Speaker Lineup

Speaker Lineup

Ark-La-Tex Cannabis Business Expo

Speaker Schedule

Click on a Speaker Below to Read Full Bio

Steve DeAngelo

Keynote Speaker

Biography: Steve DeAngelo is a prominent, life-long cannabis entrepreneur, activist, author, and on-screen personality. He co-founded several iconic cannabis businesses and organizations: Harbor side, Steep Hill Laboratory, the Arc View Group, and the National Cannabis Industry Association. Steve's creative projects include a book, The Cannabis Manifesto; and a Discovery Channel mini-series, Weed Wars. He was a lead organizer and fundraiser for I-59, Washington DC's medical cannabis initiative; and is famed for his successful litigation against the Department of Justice, which halted DOJ's last-ditch 2011 campaign to shut down California,s medical cannabis dispensaries. He lives in California with three dogs, three cats, and his lovely wife Yolanda.

Ed Rosenthal

Keynote Speaker

Biography: Ed Rosenthal is recognized worldwide as a leading authority on marijuana. In almost 40 years as America's "Guru of Ganjasm" he has written or edited more than two dozen books about marijuana cultivation and social policy that cumulatively have sold over two million copies. His first book is the only title on marijuana cultivation to be reviewed by the New York Time's Book Review and his latest release, Marijuana Grower's Handbook has become the definitive marijuana cultivation resource and official course book for Oaksterdam University, the leading trade school for the cannabis industry. After almost three decades, his Ask Ed column continues to answer questions on all matters of marijuana from readers around the world.

Aaron Smith

Keynote Speaker

Biography: Aaron Smith is co-founder and executive director of the National Cannabis Industry Association, the largest trade association representing legal cannabis businesses in the U.S and the only one working to advance the industry on a national level. Prior to launching NCIA, Aaron distinguished himself as a public advocate for marijuana policy reform - first under the auspices of a California-based medical cannabis advocacy group, Safe Access Now in 2005, and then as the California state policy director for the Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project until founding NCIA in 2010. Aaron has successfully built coalitions with elected officials on both sides of the aisle in order to advance marijuana law reform legislation. Aaron's opinion pieces have appeared in major newspapers, including the San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, and The New York Times, and he has been a frequent commentator on national television news networks. Originally from California, Aaron is currently based in Denver.

Amy Sharp

DoodyDash & Sharp Solutions

Biography: CEO and Founder DoodyDash & Sharp Solutions Consulting. I have been involved in the Cannabis industry for 9 years here in Denver Colorado where I own one of the first career transport companies in Colorado and national transportation of hemp. Was influential and then we went here in Denver activist enthusiast and a entrepreneurial. I’ve been able to forecast this industry and ride the waves as they come. I have a book release this spring, Trailblazin’ a Collection of OG stories and would love to speak about Wholesale, transportation and distribution of hemp and cannabis products as well as the laws, compliance of transportation and share some past stories of our movement in Denver.

Andrew Hunzicker

DOPE CFO

Biography: Andrew Hunzicker is founder of DOPE CFO, a company which trains accountants, bookkeepers and CFOs on best practices for cannabis businesses to stay within compliance measures and avoid costly mistakes and fines. Cannabis is the most highly regulated industry, with each state having its own set of tax laws. Andrew has worked with legal markets across the country and provides very actionable information and advice. He brings over two decades of CPA experience and can field a wide range of questions.

Andrew Myers

ProGrowTech

Biography:Andrew Myers is a co-founder and CEO of ProGrowTech, which manufactures industry-leading LED lighting systems to help commercial horticulture operations increase profitability, yield and energy efficiency. In addition to establishing and executing the company’s overarching vision, Andrew is instrumental in driving the implementation of operational, research and product development activities to help expand the company’s footprint nationwide. Since Andrew and his team founded ProGrowTech in 2015, the company has developed the world’s most efficient and uniform LED lighting solutions for indoor agriculture.

Andrew Pitsicalis

Rockin Artwork, LLC

Biography: Andrew Pitsicalis is the CEO of Rockin Artwork, LLC since 2008. He’s built a company that has, intellectual property rights to Jimi Hendrix, name, likeness and image. The rock and roll lifestyle brand, Rockin Artwork, centers around the image of the greatest rock and roll guitarist in history, Jimi Hendrix. Mr. Pitsicalis then created in 2015, Purple Haze Properties, a company dedicated to celebrity licensing & branding in the cannabis industry. With over 20 years in the cannabis Industry, Mr. Pitsicalis has had experience in Cultivation to Production, Sales, Education, Media and Consulting. Mr. Pitsicalis , operated high end functional glass to companies representing works of the greatest glassblowers nationwide. Mr. Pitsicalis was apart of cannabis travel & High Times events. He has had his Glass Collections and Genetics featured in Cannabis Magazines throughout the years. Mr. Pitsicalis is a Board member of the National Cannabis Chamber of Commerce. He is also is a member of Cannabis Science, a leader in cannabis scientific research. At Cannabis Science,CBIS OTC, he is the brand and licensing director and sits on their policy advisory board.

