Perfect Pitch
By Philip Rebentisch
In the music world, a few extraordinary artists can identify a note simply by hearing it. Commonly called perfect pitch, Michael Jackson, Freddie Mercury, Jimi Hendrix, Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, Mozart and Beethoven (to name a few) all possessed this gift seemingly passed down from the heavens by an angelic choir. Crossing over into the sweet sound of success in the world of business, making a perfect pitch to investors can mean the difference between a company’s triumph or hasten its impending demise. Yet a winning pitch is much more than attaining investment funding; it is the beginning of the journey to seek guidance, form relationships, grow the company, and continue learning. While business plans, KPIs, quantitative analysis, access to capital, and ROI all play a role, in reality, it’s an investment in people. One company, Muisca Capital Group®, stands behinds this premise and empowers Latin American entrepreneurs within the emerging legal cannabis industry in the Americas.
“The legal cannabis industry is a once in lifetime macroeconomic event for Latin America. The industry creates the opportunity to mitigate existing poverty levels and fight wealth inequality. This is where venture capital comes along with cannabis as a major driving force for social change.” ⎼ Carol Ortega Algarra
Led by Founder and CEO Carol Ortega Algarra, MCG is a diverse ensemble of consummate professionals with extensive worldwide experience in the legal cannabis industry. Carol serves on the Colombian government’s policy making committee which has the ongoing challenge to improve the existing regulation, and was instrumental in Colombia’s efforts in developing medicinal cannabis. This initially resulted in Law 1787 and Decree 613 which created the regulatory framework enabling safe and informed access to the medical and scientific use of cannabis in Colombia. The laws essentially legalized medicinal cannabis products for export and domestic use and created an entirely new cannabis industry. It also propagated immense opportunities for MCG. “We are an investment management firm looking to support Latino initiatives in the legal cannabis industry through a combination of acquisitions, business incubation, and venture capital,” Carol said. “Our target is to build a portfolio of leading companies that will shape premium cannabis brands worldwide.” Carol also holds the distinction of being the first woman in South America to make an investing pitch for a cannabis company.
Cannabis Investing in South America
MCG and The Arcview Group are the founding partners behind the inaugural Cannabiz Latino HUB Impact Investing Summit taking place in Bogotá, Colombia, September 12-13. The expo and conference offers an unparalleled opportunity to connect with accredited investors, discover a plethora of Latin American cannabis companies, and look beyond the horizon of the vast cannabis landscape in Colombia and the Americas. International entrepreneurs who are seeking long term partnerships will find this conference invaluable. The real question is whether you can afford not to attend? For more than ten years, MCG and The Arcview Group have been helping entrepreneurs build firm relationships with the region’s biggest institutional and private investors. Cannabiz Latino HUB is the best opportunity in the region to do business, engage with investors and meet asset allocators from across the world.
Scheduled keynote speakers include:
This is just a sampling of the incredible individuals speaking and attending the Summit. It is an incomparable event as the intimate nature and venue offer uncompromised access to speakers, exhibitors, and fellow attendees alike. Readers can get a show discount by using this link to save money on registration.
Bogotá ⎼ A Bright Future Replaces a Darkened Past
Bogotá offers investors one of the best business environments in Latin America. According to a recent World Bank analysis, Bogotá is the best city in Latin America for doing business. Over the last eight years, it has implemented the greatest number of reforms for improving the business climate and making it more efficient. The city itself has a market of more than 8 million inhabitants backed by a solid and diversified economy. Incredibly, the city's GDP represents nearly 26 percent of Colombia's total and is higher than in several Latin American countries. Bogotá’s economic potential is evident in its dynamism. In fact, during the last decade, the city’s economic growth was the most robust in the region. Bogotá, cradled by the surrounding Andes mountain range, is once again a vibrant city with a culture steeped in history, the arts, music, religion, where numerous open-air festivals are the norm.
However, we cannot forget that for decades, Bogotá, and its infamous narco-trafficker Pablo Escobar, were the primary targets for the failed War on Drugs. Violence reigned. Thousands died or went missing. But the carnage was not limited to the city itself. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC, controlled vast areas of prime agricultural land often forcing farmers to grow cannabis and coca plants for the illegal drug trade. Other paramilitary groups opposed FARC, often financed and supported by U.S. governmental agencies. It was a civil war, yet to the surprise of many, cannabis helped lead the way to peace.
