, LLC, where he develops and managing economic development projects both Tribal and Non-Tribal activities.

FOUNDER, PARK JORDAN LLC

Kristin Jordan is the Founder + CEO of Park Jordan, a commercial real estate brokerage and advisory services firm serving the cannabis industry. She is also an attorney, drug policy activist and social equity thought leader

BUSINESS REPORTER, NEW YORK POST

Before joining the New York Post, Will Feuer was a Reporter for CNBC’s health and science team. Will has also worked at The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Detroit Metro Times and Southeast Asia Globe in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

HEAD OF IMPACT & ESG, VICENTE SEDERBERG LLP

Marc Ross provides counseling and consulting to the cannabis, hemp, and entheogen industries on all things ESG , CSR, JEDI, strategic philanthropy, sustainability, and other associated areas.

CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER, ARCVIEW VENTURES

Jeanne is an investor, advisor, and sought-after speaker in the cannabis industry, leveraging 25 years of tech investing as a co-founder of several tech-focused funds.

CEO, HEADSET

Cy Scott is co-founder and CEO of Headset Inc., bringing data-driven insights to the cannabis industry. Headset helps companies in cannabis succeed by promoting better decision-making via market intelligence.

FOUNDER, BLAK MAR FARMS LLC

Ruben Lindo is an experienced voice of reason and strong proponent for social equity in the New York state marketplace and beyond, as the business of cannabis and federal legalization become a more realized possibility.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, TILT HOLDINGS

Mr. Santo has held a variety of senior-level positions at The First Marblehead Corporation, Fitch Ratings, International Game Technology, Lantheus Medical Imaging and, most recently, Columbia Care Inc., a leading multi-state operator in the cannabis industry.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, CORNELL UNIVERSITY

Dr. Carlyn Buckler is an Associate Professor of Practice in the Horticulture Section of the School of Integrative Plant Science. She teaches courses on Digital Technologies in Agriculture, the Public Communication of Science, and an overview course on Cannabis.

PARTNER, SILVER SPIKE CAPITAL

Bill is a partner and co-founding member of Silver Spike Capital, an investment manager focused on the cannabis, alternative health and wellness industries. He is a board member of US$ 250 million Silver Spike Acquisition Corp.

CO-CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, AYR WELLNESS

A former Managing Director at Goldman Sachs with extensive M&A experience, Ms. Drake institutionalized the businesses of several multi-billion dollar asset management firms, ensuring compliance within complex regulatory frameworks and creating a foundation for accelerated growth.

VICE PRESIDENT OF CAPITAL MARKETS, HIGH TIDE INC

Mr. Ajamian (CPA, CA, CFA) has nearly 20 years of financial experience including five years of cannabis experience as one of the first analysts to cover the sector for Beacon Securities. Vahan was also named one of the “Rising Stars” in the cannabis investment community by Business Insider for his equity research and analysis.

MANAGING EDITOR, THE CANNALYSTS

Andrew is a subject-matter specialist in physical and financial commodity trading. He imputes cost of capital and industry fundamentals, and analyzes the ‘equity box’ of a range of companies in the legal cannabis space.

REPORTER, POLITICO

Mona Zhang is the states cannabis policy reporter for POLITICO Pro. She also spent four years covering the cannabis beat as a freelance journalist for Forbes, The Outline, High Times and more.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR, THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION

John is Senior Fellow and Deputy Director at The Brookings Institution. He conducts research on American government institutions, elections, and governance issues around cannabis legalization.

MANAGING PARTNER, MERIDA CAPITAL

Mr. Baruchowitz has nine years of experience in the legal cannabis industry and is considered a national expert in the diverse licensing regimes governing each state.

CO-FOUNDER & CHIEF GROWTH OFFICER, REGENNABIS

Geoff co-founded Regennabis to serve a broad stakeholder community of Cannabis and Hemp Companies – along with “Canna-Curious” established brands – in the same space as Investors and Social Entrepreneurs to deliver long-term Sustainable Development in the Cannabis Industry.

CEO & CO-FOUNDER, GREEN MARKET REPORT

Debra Borchardt is the CEO, co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of the cannabis financial news website Green Market Report. Debra is an award-winning journalist who began her career on Wall Street, where she was a Vice President at Bear Stearns.

MANAGING DIRECTOR, CANTOR FITZGERALD

Pablo Zuanic is a well-known and highly rated equity analyst with a global background, having covered stocks over the past 20 years in the US, Europe, LatAm, and Asia.