David Muret

Viridian Staffing

Biography: David Muret is the Co-Founder and COO of Viridian Staffing. With a diverse background including Public Policy and Law, Information Technology, Finance and Business Development he serves as Viridian's "Swiss Army Knife," providing essential support to Viridian's best-in-class recruiting team. David has extensive experience working with industry organizations, not only serving as a board member but personally spearheaded the effort to broker the merger of four separate organizations to form what remains Washington State's largest cannabis industry association. David's responsibilities include managing all marketing, sales, trade shows, events, contracts, and negotiations as well as the selection, deployment and management of all information technology. David has also become an increasingly frequent public speaker at industry conferences and has even served as a Master of Ceremonies on a couple occasions.

Cullen Raichart

GreenBroz, Inc

Biography: Cullen Raichart, Founder and CEO of GreenBroz, Inc. has more than 12 years experience as an entrepreneur and inventor in the cannabis industry. A Veteran of the United States Armed Forces, Cullen is driven to create American-made products that offer solutions to the growing cannabis industry. Prior to founding GreenBroz, Inc., Cullen worked in the corporate world for a Fortune 500 company until realizing his passion for creating innovative products. His goal became the streamlining of the cannabis harvesting process and, in turn, reducing growers time and costs. Cullen is considered a distinguished inventor whose drive has earned him a reputation as a pioneer in automation in the emerging agricultural cannabis industry. GreenBroz, Inc. won the inaugural Marijuana Business Pitch Slam in 2014. Cullen's vision for end-to-end harvesting technology has led GreenBroz, Inc. to become a world leader in automated harvesting solutions.

Bethany Niebauer

Speaker

Biography: Bethany Niebauer first entered the cannabis industry in 2015 and has loved putting her writing skills to good use ever since. She specializes in preparing license applications in emerging markets for clients who have limited experience with the cannabis industry. She has created compelling, compliant applications in over a dozen jurisdictions, and has won in many competitive jurisdictions. Quite simply: Bethany has an impressive history that gets results. Each state has its own complex laws that must be understood and adhered to when preparing an application, and Bethany enjoys the challenge created by this state-specific model. Her applications are always in line with the client’s values, mission, and goals, and she spends a lot of time with clients helping them fully develop their ideas. Originally from North Carolina, she enjoys reading, knitting, hiking, and snowboarding. Bethany holds a B.A. in French from the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and a J.D. from the Charlotte School of Law.

Bob Gunn

Speaker

Biography: I help growers reduce energy costs. By convincing utilities to help pay growers for more efficient (more expensive) equipment, growers can make better investment decisions, which will increase profitability, competitiveness and cash flow. I’m a utility energy manager by trade, specializing in custom energy rebates and creative finance for grow lamps. I work with most of the leading LED and efficient HID manufacturers and distributors to help their customers leverage utility funding so they can buy the best equipment and lower their energy costs. I’ve been working in cannabis since 2014 and completed over 50 energy rebate applications representing over $4 million in awarded utility funds.

Brad Knighten

Staley Technologies

Biography: Brad Knighten is a Little Rock native who studied at Henderson State University and is currently a Strategic Account Manager for WebSafe Cash Management Solutions, LLC, a national technology company headquartered in Little Rock. For the past 4 years WebSafe has been working with the cannabis industry providing consultation and Cash Management Solutions. Brad has led the initiative to bring the most innovative Cash Management Technology to the cannabis industry.

Brenda Gannon

Speaker

Biography: Dr. Brenda Gannon is the Laboratory Director at Steep Hill Arkansas—a company that provides analytical services for legally-authorized distributors, producers, and licensed regulators of cannabis and hemp. Dr. Gannon is certified in Regulatory Sciences and earned her PhD in Interdisciplinary Toxicology with a focus on Behavioral Pharmacology from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in 2015. Afterward, Dr. Gannon spent a few years as a Postdoctoral Fellow Researcher at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, where her research focused on studying the abuse-related and toxic effects of novel, synthetic drugs. Cumulatively, Dr. Gannon has been an author on 20 peer-reviewed papers related to neuropharmacology.

Brian McSpadden

Speaker

Biography: Optimizing Nutrient Use Efficiency in Cannabis Production. Improved nutrient use efficiency (NUE) can reduce costs, improve productivity and reduce pest and pollution issues. For growers of Cannabis sativa, significant additions of phosphorus (P) are commonly recommended to enhance flower production and bud yield. However, working with licensed medical marijuana growers, we’ve found that fertilizer programs with high nitrogen to phosphorous (N:P) ratios were more productive and had significantly higher PUE than programs with low N:P ratios. In both indoor and outdoor trials, applications of fertilizer programs with a higher N:P ratio resulted an approximate doubling of the PUE even though nitrogen use efficiency did not differ. Guidance on how to optimize the N:P ratio of one’s chosen fertility program will be discussed. By doing so, growers will reduce losses to various pests and avoid P pollution associated with the rapidly expanding production of this medically important crop.

