FOUNDER, SOLOMON WILSON

Joanne Wilson is a dynamic entrepreneur, angel investor, and philanthropist with a diverse career spanning multiple industries. As an early-stage angel investor, she built a portfolio of over 150 companies, focusing on supporting female entrepreneurs and businesses that align with her values. Joanne is the founder and CEO of Gotham, a concept store where cannabis meets culture. In business and beyond, Joanne is steadfastly committed to philanthropy and social justice. She serves as the Chair of The Public Housing Community Fund and sits on the board of Friends of the High Line.

ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF CANNABIS MANAGEMENT

Felicia A. B. Reid has been appointed Executive Deputy Director and Acting Executive Director. In this role, Felicia will oversee major operational and regulatory functions of the office including licensing, compliance, and enforcement.

Felicia has over a decade of experience in State government and spent the last six years at the Office of Children and Family Services, including overseeing statewide juvenile justice operations as Deputy Commissioner.

POLICY DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF CANNABIS MANAGEMENT

John Kagia serves as the Director of Policy for the Office of Cannabis Management. He 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.

MANAGING DIRECTOR, TUATARA CAPITAL

Sergey Sherman, the current Managing Director at Tuatara Capital, L.P., has an extensive background in financial services and investment banking. Throughout his career, Sergey has held various leadership roles at companies such as JPMorgan, RBC Capital Markets, Societe Generale and GE Capital. Sergey also served as the Chief Financial Officer at Hound Labs, Inc. and Tuatara Capital Acquisition Corp. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and currently sits on the boards of several public and private companies including Hana, SpringBig, and Willow Biosciences.

CEO & CO-FOUNDER, CANNDELTA INC.

Dr. Sherry Boodram is the CEO and Co-Founder of CannDelta Inc., a top regulatory and scientific cannabis consulting firm specializing in licensing and compliance across the US, Canada, and international markets. With extensive experience in cannabis regulations, Sherry has a unique background, including working within the federal government in the Cannabis and Controlled Substances Programs. She has conducted inspections and reviewed licensing applications, offering deep insights into regulatory compliance, licensing, and quality management systems.

Sherry has helped launch over 350 cannabis businesses and provides strategic guidance to various firms including those aiming to expand internationally.

CEO, COVA SOFTWARE

Gary Cohen is the CEO of Cova, the most trusted cannabis POS brand in North America. Having met with nearly 2000 dispensary operators from coast to coast, he leverages expert knowledge to offer cannabis retailers the support they need to get a license, pass inspection, launch a store, assess tech tools, and scale operations. Gary leads seminars on retail technology, compliance, business operations, and cannabis banking laws at the industry’s largest events including NCIA, CannaCon, and MJBizCon.

COO, CARMA HOLDCO

Since 2022, Burke has served as the COO of CARMA HoldCo, parent company to Tyson 2.0, Ric Flair Drip, EVOL by Future, and more. Burke has overseen the growth and scaling of multiple nine-figure cannabis companies since the start of rec in Washington. Burke possesses a wide spectrum of industry knowledge that only comes from gritty experience and a ruthless tact for survival.

PRESIDENT & CO-FOUNDER, THE TRAVEL AGENCY

Certified NYS & NYC MWBE entrepreneur that provides comprehensive and socially-minded real estate advisory services. Over 15 years experience managing complex large-scale public and private projects. Successful at finding creative ways to empower local residents and businesses economically while ensuring that projects strengthen communities. Lead projects through due diligence and capital raise, design, approvals, construction and lease up.

SENIOR DIRECTOR, FTI CONSULTING

Sammy Markland is a Senior Director in FTI Consulting’s Denver, Colorado office and is a member of FTI’s multidisciplinary Cannabis practice. Ms. Markland combines her accounting and finance experience to quantify economic damages and value assets in a variety of circumstances in the cannabis industry. She has led numerous engagements involving the valuation of businesses, ownership interests and assets for transactions, pre-IPO analyses, corporate planning, litigation, and dispute resolution.