In November 2016, the Colombian government finalized negotiations with FARC, and with peace at hand, both the FARC and the government agreed to replace coca farms with legal crops. This included bananas, coffee, hearts of palm, tomatoes, vanilla, and cocoa for chocolate. Cannabis is also part of this effort under the new medicinal cultivation framework. Small farms are limited to a half-hectare plot to grow legitimate medical marijuana. Farmers must also have a relationship with a licensed medical cannabis company or they must purchase expensive laboratory equipment to verify they are growing authorized cannabis crops. It is important to note that currently, cannabis can only be cultivated for products to be sold in the form of oils and creams, and not consumer sales of the raw flower. However, individuals may grow (and consume) their own personal cannabis plants as long as the raw flower does not exceed 7 grams in total.
Colombia is perfectly positioned for commercial agriculture. It is temperate and receives ample annual rainfall. The country’s southwestern province of Cauca reportedly grows 50 percent of Colombia’s medical marijuana crops. But there’s a catch. Farmers who want to participate in the new medical cannabis program must destroy their illegal, legacy cannabis crops. “The coming year will be a period of consolidation for Colombian cannabis companies,” said Rodrigo Gomez." Growers and refiners will begin testing products and honing in on a marketable portfolio. Investment is coming to Colombia because of the quality of the terrain."
Why This Matters to Cannabis InvestorsColombia has worked diligently in recent years to become one of the most sophisticated and comprehensive medical cannabis markets in Latin America. With a clear regulatory framework and the potential for large-scale, low-cost production, Colombia could become one of the largest global export leaders of medical cannabis.
“Colombian leadership is notable in the region. After three years of legalization, the emerging industry in Colombia has attracted the biggest foreign investment in Latin America to date ⎼ $440+ Million USD has been deployed. The Colombian industry currently has 350 licensees and approximately 1,700 in process for small cultivars. This makes the Colombian industry ripe to generate an optimal investment portfolio where risk can be mitigated and profitability margins can be increased.” ⎼ Carol Ortega Algarra
The Venue ⎼ Hotel Sheraton, BogotáThe Sheraton Hotel is situated in the Salitre district of Bogotá, a quick ride from the El Dorado International airport. The 5-Star hotel features a casino, an outdoor swimming pool and a golf course on site. This area of Bogotá thrives in modernity with many upscale living spaces, shopping centers, boutiques, cafes, and nightclubs. By day, it is also home to many multinational corporations.
Looking Back to See the Future
The name Muisca Capital Group derives from Colombia’s indigenous Muisca people, one of four advanced civilizations of the Americas (apart from the Aztec, Mayas, and Incas) that the Spanish Empire encountered in 1537 during their continental conquest.
The Muiscas had great ecological awareness, and in their vision, humanity and nature shared the same characteristic: both were sacred. Their civilization depended on precise knowledge of nature’s behavior, its cycles, and how to manage seasonal transformations. Muisca Capital Group honors these traditional values beginning with respect for nature, our planet, and humanity. Medical cannabis has the ability to positively affect people’s health, culture, and governmental policy worldwide. MSG is helping companies, countries, and societies sing a different tune about the incredible cannabis plant. Attend the Cannabiz Latino HUB Impact Investing Summit and learn how to perfect your pitch, meet potential investors, and connect with fellow entrepreneurs, all within the beautiful city of Bogotá. Chances are if you go there once, you’ll go again or simply decide to stay.
Philip Rebentisch is a contributing writer for the Cannabis Investing Forum, Chief Storyteller of Gotta Story Media and creates educational content exclusively for the cannabis community. He is also the host of the podcast, Cannabis For the Rest of Us, on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher. Conference sponsorships and speaking opportunities are still available. Use this link for a show discount to register.
In the music world, a few extraordinary artists can identify a note simply by hearing it. Commonly called perfect pitch, Michael Jackson, Freddie Mercury, Jimi Hendrix, Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, Mozart and Beethoven (to name a few) all possessed this gift seemingly passed down from the heavens by an angelic choir. Crossing over into the sweet sound of success in the world of business, making a perfect pitch to investors can mean the difference between a company’s triumph or hasten its impending demise. Yet a winning pitch is much more than attaining investment funding; it is the beginning of the journey to seek guidance, form relationships, grow the company, and continue learning. While business plans, KPIs, quantitative analysis, access to capital, and ROI all play a role, in reality, it’s an investment in people. One company, Muisca Capital Group®, stands behinds this premise and empowers Latin American entrepreneurs within the emerging legal cannabis industry in the Americas.