SENIOR REPORTER, BUSINESS INSIDER

Jeremy is a senior reporter with a focus on the emerging cannabis industry. He has covered everything from policy changes to the boom in cannabis companies going public.

OPERATING PARTNER, KINDTAP TECHNOLOGIES

Cannabis compliance and corporate development subject matter expert. Licensed and operationalized eight medical and recreational licenses across four facilities in MA, and generating $25M in revenue in the first year of operations.

PRESIDENT, PELORUS EQUITY GROUP

Rob is the co-founding President of Pelorus Equity Group and has more than 18 years of experience in the real estate finance industry. Since the formation of Pelorus in 2010, he has raised more than $175,000,000 in secured real estate transactions.

FOUNDER, B CUBED CANNABIS

B Cubed Cannabis is committed to responsibly expanding access to cannabis, while empowering minorities, women and veterans. Bringing the Fire & Flower brand to the US through a joint venture with Fire & Flower.

CEO, NATIONAL CANNABIS INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

Aaron is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of the National Cannabis Industry Association, the largest trade association representing legal cannabis businesses in the U.S.

PRESIDENT, NEW YORK CANNABIS GROWERS AND PROCESSORS ASSOCIATION

Allan is the founder and President of the New York Cannabis Growers and Processors Association–an organization of cannabis producers, processors, and industry partners committed to an economically viable, consumer-conscious cannabis industry.

CEO, MATTIO COMMUNICATIONS

Rosie Mattio is a strategic powerhouse, industry connector and influencer running the #1 ranked cannabis PR firm by Greenmarket Report.

CEO, NEW LEAF DATA SERVICES LLC

Jonathan co-founded and launched New Leaf Data Services, LLC and its Cannabis Benchmarks® division in February 2015 to bring transparency and efficiency to cultivators, dispensaries, investors, traders and other cannabis market participants through validated, standardized benchmark price assessments.

MANAGING DIRECTOR, BUSINESS OF CANNABIS

Jay comes to Business of Cannabis from a career spanning Washington, D.C., Silicon Valley and Canada. With a background in government, he launched several successful consultancies and start-ups before launching Business of Cannabis.

CANNABIS REPORTER AND COPYWRITER

Andrew Ward is a New York City-based cannabis copywriter, content writer and reporter. Andrew is the author of The Art of Marijuana Etiquette (2021) and Cannabis Jobs (2019). His work can be found on High Times, Business Insider, Benzinga and many others.

PHYSICIAN, CANNABIS SPECIALIST

Peter Grinspoon, M.D. is a primary care physician and cannabis specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital, an Instructor at Harvard Medical School and a certified Health and Wellness Coach. He is a Contributing Editor to Harvard Health Publications as well as a TEDx Speaker.

NYS ASSEMBLY MAJORITY LEADER, NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY

Peoples-Stokes has served Buffalo’s 141st Assembly District since 2003 and was elevated to the position of Majority Leader in 2018. In 2019, Peoples-Stokes passed a law to decriminalize possession and to expunge minor marijuana convictions from New Yorkers’ criminal records, and passed The Marijuana Regulation & Taxation Act (MRTA) in March 2021.

CHIEF OF STAFF & SENIOR POLICY DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF CANNABIS MANAGEMENT

Former Assistant Counsel to the NY State Governor for Health, Axel Bernabe leads the Office of Cannabis Management. The new state agency oversees the implementation of all licensing, enforcement, economic development, clinical, and reinvestment goals of the medical, hemp, and adult-use cannabis economy in the state of New York.

CHAIR, NEW YORK STATE CANNABIS CONTROL BOARD

Tremaine Wright is the Chairwoman of the New York State Cannabis Control Board and is a former member of the New York State Assembly from the 56th district, which includes parts of Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn.

CO-FOUNDER & MANAGING PARTNER, MERIDA CAPITAL HOLDINGS

Mitch has 12 years’ experience investing in cannabis and over twenty years of entrepreneurial, legal, regulatory, and financial experience in highly regulated industries. He is an expert in the regulatory component of cannabis limited licensing and multi-state cultivation operations, and is a frequent speaker and author on cannabis investment strategy and diligence.