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. Dai graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

CEO & LEAD CONSULTANT, QUANTA CONSULTING

Mitchell is a sought after cannabis industry consultant, advisor and thought leader. He has helped 220+ cannabis producers, brands and retailers around the world with their mission-critical strategy, operations, capital markets and branding needs. Mitchell's unique insights and best practices can be found in the Cannabis Management Review at: mitchellosak.substack.com. He is a P&G alumni and received his MBA from the University of Toronto.

PARTNER, FOLEY HOAG LLC

With 18 years of legal practice and 6 years in the cannabis industry, Jeff leverages his legal expertise and deep cannabis industry knowledge to serve as a trusted adviser to cannabis industry operators, investors and ancillary businesses on early-stage corporate structuring and financing, joint ventures, M&A, strategic partnerships, and commercial contract negotiations of all types, as well as state and federal regulatory matters.

REPORTER, POLITICO

Mona Zhang is the states cannabis policy reporter for POLITICO Pro. Previously, she was the founder and editor of the cannabis newsletter Word on the Tree. She also spent four years covering the cannabis beat as a freelance journalist for Forbes, The Outline, High Times and more. Before that, she served as Social Editor for Adweek and worked in various roles for Mediabistro.

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.

CEO/FOUNDER, ALTA DISPENSARY

Vanessa Yee-Chan is a dynamic entrepreneur with a focus on innovative business concepts. She founded Twinkle Playspace after recognizing the lack of safe playgrounds for her young kids, successfully creating custom indoor play areas for children under six. Currently, she manages her family’s real estate business, overseeing mixed use buildings across New York City and beyond. With a background in marketing at Marina Maher Communications, Ms. Yee-Chan has honed her leadership and strategic planning skills. Her latest venture, Alta Dispensary, aims to destigmatize cannabis use among women, addressing health issues such as menstrual pain and anxiety.

INTERIM CEO & CRO, RIV CAPITAL

David Vautrin is the CEO and CRO for RIV Capital. Vautrin began his cannabis career in 2016 starting up CannaRoyalty in California. CR was a vertically integrated operator including cultivation, processing, manufacturing and distributed to over 500 dispensaries. The company rapidly developed into an early-stage MSO, rebranded to Origin House and successfully sold to Cresco in 2020.
Thereafter, Dave returned to New York to participate in the burgeoning cannabis market.

Vautrin played an instrumental role starting up The Travel Agency in 2022, which operates three stores in NYC. In June of 2024, joined RIV Capital as CRO to expand the retail operations and lead the statewide wholesale business. RIV is vertically integrated and serves both medical and adult consumers. Recently, Vautrin assumed the Interim CEO role to support the impending combination with Cansortium. The combined company has 42 retail locations and cultivation

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS | ADVOCATE FOR CANNABIS RETAILERS | NEW YORK, BIOTRACK

Anne Forkutza began her career in customer experience and digital strategy, working with major brands like Starbucks, Electronic Arts, and Nike. Transitioning to cannabis retail, she collaborated with notable companies such as Cookies, StarBuds, and NativeRoots and brings expertise from various new market rollouts, including the federal legalization of cannabis in Canada. When Anne was Head of Social Impact & Industry Relations at Dutchie, Anne played a key role in supporting New York's cannabis social equity programs, creating cross-sector alliances between nonprofits, businesses, and governments to foster positive societal change.

In New York, Anne continues to advocate for various social equity and legislative initiatives, including Assembly Member Zaccaro and Senator Bailey’s landmark legistlation aimed at curbing illicit cannabis sales by allowing the state to revoke licenses for businesses engaging in unlicensed cannabis sales. Currently with BioTrack, New York’s official cannabis traceability system, Anne leads strategic partnerships and advocates for licensed cannabis retailers through various associations. She holds a Computer Science degree from Simon Fraser University and remains committed to strengthening New York’s legal cannabis industry.