Bryan McDonald

Speaker

Biography: Strategic, multidisciplinary CPA with an eye for innovation and financial creativity. Bryan has worked with a varied group of clients and although his skill set is vast, his greatest expertise is the taxation of cannabis companies. One of Bryan’s truth’s: “Keeping money in the hands of small business and individuals through tax saving strategies is my goal. It’s your legal right to minimize your tax liabilities.” Bryan’s has 5 sons, 3 of which are in the military, and has managed to balance his career and family. He has completed 3 Ironman Wisconsin triathlons, enjoys flying small aircraft, and plays guitar and keyboards in a classic rock band. In addition to running a CPA firm for the past 30 years, he has also taught public speaking at Dale Carnegie and enjoys presenting and discussing the complex strategies of cannabis taxation.

Charlie Hayes

Speaker

Biography: Charlie Hayes has never been satisfied doing things the “normal” way. This was evident early in life becoming an All American distance runner in high school and college. After earning degrees in Bio-Chemistry and Education from Southern Nazarene University, Charlie rose rapidly through the corporate ranks in the worlds largest poultry company, producing game changing innovations in the process while managing production on 610 farms with a $54 million per year budget. This background led him to start a company 16 years ago founded on the principal of delivering the most innovative water treatment solutions and processes to the animal and plant agriculture markets. This changed the whole conversation of the impact of water quality on plant and animal health…. And did I mention he is still running 40 years later and competes in 100-mile ultra-marathon trail races around the country. This is where the “run Forest run” jokes usually get dropped!

Christopher Geymuller

Protection Networks

Biography: High Security Specialists in Arkansas and Texas. Founded in 1989, Protection Networks is UL listed for 681 and 2050 for high security, high risk government, military and commercial alarm installations. Specialties include intrusion, cameras, access control, and fire alarm systems.

Corey Parnell

Bridge West CPAs

Biography: My name is Cory Parnell and I am the Chief Operating Officer at Bridge West CPAs. Jim Marty, CEO, is my partner. We are the cannabis experts in the accounting industry, and would like to share our knowledge with others. Bridge West is one of the first accounting firms in the world to focus solely on the cannabis industry. Jim Marty founded Bridge West in 2012 after working with small businesses for more than 30 years. Bridge West has expanded its practice to more than 150 cannabis clients throughout the U.S. We have guided cannabis businesses through a very challenging business and regulatory environment. From minimizing the effects of IRS 280E, to inventory management, and preparing audited financial statements. Our services address the industry’s most unique and ever-evolving issues.

Craig Henderson

Extract Labs

Biography: Craig Henderson is the founder and CEO of Boulder, CO-based Extract Labs, and one of the country’s top experts on CO2 extraction, cannabis, and CBD. Under his leadership, Extract Labs offers a proprietary line of boutique industrial hemp-based products, and serves as a one-stop resource for all things CBD. Henderson has spoken at more than a dozen industry trade shows, and appeared on the CNBC documentary “Marijuana in America.” He has also taught numerous large successful marijuana companies across the U.S. how to extract their own oil and formulate their own product lines.

Daniel Sanders

MaryGold Laboratories

Biography: Daniel Sanders is the Chief Operations Officer for MaryGold Laboratories—a regulatory testing facility with roots in the craft beer industry. Seeing Issue 6 pass into legislation in 2016, MaryGold Labs immediately began posturing to fill Arkansas’ developing need for regulatory cannabis testing. Taking a proactive approach, Daniel has consulted on various medical marijuana applications, as well as helped in the early procurement of intellectual property within the cannabis industry. Daniel’s professional background includes earning a degree in Molecular-Biotechnology from UALR, with an emphasis in Genetics; and having participated as Chief Research Officer of Blue Rose Innovations Institute in various projects ranging from plant genetics to sustainable ethanol-biofuel production project. Some other projects he currently aids in clinical trials research and education for Clinical Trials Inc.(CTI); and is awaiting publications of his contributions with ADAMAS Pharmaceutical in the field of epilepsy, through his work with CTI’s composite—the Arkansas Epilepsy Program..

David Eichler

Speaker

Biography: David is a long-time, outspoken advocate for the end of cannabis prohibition, having witnessed first-hand the power it holds as a medicine. He recently celebrated his thirty-first year as a stoner and is quick to share that cannabis has been a “gateway” to having a happy life, filled with family, friends and a successful business. Professionally, he loves to call himself a “mutt” thanks to a career that has included a broad spectrum of roles and industries. After graduating from Wesleyan University (CT), David began an 11-year-tour-of-duty in Hollywood — developing and writing screenplays, and overseeing the production and marketing of features at Warner Bros., Disney, Paramount, and 20th Century Fox, including “Rapid Fire”, “Free Willy 2”, “Broken Arrow”, and “Murder at 1600.”