OWNER, KENZOLL

Corné Melissen founded and manages Kenzoll, a recent carve-out of Ramphastos, a 2B EUR investment firm in the Netherlands. The Kenzoll portfolio comprises business activities in energy, technology and cannabis. Kenzoll acquired majority stakes in Canadian and African licensed producers and owns one of the 10 recently awarded Dutch recreational cannabis production licenses.

FOUNDER, FRANK WHITE & THINK BIG

CJ is a social entrepreneur, actor, photographer, and producer. He is the founder of Frank White & Think BIG and is an advocate for cannabis legalization, Black ownership in the cannabis industry, and restorative justice to communities most harmed by cannabis prohibition.

GENERAL PARTER & FOUNDER, SUBVERSIVE CAPITAL

Michael is founder of Subversive Capital, which is dedicated to investing in radical companies whose core missions subvert the status quo and require sophisticated government and regulatory strategies for success. He is also General Partner of Subversive’s venture platform and Opportunity Fund, and Chairman of Subversive REIT LP and Subversive Capital Acquisition Corp.

VISUAL ARTIST & FILMMAKER, ADVOCATE & FOUNDER OF B NOBLE

Fab started his career as a renowned graffiti artist in NYC and was one of the driving forces behind the rise of street art in the eighties. In 2020, B NOBLE announced a first-of-its-kind brand partnership with Curaleaf to raise awareness and financially support organizations dedicated to defending people from cannabis-related criminalization.

CO-FOUNDER & MANAGING MEMBER, ARTEMIS GROWTH PARTNERS LLC

Will Muecke is a co-founding managing member of Artemis Growth Partners, an ESG and impact-oriented private equity platform dedicated to investing 100% in the cannabis industry on a worldwide basis. Artemis Growth Partners oversees US$350 million+ in mission-driven discretionary assets under management (AUM) invested in the global cannabis value chain.

PRESIDENT, THE SALES JOINT

Francesca is the President of The Sales Joint, a sales agency that helps bring professional sales strategies, tools, and best practices to the cannabis industry on behalf of license holders. She believes that professional sales should be every company's second priority, second only to product quality, and that an effective, strong sales cycle is tied to better patient care as well as better business.

CHEF & RESTAURATUER , FORK KNIFE

One of the youngest and most dynamic BIPOC chefs in the industry, Jordan Andino began his foray into the culinary world at the young age of nine, learning under his father. Andino impacted the NYC restaurant world with his Filipino Taqueria, Flip Sigi, which has been integral in bringing Filipino food to the American masses.

PARTNER, MILLENNIAL STRATEGIES

Jeff Guillot is a founding partner of Millennial Strategies. At Millennial, Jeff has workedon some of New York State’s most successful, forward-thinking public policy endeavors such as the passing of Universal Pre-K, Paid Family Leave Legislation, and ushering in the legalization of ridesharing services statewide.

FOUNDER & CEO, TREEZ

John Yang co-founded Treez in 2016. Prior to Treez, John was a consultant at Slalom Consulting - ranked #3 in the world for business technology consulting and specializing in program management, business process improvement, software development, CRM solutions, and business intelligence.

CSO & CO-FOUNDER, CANNDELTA CANNABIS LICENSING CONSULTANTS

Dr. Lucas C. McCann is the Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer at CannDelta Inc., a cannabis consulting firm with offices in New York, New Jersey, and Toronto. Lucas provides scientific oversight on all CannDelta projects, assists clients through state and federal regulatory frameworks with license applications, and provides clients with business strategy & operational efficiency advice.

CO-FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, PELORUS EQUITY GROUP

Rob brings nearly 23 years’ experience in the real estate finance industry. Since the formation of Pelorus in 2010, he has raised more than $550 million in secured real estate transactions.

PARTNER, DELOITTE

Karina is a partner in Deloitte’s Global Cannabis Practice with a focus on support for cannabis businesses and government in modernization, transformation, and resilience initiatives. Karina’s passion is working to bridge the gap between policy/regulation and the practical implementation and impact on businesses in this emerging industry.

CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER, TRULIEVE

Mr. Jhala has over 20 years' experience in information technology roles at large public and private high-tech and national CPG companies. Mr. Jhala previously held leadership positions at companies including Hallmark Cards, Dollar Tree Inc, Lowes, and Office Depot.

CONTRIBUTOR, FORBES

Iris is an East Coast-based business journalist who has covered the emerging legal cannabis sector for outlets including Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Crain's New York Business, Venture Capital Journal, Buyouts, and Investopedia. In addition to legal cannabis, Iris also writes about private equity/venture capital, small business, politics, media, and the arts.