MANAGING PARTNER, FELDMAN LEGAL ADVISORS PLLC

David N. Feldman, Managing Partner of Feldman Legal Advisors PLLC, concentrates his law practice on corporate and securities law and mergers and acquisitions. He also represents a variety of investors and growth businesses in the emerging cannabis and psychedelics sectors. He has received accolades from the global legal guide Chambers & Partners, the National Law Journal and Business Insider. Mr. Feldman is the former team lead of an AmLaw 100 firm’s 60+ attorney Cannabis Industry Group.

CO-FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE EDITOR, GREEN MARKET REPORT

Debra Borchardt is the Co-founder and Executive Editor of the award-winning Green Market Report cannabis financial news website. Debra previously worked for 8 years at TheStreet.com with Jim Cramer where she was a Senior Producer. She began her career on Wall Street and was a Vice President at Bear Stearns. She has a Master's Degree in Business and Economic Reporting from New York University and has won several journalism awards.

SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER, THE CITY

Rosalind Adams is a senior investigative reporter at THE CITY, where she writes about cannabis legalization in New York. Previously, she was an investigative reporter at BuzzFeed News and Barron’s. She has also written for New York Magazine, the Guardian and ProPublica.

ATTORNEY & CEO, THE JAMES FIRM/GOOD GRADES

Michael James is the founder and main attorney at The James Firm, a law firm focusing onserving clients in business, real estate, and hospitality with a core value of advocating for theminority business community. In addition to being an attorney, Michael is a real estate investor who focuses on investing in and developing minority communities. Born and raised in Queens, NY, Michael studied Finance at the Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, MD and later obtained his law degree from Penn State University in University Park, PA. Michael co-founded Good Grades, the first women-owned cannabis dispensary in New York and first dispensary in Queens.

PARTNER, GREENSPOON MARDER LLP

Aliya Nelson has almost 25 years of corporate, licensing, and entertainment experience as an attorney and senior executive and is currently a partner in Greenspoon Marder’s Corporate, Cannabis Law, and Entertainment & Sports practice groups. Ms. Nelson represents a wide range of cannabis clients, including state licensed cultivators, processors, and dispensaries, applicants, investors, and ancillary businesses. Prior to joining Greenspoon Marder, Ms. Nelson served as CEO of an experiential marketing and activation agency that owned and operated branded youth sports properties around the United States.

CO-FOUNDER, THE CANNABIS COLLECTIVE

Shahbaaz Kara-Virani (SKV) lives at the intersection of technology, revenue & leadership. He spent 7 years at Salesforce before building top companies in the global cannabis industry including Lift & Co, Dutchie, & KIND.

Currently, he is the principal of SKVentures which invests, advises and acts as a fractional growth/revenue officer for market leading cannabis companies. Shahbaaz has also Founded CannAcquire, a retail acquistion platform based in Canada as well as Co-Founded The Cannabis Collective in New York.

FOUNDER & CEO, MATTIO COMMUNICATIONS

Rosie Mattio is founder and CEO of MATTIO Communications, a full-service communications firm specializing in the cannabis industry. Prior to opening MATTIO, Rosie started her career at Alison Brod Public Relations and also worked at Rubenstein Associates. She received a degree in Public Relations/Image Management from Boston University. Before bringing her talents to the cannabis space, Rosie promoted several clients in the technology and food & beverage industries.

CEO, PHCANN INTERNATIONAL

Sasho Stefanoski has expertise in the field of management and governance. He is experienced in senior positions in several state institutions. Prior to joining the management of NYSK Holding, he was the CEO of the Health Insurance Fund, which is the largest financial institution focused on the health system. He has previously served as State Secretary in the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Local Self-Government. He has won numerous awards and recognition for his achievements. He is a Ph.D. candidate in the area of Healthcare Management at the University of Peace founded by the United Nations.