Ellis Smith

American Cannabis Company

Biography:

Prior to establishing American Cannabis Company Inc., Mr. Smith designed and built out a 5,000 square foot grow space in Fort Collins, CO for The Happy Camper Organics. Also, Mr. Smith designed and built out a 7,500 square foot grow space in Denver, CO for The Village Green Society Dispensary in Boulder, CO; a vertically integrated licensed facility. For each of these projects, Mr. Smith worked with a mechanical engineer to size the HVAC load and dehumidification.

Dr. Jerry King

Speaker

Biography: Dr. King has over 50 years of experience in the field of chemistry, chemical engineering and food technology. He has worked in government, industrial, academic and consulting environments. Dr. King has published over 265 documents, including government reports and holds 3 patents. He is world renown for his expertise and contributions to supercritical fluid (CO2) technology in the fields of food, botanical and natural product processing as well as analytical chemistry and materials science (i.e. packaging, coatings, surface modification, CO2-based cleaning processes). Since 2013, Dr. King has had a focus on R&D and analysis related to the cannabis industry. He is a recognized expert in the fields of extraction, chemistry and latest CO2 technology and has made numerous presentations at many cannabis/hemp conferences.

Greg Eisenbeis

Grow Remote

Biography: Greg Eisenbeis has been in the Industrial Automation industry for 15 years and is the President of Grow Remote. He has served industries like solar cell production, T3 data center cooling, large-scale indoor growing control systems, and more.

Greg started in the Cannabis industry in 2015 offering wireless sensors and monitoring. Since then they started integrating almost every imaginable device/system in a facility into one common control / management system. Greg and his company currently are helping companies lower their capex, electric bills by at least 30%, and reducing major labor pains that can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

James Andrasic

American Pouch Converters

Biography: James is owner and President of American Pouch Converters Inc. We are a manufacturer of Child Resistant Pouches for the Cannabis Industry. Too often I attend cannabis expos and conferences and rarely do I see a speaker focusing on the Child Resistant aspect of flexible packaging for this growing industry. We make it a priority to educate and ensure our customers are compliant with the packaging laws of each state. We have a trademarked product called the Intelli-Pouch, which is an anti-counterfeit and brand authentication pouch. Each pouch has a unique GS-1 serialization code which can be placed anywhere on the pouch. Our Intelli-Pouch can be integrated with any RFID system and is also the only platform that communicates with the consumer post sale.

JD Garrick

Speaker

Biography: JD Garrick is the Chief Business Development Officer and Owner of Illuminated Extractors based out of Fort Collins, Colorado. Illuminated Extractors manufacturers essential oil extraction equipment that is certified for use in the cannabis and hemp sectors. At Illuminated Extractors we pride ourselves in being industry leaders in crude oil extraction, various distillation techniques, isolate production, and water miscible formulations for cannabinoids and terpenoids. Our core team has over 20 years of cannabis extraction experience and are always looking at new ways to improve our products through our own research. Our distillation assistant tool is a not-to-be missed product giving the user a visual representation of what is happening in real time throughout the distillation process.

Jeff Pack

Speaker

Biography: Jeff Pack helps with business development at MRX Xtractors, a leading extraction systems company based in Oregon. Pack has a technology background having helped build iPhone accessories maker Griffin Technology, and several UNIX firms. His degree is in marketing, and he is involved with several non-profits. He splits his time between Nashville and Portland.

Jessica Velazquez

Indiva Advisors

Biography: CPA, CEO/ Founder of Indiva Advisors - a CPA firm with cannabis only practice. We have clients in various states and offer accounting, tax and financial advisory services. Would love to share info on accounting best practices, cash management tips, 280E overview, IRS/state audit overview, etc.

Joseph Levitch

Speaker

Biography: Over 20 years in physical security with an expertise on AI, human behavior, active shooter, assert tracking and predictive profiling to protect business from the tragic crimes. This allows businesses to operate everyday as usual.

Kathryn Awada

Speaker

Biography: Kathryn joined the Cannabis Industry as a trimmer in 2009. Due to her take-charge attitude, Kathryn quickly became a store and warehouse manager at a family owned and operated center in Southeast Denver. The Giving Tree of Denver then hired Kathryn as a Budtender in 2011. She promptly became the Operational Director, overseeing all cultivation and shop operations as well as compliance. Having performed almost every possible duty within the industry including extraction and packaging, Kathryn truly has an amazing grasp on the ins and outs of what it takes to operate cannabis businesses in the most efficient manner.

Khalil Robinson

Speaker

Biography: Khalil Robinson is the founder of Latte Stoned Wellness Center, Guam’s First and Only Center for alternative therapy and alternative medicine. He served 12-Years in the United States Navy where he served as an Aviation Ordnanceman. After being diagnosed with PTSD, social anxiety and depression, Khalil decided to look for other ways to heal. Khalil created Latte Stoned Wellness Center as a safe haven for those looking for other ways to take care of mind, body and spirit wellness. When Khalil isn’t at Latte Stoned, you can find him working with the U. S. Navy engineer program, Green Valor and UOG SVO.