SENIOR EDITOR, LEAFLY

Leafly Senior Editor Bruce Barcott oversees news, investigations, and feature projects. He is a Guggenheim Fellow and author of Weed the People: The Future of Legal Marijuana in America.

HEAD OF STRATEGIC GROWTH, DUTCHIE

As Head of Strategic Growth at Dutchie, Anne plays a key role in new market expansion opportunities. She also sits on the Board as Technical Advisor at ACCRES (Association of Canadian Cannabis Retailers) and is an active member on the Retail and Policy Committees at CANY (Cannabis Association of New York).

PHYSICIAN, CANNABIS SPECIALIST, GRINSPOON WELLNESS CONSULTING

Peter Grinspoon, M.D. is a primary care physician and cannabis specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital, an Instructor at Harvard Medical School and a certified Health and Wellness Coach. He is a Contributing Editor to Harvard Health Publications as well as a TEDx Speaker.

CO-FOUNDER, CANNACLUSIVE & CMO, TRICOLLA GARDENS

Mary Pryor is a passionate and vocal media expert. Raised in Detroit, Michigan, Mary received exposure to automotive design, electrical engineering, music, digital arts and marketing at an early age. Today Mary is a powerful and accomplished Digital and Marketing Specialist who has worked for major brands such as Sony Music Group, CBS News and The Rolling Stones.

HEAD OF IMPACT & ESG, VICENTE SEDERBERG

Marc Ross is the Head of Impact & ESG and co-chair of the Environmental, Health and Safety Practice Group at Vicente Sederberg LLP. He provides counselling and consulting to the cannabis, hemp, and entheogen industries on all things ESG, CSR, JEDI, community engagement, strategic philanthropy, sustainability, and other associated areas.

EDITOR IN CHIEF, GREEN MARKET REPORT

Debra Borchardt is the CEO, co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of the cannabis financial news website Green Market Report. Debra is an award-winning journalist who began her career on Wall Street, where she was a Vice President at Bear Stearns.

CONTENT LEAD, NJ.COM

Jelani Gibson is the content lead for NJ Cannabis Insider, a section of NJ.com & The Star-Ledger, where he focuses on content moderation, newsletters, events, and longform journalism exploring issues of criminal justice and equity at the intersection of business.

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, AYR WELLNESS

Jeff Finnerty is a CPG Senior Executive with over 20 years’ success in marketing, brand building, innovation, and customer & commercial leadership. As Head of Marketing at Ayr, Jeff is responsible for overseeing the development and execution of all marketing and advertising strategies.

CO-FOUNDER & CEO, FRANK WHITE

Willie Mack is a brand marketing executive, creative director and photographer with over 20 years’ experience in creative and executive leadership in New York City and Los Angeles. He is also a co-founder of Think BIG, where he serves as the company’s president and leads its executive management and strategic vision.

PRESIDENT, WOMEN GROW

Gia Morón is the President of Women Grow. She began working with the company in January 2017 as Director of Communications, after transitioning from the Women Grow New York City market in 2016. Under her leadership the company has formed partnerships with leading companies in the industry such as Curaleaf, Weedmaps, Columbia Care, Etain, and more.

PARTNER, HIGHLANDS VENTURE PARTNERS

Tahira Rehmatullah is a partner at Highlands Venture Partners, co-founder & CEO of Commons, and member of the board of directors of Akerna Corp (NASDAQ: KERN) and the Last Prisoner Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to cannabis criminal justice reform.

CHIEF CREATIVE DIRECTOR, JUSHI

Before joining Jushi, Dre served as Creative Director and Head of Content for Idean, a leading global design agency, and was instrumental in building out Idean’s US footprint with key clients such as IBM, HP, Rolls-Royce, and Ericsson.

CEO & FOUNDER, THE HAPPY MUNKEY

Born and raised in Hamilton Heights, NYC, Vlad and The Happy Munkey are formidable advocates and leaders in the cannabis space. Vlad is widely recognized for his deep relationships with the international cannabis elite and his successful experience in music, hospitality, and event production.

REPORTER, INSIDER

Jeremy is a senior reporter at Insider, where he focuses on the cannabis industry. Jeremy has covered the boom in cannabis companies going public, multi-billion-dollar mergers between cannabis companies and corporations from other industries, and how the world's largest financial, legal, and political institutions are reacting to and planning for legalization.

