2021 SPEAKERS

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.

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

Axel is responsible for standing-up all aspects of the new Office of Cannabis Management (OCM). The OCM is responsible for implementing the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act that controls all parts of the medical, hemp, and adult use cannabis economy in the State of New York.