Kimberly Stuck

Speaker

Biography: I was the first Marijuana Specialist for a public health authority in the nation for DDPHE (Denver Department of Public Health and Environment). I now own a compliance consulting company called Allay Consulting. I am a Certified Professional of Food Safety (CP-FS) and am the leading expert in cannabis food safety. I have written and have been featured in many articles, they can be found on our website www.allayconsulting.com. Allay helps companies navigate the ever changing landscape of cannabis regulation. We help with licensing, Metrc/inventory compliance, facility build-outs, and we conduct audits. We cover local and state cannabis regulations, FDA regulations, OSHA regulations, and fire/building code. Knowing the cannabis industry from both sides of the coin gives a unique perspective that Allay clients appreciate. I would love to either talk about FDA compliance that is coming down the line or be on a panel with other industry professionals.

Michael Moran

Speaker

Biography: Hi, I am a Cannabis Industry Accounting & Tax Expert. I have 30 years of public tax and accounting experience. I am a graduate of Florida International University, BS in Accounting, 1992. I serve on the Advisory Board of Sensi Magazine (Denver/Boulder and Florida regions); I am a recognized Expert Witness for the cannabis industry, Denver County district court; I have written numerous articles for Sensi Magazine and Marijuana Venture, and upcoming articles will appear in Ganjapreneur Magazine and Daily Marijuana Observer. I am also currently working on a book that guides cannabis businesses through the accounting stages and an overview of the financial and tax side of the business. I have been a past speaker at various local events in Colorado and will be speaking at the Boulder Cannabis Meetup, October 2018, and South Bay Chapter Society of Enrolled Agents, October 2018. I have spoken on topics that include IRC 280E, IRC 471, income tax preparation, specific accounting methods for the cannabis industry, entity selection, banking issues, IRS audits, recent court cases and their impact on future accounting and tax implications for the industry, and other various topics.

Nolan Jackson

Speaker

Biography: I am Nolan Jackson, an attorney at Frost Brown Todd LLC in Lexington, Kentucky. Originally from Murray, KY, I joined Frost Brown Todd in October 2016. Over the past several years, our firm has developed the nation’s leading industrial hemp practice. We represent dozens of clients at all levels of the seed-to-sale distribution chain and serve as general counsel to the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, a coalition of 40+ hemp companies and national grassroots organizations. As part of our practice, we advise clients on all facets of the legitimate hemp industry, including business incorporation and entity selection, importation and exportation, federal and state law enforcement, intrastate and interstate distribution, and regulatory compliance. Additionally, we have had success engaging federal and state lawmakers on enacting favorable industrial hemp policy. For example, we have spent the last several months in Washington, D.C., lobbying for passage of the Hemp Farming Act of 2018, now part of the Farm Bill reauthorization. With that background, we are uniquely positioned to share our expertise at the 2018 Ark-La-Tex Cannabis Business Expo.

Mark Evans

Speaker

Biography: I’m the CEO and Founder of Bubo Learning Design. I have helped to open several business operations and know what is required when creating a culture focused on compliance. I would like to speak on the following topic: “Fighting the little battles to avoid a War: How to build a culture of compliance.”

Robert deBin

Speaker

Biography: Robert is a lifelong Arkansan, entrepreneur, and a passionate advocate for medicinal cannabis. Prior to joining the cannabis industry, Robert graduated from the University of Arkansas Walton School of Business with a degree in Entrepreneurship and Information Systems. In 2012, he founded Rock IT City Solutions, a services & consulting firm specializing in networking and payments processing. Under Robert’s leadership, Rock IT City Solutions introduced the first comprehensive Apple-based tablet point of sale systems for restaurants and retail stores to the state. In 2016, he co-founded Natural State Medicinals Cultivation (NSM) and led the organization’s application process to apply for one of the five cultivation licenses in Arkansas. In February 2018, NSM was awarded a license with the top score out of 98 applicants. Robert is currently overseeing the construction of NSM’s state-of-the-art process engineered facility. In addition, he recently has established a CBD company, BUFFALO CO, which is helping bring complementary medicinal research and products to further organic health and healing options for Arkansans. Robert serves as the President of the Arkansas Cannabis Industry Association, a 501(c)(6) non-profit, dedicated to advocating for laws, regulations, and public policies that foster a healthy, professional and accountable medical cannabis industry for the state of Arkansas.

Ryan T. Kocot

Speaker

Biography: I’m a cannabis attorney and business consultant based in Sacramento, CA. I work with cannabis businesses across the entire supply chain throughout both California and Massachusetts. I regularly speak in CA on a wide variety of cannabis issues, and put out free cannabis content on social media (@KocotLaw).

Todd Underwood

Speaker

Biography: Former COO and current franchise owner, Todd Underwood has overseen CBD American Shaman’s exponential growth as a company from producing $60k to $2 million in monthly revenue. With a strong background in web and digital marketing, Todd became involved with the brand by taking over its on-line redevelopment and implementing a digital marketing strategy to eventually running the entire company. Prior to his involvement with CBD American Shaman, Todd has held executive roles with Ford Motor Credit and Aon and continues to own and work with multiple mobile applications and digital properties. He has been featured on the cover of New York Magazine and has starred in two documentaries related to his work with other industries. Moving forward, Underwood aims to continue helping the American Shaman brand with strategic growth and the opening of several additional franchises of his own throughout Texas, Missouri, Kansas, Florida, and Utah.