SENIOR CANNABIS REPORTER, LAW360

Sam is a senior reporter at Law360, where he covers policy, regulation, and litigation in the cannabis industry. He focuses on the emerging body of cannabis case law, marijuana reform efforts, and how lawyers who work with the industry have navigated the tensions between federal and state policy.

FOUNDER & CEO, TEMEKA GROUP

Mike Wilson is a veteran entrepreneur as the founder & CEO of Temeka Group, an interior design and construction company serving international brands. Temeka Group was founded in 1991 and has grown into a world class market leading company. Mike has 31 years of experience helping major retail brands expand throughout the United States.

JOURNALIST, PROFESSOR & AUTHOR

Elena Romero is Assistant Professor in the Marketing Communications department at the Fashion Institute of Technology (SUNY) and an award-winning TV Correspondent and Producer for LATiNAS on CUNY TV. A journalist for over 25 years, Romero currently tells the stories of nuestra mujeres on a wide range of topics including health & wellness, fashion and food.

CANNABIS REPORTER & COPYWRITER, FREELANCE

Andrew Ward is a New York City-based cannabis copywriter, content writer and reporter. Andrew is the author of The Art of Marijuana Etiquette (2021) and Cannabis Jobs (2019). His work can be found on High Times, Business Insider, Benzinga and many others.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR & BRAND STRATEGIST

Matthew is a multi-disciplinary creative within the fashion, retail and art space, a goal-driven designer working with artists of diverse practices. He designed and launched first-of-its-kind luxury cannabis retail space in Barneys New York Beverly Hills store in Beverly Hills in partnership with Scott Campbell/Beboe.

CEO, CANNABIS NOW

Eugenio Garcia is the co-founder and publisher of Cannabis Now Media. He has been a long-time advocate for cannabis and entrepreneur since he began working as a cannabis industry consultant in 2008. In all his work, Garcia feels a responsibility to provide the public with information on the tectonic national paradigm shift about the marijuana industry currently underway across the nation.

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WOMEN GROW

Tanya Osborne is a true Renaissance woman! From the Music Industry to Financial Services, Business Coaching and now...Cannabis, the common theme here is women and community. She entered the cannabis industry working as an Event coordinator for Women Grow in 2015.

CEO & CHAIRMAN, ACREAGE HOLDINGS

Dennis Curran joined Acreage in March 2022 as the Chief Operating Officer and assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer on July 1, 2023. Mr. Curran brings over 35 years of leadership experience in multiple product categories, sales, trade channels, distributor management, marketing, and business maturity in both domestic and international markets. Before joining Acreage, he was the Chief Customer Officer at GSK Consumer Healthcare and had a career spanning 29 years with Procter and Gamble (P&G) in both the US and Europe working with some of the world’s leading consumer brands

EMERGING CATEGORIES, X (FORMERLY TWITTER)

Alexa currently leads the Cannabis vertical in Twitter’s US Sales & Partnerships organization and drives forward new business initiatives with a mission of furthering humanity. Most recently she has been spearheading Twitter’s efforts in the cannabis space, bridging the power of the Twitter platform with the needs of the industry. Her work has led Twitter to bring forward the most inclusive cannabis advertising policy of any social platform, opening the door for brands to join the conversation and grow their businesses.

DIRECTOR OF POLICY, OFFICE OF CANNABIS MANAGEMENT

John Kagia leads the team responsible for policy development and implementation for the medical, adult use, and cannabinoid hemp programs in New York. John also manages development of research and data systems to measure and track industry performance, and he oversees deployment of the Office’s educational public health campaigns.

PRESIDENT & CO-FOUNDER, UNION SQUARE AGENCY

Arana has over two decades of experience working in economic development policy and real estate development. She served as the NYS assistant commissioner for economic development, and the director of the Atlantic Yards Project for NYS Empire State Development.

MANAGING DIRECTOR, ARLINGTON CAPITAL ADVISORS

Dai joined Arlington in 2021 and is focused on growing the firm’s cannabis practice. 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.

HEAD OF CORPORATE AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, AYR WELLNESS

Khari Edwards is an experienced leader in healthcare and government. During his 25 years of public service, Khari worked for several elected officials, non-profit organizations, and city agencies with a dedicated focus on strengthening communities by advocating and addressing racial, health and civic disparities. He most recently ran for Brooklyn Borough President after serving 8 years as the Vice President of External Affairs at Brookdale Hospital Medical Center – the hospital’s first Vice President of color. Khari has also served as the Brooklyn Council President for Make-A-Wish New York, where he led a two-year campaign to enlist volunteers to enroll over 400 wish granters for children in Brooklyn.