CEO, GVM COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

Gia Morón is a multi-industry business and communications consultant with over 30 years’ experience in public relations, corporate communications, media relations, brand strategy and business development. She is the CEO of GVM Communications, Inc., which serves clients across business disciplines ranging from small businesses to publicly traded firms, non-profits, entrepreneurs, and more. Since 2015, GVM expanded its reach to the newly legal cannabis and hemp industry. Morón has been recognized as one of the leading women in cannabis for her advocacy in legalization and supporting women in the industry. With her diverse business experience, she has been tapped to speak and moderate at colleges and universities; national and international conferences; and community town halls. Morón has contributed to several research studies and books, presented before local, state and federal electives on cannabis reform.

CO-FOUNDER & CEO, PROHIBITION PARTNERS

Stephen is Co-Founder & CEO of Prohibition Partners, a global leader in cannabis tech, data and media. Stephen is a highly regarded cannabis thought leader, who frequently contributes to Bloomberg, Financial Times and The Economist on the industry and is a regular public speaker, having presented at over 100 events including – SXSW and Adweek. He collaborates with investors, entrepreneurs and regulators to identify, qualify and maximize the opportunities in the global cannabis industry.

DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, DISTRU

Jared Angell is a seasoned revenue and finance executive with extensive experience across technology, cannabis and real estate. Currently serving as Director of Business Development at Distru, Jared has successfully led initiatives in market expansion, lead generation, account management, partnership and referral partnership programs. His strategic leadership spans team management, growth acceleration, and analytics-driven decision-making.

CHIEF SALES OFFICER, PHCANN INTERNATIONAL

Vladimir Kofcegarski has extensive experience in International Trade and Business Development. Prior to joining PHCANN INTERNATIONAL Vladimir was appointed to lead a Trade Mission in Southeast Asia and establish the International Trade Council Asia Pacific, with focus to Foreign Direct Investments and strategic mergers & acquisitions in the region. Previously, he held numerous senior roles as Sales & Portfolio Director in Australia for clients like Apple, Dell, Fuji Xerox & Honda. His current role as Chief Sales Officer at PHCANN INTERNATIONAL is managing the global portfolio of the group and he is responsible for business development worldwide. He has also been recently appointed as the new CEO of PharmCann Deutschland AG, the German entity of PHCANN INTERNATIONAL.

HEAD OF CANNABIS DIVISION, LIVEFLOW

AJ has been a licensed cultivator, consultant and advocate in the cannabis space for many years. He is passionate about the industry and cannabis finance, and has made it his mission to empower operators with the right tools. His favourite strain is SFV OG Kush!

CEO, THE TRAVEL AGENCY

Penelope Nam-Stephen is a Cannabis and CPG executive with over two decades of professional experience in commercial operations. She has held senior merchandising roles at publicly traded fashion companies including Burberry, Cache, and Juicy Couture. Penelope was also part of the founding executive teams at Ascend Wellness Holdings and Community Growth Partners (Rebelle).

FOUNDER, GREENWAVE ADVISORS, LLC / GREENWAVE CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC

Matt Karnes has over 25 years of diverse finance and accounting experience. Prior to founding GreenWave Advisors LLC, Matt worked in equity research focusing on the Radio Broadcasting and Cable Television industries for First Union Securities. Matt also covered Satellite Communication at SG Cowen and in addition, worked with the top ranked Consumer Internet analyst at Bear Stearns & Co – this team was consistently recognized by the Institutional Investor’s “All America Research Team”.

CEO, NEW FRONTIER DATA

Gary Allen is the CEO of New Frontier Data, a leader in cannabis market intelligence, where he drives innovation and growth in consumer acquisition strategies. With 30 years of expertise in digital marketing, data analytics, and scaling high-impact platforms, Gary has led successful exits across multiple ventures in the technology and data-driven marketing sectors. Under his leadership, NXTeck, New Frontier Data’s customer acquisition platform, has become instrumental in helping cannabis retailers connect with targeted audiences through data-backed insights.

A seasoned executive and entrepreneur, Gary’s career highlights include creating profitable growth engines for emerging markets and guiding companies through strategic acquisitions and mergers. His experience with successful exits and his vision for consolidation in cannabis data and technology position him as a thought leader dedicated to building sustainable value.