Josh Winningham

PhytoPharm.D

Melissa Fults

DPEG

Biography:

Melissa Fults was the author of Issue 7 and the Executive Director of Arkansans for Compassionate Care. She is now the Executive Director of the sister company, Drug Policy Education Group, Inc (DPEG) Melissa has worked on cannabis reform in Arkansas since April of 2011 and is now working on an adult use Amendment for 2020. When not fighting for cannabis reform, Melissa spends her time with her husband Gary, her children and grandchildren. She also owns and runs a small dairy goat farm in East End, AR.

Rafael Sabbagh

BioTrackTHC

Biography: Rafael Sabbagh is the VP of State Operations for BioTrackTHC. He focuses on implementing statewide Seed to Sale tracking systems, and providing cannabis businesses with the tools they need to run efficient and compliant operations. Rafael has led the implementation of the State tracking system for Illinois and New York, and has been heavily involved with the implementation in various other States including New Mexico and Puerto Rico. He works hand in hand with licensees, law enforcement, and various different government agencies in order to ensure they are provided with custom tailored systems that provide for all of their Seed to Sale Tracking needs, from the ground up.

Robert Cormier - Speaker

Erigere Rapidus Solutions

Biography: Robert is our highly decorated jack of all trades. Honor Graduate from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. Designed and implemented force on force training at a national level for major agencies, drafted policy and procedure, supervised high level labor racketeering/organized crime investigations and was on the front lines of federal law enforcement as a US Border Patrol Tactical Team member.

Joy Beckerman

Hemp Ace International

Biography: Joy Beckerman is the Principal Consultant at Hemp Ace International, a New York-based consulting, legal support, expert witness, and brokerage firm serving the global community. She is the President of the Hemp Industries Association, founded in 1994 and sits on the National Board of Directors of NORML, founded in 1970. After opening the first hemp store in New York in the early 1990's, Joy served as Secretary to the Vermont Hemp Council upon passage of the inaugural Vermont hemp bill in 1996. In mid-1998, she commenced an extensive dual career as a compliance and complex civil litigation paralegal, supporting some of the nation's most distinguished attorneys. Joy is an internationally respected voice, writer and renowned public speaker on a spectrum of industrial hemp and Cannabis subjects who has presented at continuing legal education seminars and at numerous colleges, universities, and conferences over the last nearly quarter of a century.

Michael Miller

Speaker

Biography: Michael Miller is a philanthropist, entrepreneur, and business advisor. He began his over thirty five year career in 1987, the heyday of hostile acquisitions as a Wall Street lawyer practicing in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, labor, and intellectual property at Willkie Farr& Gallagher in New York andSkaddenArps in Los Angeles. Michael worked on some of the largest transactions in corporate history at the time, including the takeover of E.F. Hutton, Singer Sewing Machine, Allied Stores, and RJR Nabisco as well as corporate financings for Drexel Lambert led by Mike Milken. Michael moved into investment management in 2008 as a Managing Director of Bel Air Investment Advisers, whichoversaw $5 billion for 300 wealthy families and foundations. After the firm was sold to a Canadian Bank, Michael replaced the ex-President of the Dodgers at Northern Trust to oversee the Wealth Advisory Group in Los Angeles, where he was responsible for over $2 billion in asset oversight, client management, banking and trust and estates. In 2015, Michael left Northern after a near fatal car accident. Michael presently oversees venture investments for a number of high net worth families and is a co-founder of Over 21 Capital Partners, a private investment fund focused primarily on all aspects of the nascent domestic and international cannabis industry. Michael recently launched Table 21, a cannabis dining salon bringing together investors, lawmakers, CEO's, and medical researchers, and The Beach Cities Cannabis Conference in Los Angeles. Michael advised on the launch of the first 24/7 cannabis lifestyle radio station, "Purple Haze" on the Dash Radio Network (the new XM radio providing free, commercial free digital radio with over 30 million subscribers), and is the creator, producer and host of "CannaBusiness"- the first international weekly talk show focused on the economics, legal, medical and regulatory issues facing the nascent legal cannabis industry. Michael's first children's book was published last year, entitled "The Gift". His next writing projects include a novel entitled "Mommy Hours" and a non-fiction political history of intoxication, entitled Weedonomics: from criminal to corporate enterprise. Michael is a frequent public speaker in the areas of start-ups, financial literacy, the national opiate crisis, finding life's balance, as well as being a passionate advocate and public policy crusader on cannabis education and medical research. Michael has advised thousands of start-ups and their founders as a lawyer, financier, board member, strategic adviser and mentor. Raised with the dna of philanthropy and volunteerism, Michael has dedicated a substantial portion of his life to "giving back" and TikkunOlam, or "leaving the world a better place". Michael's philanthropic involvement has ranged from academic institutions such as the Technion and The London School of Economics, to equal access to the arts through the Los Angeles Photography Center and California, the Santa Monica Symphony, and California Lawyers for the Arts, and to social issues through the National Bully Prevention Foundation, the Sunset Hollywood Free Clinic, Bet Tzedek, the Anti-Sex and Child Labor Trafficing Foundation and Project Heal. Michael also donates the use of his home for non-profits monthly and has raised millions of dollars as a result of these efforts.