VICE PRESIDENT REVENUE, WEEDMAPS

Jackie Gonzalez-Becerra currently leads the Revenue function at Weedmaps and has grown in subsequent leadership roles during her more than eight years at the cannabis technology company. Prior to leading the Weedmaps sales and revenue teams, Jackie helped build the foundation for many of Weedmaps’ marketing programs still in effect today.

FOUNDING & FORMER SENIOR DIRECTOR, NYC MAYORS OFFICE OF NIGHTLIFE

Ariel Palitz was appointed New York’s City’s first ever “nightlife mayor” as the Founding Director of NYC Mayors Office of Nightlife from 2018-2023. During that time Ariel built the infrastructure of the office, developed non-enforcement solutions, navigated the industry through the Covid-19 pandemic, while serving under both Mayor de Blasio and Mayor Adams.

CEO & CO-FOUNDER, THE HAPPY MUNKEY

Vladimir Bautista is the CEO & Co-Founder of The Happy Munkey brand, an internationally recognized NYC lifestyle company synonymous with cannabis culture. Born and raised in Hamilton Heights, NYC, Vladimir and The Happy Munkey are formidable advocates and leaders in the cannabis space.

REPORTER, BLOOMBERG

Tiffany Kary covers cannabis, alcohol and tobacco for Bloomberg News and Businessweek Magazine. Her feature stories on environmental and health issues have won awards from the New York Press Club, The Deadline Club, and the Newswoman’s Club of New York. She has a Masters Degree in Journalism from Columbia University, and lives in Westchester, New York.

CO-FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, TRESS CAPITAL

In 2013, David established TRESS Capital, a strategic boutique private investment firm embedded at the core of the global cannabis sector originating and managing investments for HNW, family office, and institutional investors. The TRESS portfolio includes impactful industry leaders such as SC Labs, Headset, TILT, Cannabis Now, WasteTrakr, Grownetics, NorthBud Farms, Infusion Biosciences, iCAN, Tyson2.0, Highsman and Tical.

CEO, CONBUD

Coss co-founded a non-profit organization called Second Chance Studios, and launched CONBUD, which is looking to hire formerly incarcerated individuals that have been affected by the war on drugs to build a personal and impactful presence in the cannabis market in New York State.

CANNABIS ATTORNEY, JEFFREY HOFFMAN & ASSOCIATES PLLC

Jeffrey is a cannabis attorney and legalization activist with over 25 years of experience starting, operating, advising, and selling businesses. He is a leader in promoting pro bono advocacy for the rights of those impacted by anti-cannabis enforcement in the United States. Jeffrey holds a JD from the University of North Carolina School of Law and a BA in Russian and East European Studies from the University of North Carolina.

PUBLISHER & FOUNDER, HONEYSUCKLE MAGAZINE

Ronit Pinto is the publisher and founder of Honeysuckle Media, a CLIO & social justice award-winning platform providing highly-lauded and ROI driven services in print, digital, creative and OOH platform. Honeysuckle explores gender, sexuality, racial politics, plant medicine, and pop culture. Today, one of the most trusted cannabis media sources, Ronit began Honeysuckle in Detroit, now in NYC, as a source for encouraging hope in extraordinary circumstances. Ronit was the first in history to place cannabis and hemp brands on Times Square billboards and has pioneered several initiatives in cannabis culture. Honeysuckle is currently in production on their first feature film and series ‘Girls Are Playas Too,’ telling the fictionalized stories of real women in the cannabis industry.

CEO & CHAIR, ISO & CEN VAPING STANDARDS COMMITTEES

Arnaud (Arno) Dumas de Rauly stands as co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Blinc Group, a pioneering enterprise reshaping the cannabis vaping landscape through an unwavering commitment to safety, innovation, and exceptional quality. Trained as an engineer, Arnaud embeds a culture of scientific rigor within Blinc, ensuring that its offerings epitomize market-leading safety and quality.

POLITICAL & COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, LOCAL 338

Nikki Kateman is the Political & Communications Director for Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW, a labor union that represents approximately 13,000 men and women working in a variety of industries throughout New York State and Northern New Jersey.