FOUNDER & CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER

Mike, a seasoned leader with a tech background spanning various industries, spearheads Leaf Trade’s and Sweed's growth strategy. As Chief Commercial Officer, Mike brings a wealth of experience in navigating regulated industries and forging strategic partnerships. With a track record of scaling companies in highly regulated industries. Michael Piermont joined Leaf Trade in March 2018. In his role as President and Chief Revenue Officer, Michael oversees company strategy, sales, customer success, and marketing. His successful track record in tech company leadership includes roles at CareerBuilder VP of Corp Dev, Fooda, ECOFIT(CEO), Fanchest(Founder), and amSTATZ CEO, Founder the latter two of which he co-founded and helped reach acquisition.

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, MARINO PR

Jordan founded Marino’s cannabis strategic communications practice in 2018 and has built it into an industry leading force. A former advisor to the New York State Senate and the New York State Governor’s office, he has led award-winning strategic communications programs for a broad spectrum of clients up and down the cannabis supply chain, as well as ancillaries and non-planting entities. He is a regular contributor in various cannabis and policy media outlets offering dope public relations insights. Additionally, Jordan is an Executive Member of the Cannabis Collective and was named a Cannabis Power Player by PoliticsNY for the 2nd year in a row.

MANAGING DIRECTOR, TUROSS GROUP LLC

Jay Caplan is a leading expert in cannabis finance and operations, dedicated to helping businesses in the cannabis industry thrive in complex regulatory environments. As co-founder of Tuross Group, Jay has created an outsourced accounting and advisory firm that tailors financial strategies specifically for cannabis businesses. From tax optimization and entity structuring to streamlined payment systems and integrated accounting solutions, Jay’s team ensures that clients have full visibility into their financial data—delivering up-to-date insights every morning.

Over the past year, Jay and his partner, Gaelan, have expanded Tuross Group to a team of 23 professionals serving nearly 35 cannabis clients across cultivation, manufacturing, retail, and vertically integrated operations. With a strong presence in California and New York, Tuross Group has become a trusted partner for cannabis companies navigating the industry's financia

DJ/INFLUENCER, CATHERINE O INC.

Cat Ouellette is a dynamic force in the music and cannabis industries, blending expertise and passion to leave a lasting impact. As a DJ, Cat has performed for elite names like Snoop Dogg, Kevin Hart, BMW, Michael Jordan, Vogue, NASCAR, Chaka Khan, Tiger Woods, 20th Century Fox, and Eddie Murphy. Her two-decade marketing career includes key roles at Cornerstone and Universal Music Group. As former Chief Marketing Officer at Electraleaf, she led brand innovation in cannabis, helping shape the industry’s future. A Clio Cannabis Bronze winner for her creative work on Honeysuckle Media’s Girls Are Playas Too, Cat champions the normalization of cannabis, advocating for its cultural, social, and medicinal recognition. Expanding her influence through music production and film, she continues to engage audiences and push boundaries, redefining cannabis’s role in mainstream conversation.

FOUNDER, BKLY

Jim is an experienced fractional CMO for leadingcannabis brands and retailers in California, Michigan, New England, New York, and New Jersey. He transferred to the US from London 20 years ago with a marketing agency, where he worked for leading global brands in fashion, retail, beverages, and consumer packaged goods. His pre-cannabis experience included a three-year stint running marketing and e-commerce for Brazilian footwear brand Havaianas reaching $1Bn in global sales and becoming a cult brand.Jim’s cannabis career began in 2016 with a sublingual start-up, relocating toBerkeley, California for 2 years. There, he started fractional CMO consultancy “BKLY”.

CHIEF BRAND OFFICER, HPI CANNA

Andrew Freeman directs HPI Canna's leading portfolio of 15 brands including industry front runners and New York-based social impact brands. Formerly a director at a full-service marketing agency, he specialized in communications and branding for clients in worlds of luxury retail and art, including West Elm and Tiffany & Co. As the Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer at Aperture Brands, he developed, launched, and managed cannabis brands in the California market including Drew Martin and Cloud11.