Karen Reeves

Speaker

Biography: Karen's Crusade for Cannabis, Team CenTex, and Healing" Karen Reeves is a native born Texan. She grew up in Central Texas. Karen has been a proud Cannabis consumer for almost 45 years and she has considered herself a Cannabis Patient for the last 27 years after fracturing her vertebra. In 2012 Karen started her Crusade for Cannabis and in 2014 she founded the CenTex Community Outreach group. Team CenTex has been reaching out across Texas and around the world helping to change hearts and minds through education and compassion. They believe no one belongs in jail for a plant! Karen started a social media campaign called Action For Alex to help educate the public about Jury Nullification after her son was unjustly arrested. Karen is definitely on a Mission to End Prohibition in Texas ! "My 'Crusade for Cannabis' and developing Team CenTex helped me to begin healing from all the pain in my past. Turning my pain into my passion saved my life" quote Karen Reeves

Larry Harb

Speaker

Biography: Mr. Harb is the founder and CEO of IT Risk Managers, Inc. Started at the beginning of the century, IT Risk Managers, Inc. is a national niche insurance broker that provides risk management solutions for niche industries such as the auction industry, cannabis industry, real estate, technology industry or business that use technology. We are the industry's premier brokers of Database (Cyber) Insurance. IT Risk Managers is licensed in 48 states to market all types of Property and Casualty insurance products. For more information visit our website, THCins.com Mr. Harb has over thirty years of experience in the financial services and insurance industries. During his career he has also served as an instructor at Michigan State University and Illinois Institute of Technology. Mr. Harb holds a Masters of Management degree from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and a Bachelors degree from Northern Illinois University. He co- authored the book Reinventing the Retail Bank published in 1994. He is a Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist and has written numerous articles and is a frequent guest speaker at industry conferences.

Monty Finch

Speaker

Biography: Monty Finch, Owner of Pandale Rio Farms, Has observed and interacted with the medicinal benefits of marijuana since 1966. Importing cannabis in the late 60's in Texas, Monty was beneficial to supplying the medicine for the pioneering stages of cannabis science. Testing some of the finest hash oil, Thai Sticks, and Columbian marijuana further pushed his knowledge and belief that marijuana could help heal and led Monty on a medical journey in life. In the mid 70's Monty spent over a decade working in Emergency Rooms, Ambulances, and surgery. After, Monty pursued his love for medicine and was accepted into nursing school. In that time he realized that Marijuana would have a major role in the medical field aiding in positive results of physical recovery and mental wellness. Having previous knowledge of heavy machinery from driving trucks in the 90's Monty went to Iraq as a combat truck driver. After Iraq and struggling with PTSD at home Monty signed up and was accepted to Oaksterdam University, America's first cannabis college. At Oaksterdam Monty learned how to infuse the two things he always believed worked well together Marijuana and Medicine.

Heather Fazio

Speaker

Biography: An advocate of individual liberty and personal responsibility, Heather Fazio has worked toward limited government since 2009. She served as Executive Director of Texans for Accountable Government from 2011-2014 where her priorities included privacy rights and civil liberties, including marijuana law reform. Heather utilizes her passion for grassroots activism to positively affect public policy. In 2014, Heather began working for the Marijuana Policy Project and built an advocacy-focused coalition, Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy. Now, Heather serves as director of the coalition and remains dedicated to enacting sensible marijuana laws in Texas.

Erika Gee

Speaker

Biography: Erika Gee is a member of the firm's Government Relaons Pracce and a former Chief of Staff and Chief Deputy in the Arkansas Aorney General's Office. Since returning to Wright Lindsey Jennings in 2015, she has put her years of experience as general counsel for state agencies and licensing boards to work assisng clients in resolving their regulatory and administrave disputes with state government. She also represents clients in government relaons maers, including advocacy and policy development with state agency officials, the Aorney General's Office and the Execuve and Legislave branches of government.