FOUNDER, ZUANIC & ASSOCIATES

Pablo Zuanic is a well known and highly rated equity analyst most recently following the cannabis and psychedelics sector. Over the past four years he launched coverage of over 35 companies (US MSOs, Canadian LPs, CBD, ancillary service providers), kept close track of sectoral trends globally, and followed the reform process in the US and Germany.

FOUNDER & CEO, PARK JORDAN & ASIAN CANNABIS ROUNDTABLE

Kristin Jordan is the founder and CEO of Park Jordan, a commercial real estate firm for the cannabis industry. She previously served as Acreage Holdings' Director of Real Estate. Her passion for cannabis reform drives her roles as CEO of Mannada, a NYC-based cannabis event company, co-founder of the Cannabis Cultural Association, and founder of the Asian Cannabis Roundtable. Kristin is also part of the New York State Bar Association's Cannabis Committee and the Minority Cannabis Business Association Policy Committee.

PRESIDENT, VIRIDIAN CAPITAL ADVISORS

Scott has had a highly successful 30-year career on Wall Street and in his own businesses, with a track record of helping to identify, advise, finance and buy/sell best of breed emerging growth companies in newly emerging industries.

He is the founder and President of Viridian Capital Advisors, launched in June 2014 as one of the earliest institutional financial and strategic advisory firms in the legal cannabis sector.

To date, the Viridian team has closed 16 financing transactions totaling approximately $185 million, and 10 M&A transactions with total consideration of approximately $400 million. Viridian has performed several dozen valuation, financial modeling and board development assignments for its cannabis and hemp client companies.

PRESIDENT, NEW YORK CANNABIS RETAIL ASSOCIATION

Britni is a woman minority New York State CAURD applicant looking to obtain a retail dispensary license as Flower City Dispensary. She is also the co-founder and President of the New York Cannabis Retail Association, an organization that aims to create educational pathways in cannabis and ensure access to resources in order to create a sustainable, equitable, and inclusive cannabis industry. Britni holds a bachelor's degree from Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in finance and economics and an MBA from St. John Fisher University in accounting.

FVP, DIRECTOR OF SPECIALTY RELATIONSHIP BANKING

As the Director of Cannabis Banking at Berkshire Bank - New England's Largest Bank serving the cannabis space - Ryan brings expert knowledge and energy to the evolving financial services field within the industry.

Ryan has worked with over 100 banks nationwide to successfully build, grow, and scale their cannabis banking programs. As a pioneer in the space, he has dramatically improved accessibility of financial services for cannabis businesses.

REPORTER, CULTIVATED

Jeremy is a senior reporter at Cultivated, where he focuses on the cannabis industry. Jeremy has covered the boom in cannabis companies going public, multi-billion-dollar mergers between cannabis companies and corporations from other industries, and how the world's largest financial, legal, and political institutions are reacting to and planning for legalization.

CEO, THE ARCVIEW GROUP

Jeffrey was named one of the "25 Angel Investors in New York You Need to Know" by AlleyWatch in 2014. He has been a venture investor for ten years and an angel investor for eight years. Jeffrey currently serves as the CEO of the Arcview Group and Arcview Ventures. He is also a co-founder of the Arcview Collective Fund, the first member-managed fund in the cannabis industry.

CO-FOUNDER & CEO, NCIA

Aaron Smith is Co-founder and CEO of the National Cannabis Industry Association, the largest trade association representing legal cannabis businesses in the U.S and the only one focusing on ensuring that the interests of small and independent businesses are represented in the national dialogue surrounding marijuana policy reform.

CEO & CO-FOUNDER, SKIP INTRO ADVISORS

David is a leading authority on non-traditional IPOs. He authored "Regulation A+ and “Other Alternatives to a Traditional IPO" and has represented clients in the emerging cannabis industry since 2013. Recognized by Chambers & Partners, Cannabis Law Report, and the National Law Journal, David is a trailblazer in cannabis law. He's also an accomplished author, frequent speaker on cannabis and corporate matters, and a Managing Partner at Feldman Legal Advisors. David teaches cannabis finance at New York University and co-hosts the "Fast Forward to Growth" podcast.