ACADEMIC DIRECTOR, LIM COLLEGE

Michael Zaytsev is a leader in cannabis advocacy, education, events, and business coaching. As Academic Director at LIM College, he pioneered New York’s first accredited Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs in the Business of Cannabis, establishing LIM as a trailblazer in cannabis education and workforce development.

As founder of High NY, one of the world’s largest cannabis communities, Mike Z has connected and uplifted thousands of High NY'ers through events celebrated as some of New York City’s best.

INFLUENCER & FOUNDER, BABY KAIT

Kait Caridi is a trailblazing NYC cannabis advocate and marketing specialist dedicated to fostering inclusivity and community growth within the industry. As Social Media Manager for BudsFeed, an innovative platform for discussing cannabis-related ideas and products, Kait leverages her expertise to amplify diverse voices. She also serves as Community and Events Manager for The CannaDiva, a collective empowering women in cannabis, and Issa Vibe, a woman-owned NYS owned cannabis brand on the shelves.

SENIOR LEAD, SOCIAL MEDIA & INFLUENCER PARTNERSHIPS, MARINO PR

Serving Marino’s Lifestyle, Non-Profit, and Corporate Communications teams, Dave has worked with brands in the food & beverage and cannabis spaces, leading the agency's influencer initiatives across a dynamic roster of clients, including McDonald's, Bono Olive Oil, Zabar's, New York City's Garment District, and more. In the cannabis space, along with working with product brands, Dave has supported the opening of dispensaries across NY and NJ, garnering hundreds of thousands of impressions and engagements for the brands through influencer deployments.

FOUNDER/OWNER, HONEYSUCKLE MEDIA

Ronit Pinto is the publisher and founder of Honeysuckle Media, a CLIO & social justice award-winning media platform providing highly-lauded ROI driven services in print, digital, film, creative and out-of-home. Honeysuckle focuses on gender, sexuality, cannabis, new healings, music, and pop culture. honeysucklemag.com @honeysucklemagazine @honeymagfilms

CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER, TERPENE BELT FARMS

Andrew Lowitz is a founding member and Chief Revenue Officer of Terpene Belt Farms Andrew is a career Commercial Executive, Chief Revenue Officer, Board Member and Executive Team Advisor. He is responsible for strategic and operational commercial leadership, modeling and execution across Marketing, Business Development, Sales, Customer Growth/Retention Andrew is also the Co-Founder of Cannabis Collective - a think tank community built to support leaders in the burgeoning Cannabis industry.

CHAIR, CANNABIS & PSYCHEDELICS PRACTICE

After over 30 years handling intellectual property, commercial litigation, and healthcare matters, and as General Counsel representing companies in markets such as salty snacks (as General Counsel for Robert’s American Gourmet, the manufacturer and distributor of the iconic “Pirate’s Booty”) and beer, wine and liquor (representing BH Group, the manufacturer and distributor of “Notorious Pink”), Andrew pivoted to cannabis. Since that time, Andrew has used the skills he’s honed as an IP and Healthcare lawyer to represent clients in and around the emerging cannabis industry including state-licensed adult-use marijuana and hemp cultivators, processors, delivery companies, distributors, testing laboratories and retail dispensaries, as well as investors in those businesses. He also represents a full range of vendors and ancillary businesses that supply their products and services to the cannabis industry.

MANAGING PRINCIPAL, HIGHLY INFORMED STRATEGIES LLC

Harvey Newkirk is a lifelong entrepreneur with deep experience as an operator, advisor and investor. He is currently the Managing Principal of Highly Informed Strategies, a cannabis consultancy and provider of operational services. Since 2017, Harvey has represented adult-use cannabis applicants, licensed operators, investors and trade associations in New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Massachusetts and Colorado. Previously, he was a Co-Founder and Managing Principal of an international integrated sports, media and entertainment agency and consultancy that represented professional athletes and teams, entertainers and Fortune 500 companies.