Gaynell Rogers

Speaker

Biography: Gaynell Rogers is, in a word, connected. This natural leader built a career in entertainment and film, managing high-profile artists and studio projects before making a shift into the cannabis industry, where she helped elevate entrepreneurs who long worked on the fringe of acceptance into mainstream business players. Rogers uses the extensive cannabis network she developed over the years to create many new investment relationships in this rapidly growing industry. She parlays extensive experience in management, media relations and marketing into many sectors from cannabis, to creative arts and entertainment, to nonprofit organizations. And while she is a sought-after thought leader in business mentorship, she is equally devoted to furthering social justice and philanthropic causes. Rogers is known for adeptly propelling clients to widespread recognition. She transitioned from the film industry to the cannabis industry in 2009, when she was recruited to be the national publicist for California's largest medical cannabis dispensary, Harborside. She helped its visionary founder, activist and author Steve DeAngelo, gain national attention via feature stories in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Fortune and other prominent media outlets in the early days when medical marijuana laws were enacted in only a handful of states. She also worked to develop the first nationally broadcast cannabis-related reality show, Weed Wars on the Discovery Channel, and helped secure his first his first book deal:The Cannabis Manifesto. More recently, as a current development partner with Bond Moroch, a multistate independent marketing agency, Rogers was instrumental in bringing the first-ever national cannabis TV commercial on air for the Hoban Law Group in 2017. She continues to work with the law firm, which has handled a number of federal cases and serves as a go-to expert for media on legal cannabis issues throughout the country. As cannabis legalization proliferates across the nation, Rogers is dedicated to remedying the destructive impacts of the decades-long War on Drugs that greatly affected the nation's communities of color, as is well documented in Oakland, California, where Harborside's headquarters is located. She volunteers for The Hood Incubator, a business organization that helped foster local legislative efforts in Oakland, and resulted in a groundbreaking cannabis business equity program to give priority to longtime Oakland residents in areas where racially disproportionate marijuana arrests were particularly acute. One of Rogers goals is to give these historically marginalized groups the means to achieve business success in states where cannabis has been legalized. She connect and consults with strategic investment connections and provides mentorship to entrepreneurs, freely sharing her wealth of institutional knowledge of the cannabis industry and years of investment experience in this heavily regulated sector. This is mirrored by her dedication to helping women succeed in cannabis business and investing, through her active support and guidance with the California Cannabis Industry Association, the Ellevate Network for professional women and national nonprofit Students for Sensible Drug Policy. Rogers, who is a two-time cancer survivor, is also heavily involved in philanthropy and nonprofit organizations, including Missing Children with the Polly Klaas Foundation, Music Inspired by Literature, Voices of Latin Rock, and Zero Foundation for Breast Cancer, among others. She previously served as president of Bay Area Women in Music and was a founding member of the Professional Women's Network and Breast Cancer Watch. She also has been a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for more than 30 years. Rogers zealous focus on long-term planning and organization are touchstones for her marketing success. She continues to earn global recognition for Harborside and DeAngelo, along with her legacy roster of musicians in personal management. Other past and current cannabis-focused clients include: The ArcView Group, an investment firm in Oakland; edibles maker KIVA Confections; and retailers such as The Farm in Boulder, Colorado, and Harvest in San Francisco. Entrepreneur Jim McAlpine tapped Rogers for media relations and marketing in multiple ventures, including the athletic-focused 420 Games held in several states, the B2B New West Summit and Power Plant Fitness gym. Rogers continues to work actively in entertainment, representing Grammy award-winning slide guitarist Roy Rogers, folk artist Ramblin' Jack Elliott and Brazilian guitar goddess Badi Assad. Before focusing on cannabis interests, Rogers worked extensively with leading film companies, including Russian Hill Recording Post Production, Pixar Animation Studios as the head of feature film publicity, as well as being senior publicist for Lucasfilm Ltd. She has worked on over 25 feature films and hundreds of documentaries and commercials over two-plus decades in the entertainment industry. She also wrote and crafted with internal teams marketing platforms for a number of mainstream companies, including Scharffenberger Cellars, Torani, Phillips DuPont, Skywalker Sound and the original launch of Crystal Geyser. Rogers ambitions as a person of influence in the cannabis industry are rooted in establishing greater gender and social equity, and capitalizing on the continued shift in public opinion and political will around legislation to advance legal, regulated cannabis businesses. She's widely recognized as a creative, meticulous manager, a thoughtful advocate and a supportive business mentor. What's next? Rogers is growing her vast network by carefully forging new connections in cannabis investment and leading the way with inspiration.

Khadijah Adams

Speaker

Biography: Cassondra R. Parker-Adams also known as "Khadijah" in the cannabis industry is originally from Sugar Land, Texas and has been a full-time entrepreneur since December 12, 1997. Certified Signing Services, Inc specialized in notarizing a variety of commercial and residential real estate documents that closed outside of the Title Company, law office or mortgage companies. Ms. Adams has developed and trained a network of more than 10,000 notaries public nationwide during her career, and her database of clients included industry giants like Countrywide Mortgage, HSBC, JP Morgan Chase, Chase Bank, American Title, Integrated Real Estate, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Mooser & Freibert, PLLC; Mattingly & Ford Title Company, just to name a few. When the real estate bubble burst in 2007-2008, Certified Signing Services was dissolved after 10 years of successfully operating in the real estate space.

Our speaker application period is now closed for Ark-La-Tex Cannabis Business Expo 2018. If you would like to request to be a speaker for future shows please submit an application below.