DIRECTOR OF INTERNAL POLICY, NEW YORK CANNABIS RETAIL ASSOCIATION

Shanduke Mcphatter is a Community Leader who has helped create social change in the City of New York. He spent the last decade helping to build non profits focused on preventing gun violence. Shanduke is a Legacy Operator who believes in diversity and inclusion for all and believes Cannabis should be no different. Shanduke is the CEO of, Legacy Lifestyle Cannabusiness LLC and now the Director of Internal Policy for the New York Cannabis Retail Association.

ACADEMIC DIRECTOR: BUSINESS OF CANNABIS, LIM COLLEGE

In tandem with being the Academic Director of the first accredited Cannabis Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs offered in New York State, Mike Z has been a committed and impactful Cannabis education advocate since 2014, when he founded High NY, now one of the world’s largest cannabis community education and business networking groups. Mike also hosts “The Cannabis Business Coach Podcast” and is the best selling author of “The Cannabis Business Book”.

CO-FOUNDER, THE CANNABIS COLLECTIVE

Shahbaaz has spent the last five years working with North American Cannabis tech and media co's, specializing in go-to-market strategy, execution & scale During his time in Cannabis, he´s helped scale multiple orgs including Lift, Dutchie, Spiffy and KIND. He is currently the Co-Founder of The Cannabis Collective and CEO of retail acquistion platform CannAcquire.

CEO & FOUNDER, HOUSE OF PUFF

Kristina Lopez Adduci is an entrepreneur, speaker, art collector, and media personality. She is the founder and CEO of House of Puff, a New York-based cannabis lifestyle brand. Kristina initially created the company to offer cannabis products that resonated with her personal preferences. Over time, she has transformed the brand, harnessing the power of art to drive social change.

CHAIRMAN - CULTIVATION, CANNABIS ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK

As a seasoned executive with over 25 years of experience in tightly regulated industries, including healthcare, Joann brings a wealth of expertise to Ravens View Genetics in the ever-evolving cannabis industry. Her focus on operational and financial efficiencies, strict compliance protocols, and scalability ensures maximum profitability while maintaining the highest standards of quality. Joann's commitment to developing a positive corporate culture and investing in the growth and success of her team is reflected in the company's commitment to sustainable and ethical practices. With her deep respect for regulation and a passion for innovation, Joann is a driving force behind RVG's success.

As Chair of the Cannabis Association of NY, (CANY) Cultivation Committee, Joann and her committee advocate and lobby for change in support of the NYS small farmer Cannabis Cultivation Community.

CEO & FOUNDER, CANNABIS NOW MAGAZINE

Eugenio Garcia is the CEO and founder of Cannabis Now, a media group that offers reliable, compelling and creative content to today’s cannabis consumer by way of print, digital, broadcast and social mediums. At Cannabis Now, Garcia is closely involved with the editorial process and manages the sales/revenue, distribution, marketing and investment departments.As a long-time entrepreneur and advocate, Garcia became interested in the space when consulting in the cannabis industry. Realizing the lack of a strong and balanced voice for today’s consumer, Cannabis Now became the solution by focusing on the most relevant news, political happenings, cannabis legislation, horticultural advancements, social change, economic trends and medical information available.

SENIOR CANNABIS REPORTER, LAW360

Sam Reisman is a senior reporter at Law360 covering the changing relationship between drugs and the law. He writes about policy and litigation in the cannabis and psychedelics spaces with a focus on the emerging body of caselaw, legislation to reform drug policy, and the lawyers, advocates, and policymakers that work in the field of controlled substances.

CEO, ASTRO MANAGEMENT & NEW YORK CANNABIS RETAIL ASSOCATION

Jillian serves as the CEO and Co-Founder of Astro Management, a proud recipient of a CAURD license located in Brooklyn, New York. In addition to her leadership at Astro Management, she holds the positions of Chair of the Regulations & Law Committee and Co-chair of the Women's Committee of the New York Cannabis Retail Association (NYCRA). With a strong commitment to education and outreach, Jillian is dedicated to advocating for the rights of all stakeholders within the retail sector, particularly in the context of the ever-evolving regulatory framework. Jillian actively promotes equality and the inclusion of women in every aspect of the cannabis industry. She accomplishes this by sharing valuable resources and fostering connections to bolster the presence of women across the entire cannabis ecosystem.

CHAIR OF THE SOCIAL EQUITY COMMITTEE, NEW YORK CANNABIS RETAIL ASSOCIATION

Roger Thomas is a remarkable entrepreneur who embodies the core values of education, community engagement, and unwavering perseverance. His journey is a testament to his dedication to personal and professional growth.