“The legal cannabis industry is a once in lifetime macroeconomic event for Latin America. The industry creates the opportunity to mitigate existing poverty levels and fight wealth inequality. This is where venture capital comes along with cannabis as a major driving force for social change.” ⎼ Carol Ortega Algarra
Led by Founder and CEO Carol Ortega Algarra, MCG is a diverse ensemble of consummate professionals with extensive worldwide experience in the legal cannabis industry. Carol serves on the Colombian government’s policy making committee which has the ongoing challenge to improve the existing regulation, and was instrumental in Colombia’s efforts in developing medicinal cannabis. This initially resulted in Law 1787 and Decree 613 which created the regulatory framework enabling safe and informed access to the medical and scientific use of cannabis in Colombia. The laws essentially legalized medicinal cannabis products for export and domestic use and created an entirely new cannabis industry. It also propagated immense opportunities for MCG. “We are an investment management firm looking to support Latino initiatives in the legal cannabis industry through a combination of acquisitions, business incubation, and venture capital,” Carol said. “Our target is to build a portfolio of leading companies that will shape premium cannabis brands worldwide.” Carol also holds the distinction of being the first woman in South America to make an investing pitch for a cannabis company.
Cannabis Investing in South America
MCG and The Arcview Group are the founding partners behind the inaugural Cannabiz Latino HUB Impact Investing Summit taking place in Bogotá, Colombia, September 12-13. The expo and conference offers an unparalleled opportunity to connect with accredited investors, discover a plethora of Latin American cannabis companies, and look beyond the horizon of the vast cannabis landscape in Colombia and the Americas. International entrepreneurs who are seeking long term partnerships will find this conference invaluable. The real question is whether you can afford not to attend? For more than ten years, MCG and The Arcview Group have been helping entrepreneurs build firm relationships with the region’s biggest institutional and private investors. Cannabiz Latino HUB is the best opportunity in the region to do business, engage with investors and meet asset allocators from across the world.
Scheduled keynote speakers include:
- Steve DeAngelo, known as “The Father of the Legal Cannabis Industry,” Steve is the Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Harborside, Inc., and Co-Founder, and President of The Arcview Group. Steve is a lifelong activist, author, educator, and entrepreneur who has spent over four decades on the front lines of the cannabis reform movement. His most notable business achievements include co-founding the Harborside dispensary group, which includes one of the first six dispensaries licensed in the United States; Steep Hill Laboratory, the first cannabis analytics company; and The Arcview Group, the first dedicated cannabis investment network. Most recently he founded FLRish, Inc., one of California’s largest vertically integrated cannabis companies. FLRish cultivates, processes, manufactures, distributes, and retails cannabis products in several facilities throughout the state.
- Troy Dayton is the CEO of The Arcview Group and is one of the Top Ten most influential people in the cannabis industry. Arcview is the top publisher of cannabis market research, data and analysis. In 2015, Arcview helped launch a partner business accelerator, CanopyBoulder, and in 2018 launched the Arcview Venture Fund. Forbes named Arcview among the top 5 financial firms in the sector and Business Insider named them to their top 12 cannabis venture firms. Troy is also Chairman of the Board of the Marijuana Policy Project. He is also a founding and current board member of the National Cannabis Industry Association and co-founder of Students for Sensible Drug Policy.
- Rodrigo Arcila Gómez, BS. MSC. Ph.D.(c), President of Asocolcanna (Colombian Association of Cannabis Industries). For more than thirteen years he was an Associate Consultant for Econometrics S.A. where he directed important studies, among them, “The Price Policy of Medicines in Colombia.” He also participated and directed several projects related to the social, agricultural, industrial, mining and services sectors. Rodrigo has been an Advisor to the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism in the development of chains. He is currently the Executive Director of the Pharmaceutical Chamber of ANDI, a member of the Board of Directors of the Latin American Institute of Responsible Self-Medication (ILAR), and is a member of the Board of Directors of the World Self Medication Industry (WSMI).
- BigMike - Michael Straumietis, Advanced Nutrients Founder & CEO. In 1996, BigMike took $25,000 he’d made from a small grow in Temecula, California, snuck into Canada and built a growing and distribution organization of 200 people. He then used his growing and business expertise to start his company, Advanced Nutrients. Today, Advanced Nutrients is the maker of the number one selling cannabis-specific nutrient line in the world, with $200+ Million a year in sales from 93 countries. When he's not figuring out ways to grow bigger and better buds, hosting parties at his world-famous mansion, or running Advanced Nutrients, BigMike engages in creating social change. His charity Holiday Heroes feeds over 30,000 people in need during Easter and Christmas. Mike also created a political party, Nova Bulgaria, in order to effectuate lasting change in the Bulgarian government.
This is just a sampling of the incredible individuals speaking and attending the Summit. It is an incomparable event as the intimate nature and venue offer uncompromised access to speakers, exhibitors, and fellow attendees alike. Readers can get a show discount by using this link to save money on registration.
Bogotá ⎼ A Bright Future Replaces a Darkened Past
Bogotá offers investors one of the best business environments in Latin America. According to a recent World Bank analysis, Bogotá is the best city in Latin America for doing business. Over the last eight years, it has implemented the greatest number of reforms for improving the business climate and making it more efficient. The city itself has a market of more than 8 million inhabitants backed by a solid and diversified economy. Incredibly, the city's GDP represents nearly 26 percent of Colombia's total and is higher than in several Latin American countries. Bogotá’s economic potential is evident in its dynamism. In fact, during the last decade, the city’s economic growth was the most robust in the region. Bogotá, cradled by the surrounding Andes mountain range, is once again a vibrant city with a culture steeped in history, the arts, music, religion, where numerous open-air festivals are the norm.
However, we cannot forget that for decades, Bogotá, and its infamous narco-trafficker Pablo Escobar, were the primary targets for the failed War on Drugs. Violence reigned. Thousands died or went missing. But the carnage was not limited to the city itself. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC, controlled vast areas of prime agricultural land often forcing farmers to grow cannabis and coca plants for the illegal drug trade. Other paramilitary groups opposed FARC, often financed and supported by U.S. governmental agencies. It was a civil war, yet to the surprise of many, cannabis helped lead the way to peace.
In November 2016, the Colombian government finalized negotiations with FARC, and with peace at hand, both the FARC and the government agreed to replace coca farms with legal crops. This included bananas, coffee, hearts of palm, tomatoes, vanilla, and cocoa for chocolate. Cannabis is also part of this effort under the new medicinal cultivation framework. Small farms are limited to a half-hectare plot to grow legitimate medical marijuana. Farmers must also have a relationship with a licensed medical cannabis company or they must purchase expensive laboratory equipment to verify they are growing authorized cannabis crops. It is important to note that currently, cannabis can only be cultivated for products to be sold in the form of oils and creams, and not consumer sales of the raw flower. However, individuals may grow (and consume) their own personal cannabis plants as long as the raw flower does not exceed 7 grams in total.
Colombia is perfectly positioned for commercial agriculture. It is temperate and receives ample annual rainfall. The country’s southwestern province of Cauca reportedly grows 50 percent of Colombia’s medical marijuana crops. But there’s a catch. Farmers who want to participate in the new medical cannabis program must destroy their illegal, legacy cannabis crops. “The coming year will be a period of consolidation for Colombian cannabis companies,” said Rodrigo Gomez." Growers and refiners will begin testing products and honing in on a marketable portfolio. Investment is coming to Colombia because of the quality of the terrain."
Why This Matters to Cannabis InvestorsColombia has worked diligently in recent years to become one of the most sophisticated and comprehensive medical cannabis markets in Latin America. With a clear regulatory framework and the potential for large-scale, low-cost production, Colombia could become one of the largest global export leaders of medical cannabis.
“Colombian leadership is notable in the region. After three years of legalization, the emerging industry in Colombia has attracted the biggest foreign investment in Latin America to date ⎼ $440+ Million USD has been deployed. The Colombian industry currently has 350 licensees and approximately 1,700 in process for small cultivars. This makes the Colombian industry ripe to generate an optimal investment portfolio where risk can be mitigated and profitability margins can be increased.” ⎼ Carol Ortega Algarra
The Venue ⎼ Hotel Sheraton, BogotáThe Sheraton Hotel is situated in the Salitre district of Bogotá, a quick ride from the El Dorado International airport. The 5-Star hotel features a casino, an outdoor swimming pool and a golf course on site. This area of Bogotá thrives in modernity with many upscale living spaces, shopping centers, boutiques, cafes, and nightclubs. By day, it is also home to many multinational corporations.
Looking Back to See the Future
The name Muisca Capital Group derives from Colombia’s indigenous Muisca people, one of four advanced civilizations of the Americas (apart from the Aztec, Mayas, and Incas) that the Spanish Empire encountered in 1537 during their continental conquest.
The Muiscas had great ecological awareness, and in their vision, humanity and nature shared the same characteristic: both were sacred. Their civilization depended on precise knowledge of nature’s behavior, its cycles, and how to manage seasonal transformations. Muisca Capital Group honors these traditional values beginning with respect for nature, our planet, and humanity. Medical cannabis has the ability to positively affect people’s health, culture, and governmental policy worldwide. MSG is helping companies, countries, and societies sing a different tune about the incredible cannabis plant. Attend the Cannabiz Latino HUB Impact Investing Summit and learn how to perfect your pitch, meet potential investors, and connect with fellow entrepreneurs, all within the beautiful city of Bogotá. Chances are if you go there once, you’ll go again or simply decide to stay.
Philip Rebentisch is a contributing writer for the Cannabis Investing Forum, Chief Storyteller of Gotta Story Media and creates educational content exclusively for the cannabis community. He is also the host of the podcast, Cannabis For the Rest of Us, on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher. Conference sponsorships and speaking opportunities are still available. Use this link for a show discount to register.
