Featured Speakers
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Master of Ceremonies
11:00 AM - 11:09 AM Jim Baudino 11:10 AM - 11:25 AM Emily Paxhia 11:26 AM - 11:41 AM David Hess 11:42 AM - 11:57 AM Elaine Richer 11:58 AM - 12:14 AM Dr. Kourosh Parsapour 12:15 PM - 12:30 PM Chris Bolton, CEO, Theracann International 12:30 PM - 1:00 PM Fireside Chat with Cheech Marin |
Cheech Marin, Founder, Cheech's Private Stash
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ACTOR, WRITER, DIRECTORY, SPEAKER, MUSICIAN, ART COLLECTOR…Best known as one half of the hilariously irreverent, satirical, counter-culture, no-holds-barred duo Cheech and Chong (now on tour), Cheech Marin is a paradox in the world of entertainment. Cheech is an actor, director, writer, musician, art collector, and humanitarian, a man who has enough talent, humor, and intelligence to do just about anything. He is truly a multi-generational star. To this day, Cheech and Chong films remain the number one weekend video rentals, and Cheech is widely acknowledged as a cultural icon. Cheech’s long-awaited memoir entitled Cheech is Not My Real Name…But Don’t Call Me Chong! was released in 2017.
Cheech (real name Richard) Marin was born in South Central Los Angeles and met Tommy Chong in Vancouver, British Columbia as a political refugee. The duo moved back to Los Angeles and proved to be “entertainment gold.” Six of their albums went gold, four were nominated for Grammys, and Los Cochinos won the 1973 Grammy for Best Comedy Recording. The critically acclaimed duo made a fluid transition to films, starring in eight features together. During his split with Chong, Cheech wrote, directed, and starred in the comedy Born In East L.A. He appeared in over 20 films, including his scene-stealing role in Tin Cup. On television, Cheech was a sitcom regular before joining Don Johnson on the highly successful CBS drama Nash Bridges (1996-2001). He later had a recurring role on the hit NBC show, Lost, and in recent years, he guest-starred on Rob and Jane the Virgin. Through his popular Disney Pixar animation film roles (Oliver & Company, The Lion King, Cars, and more) and as an author of children’s books such as Cheech the School Bus Driver, Cheech is also a favorite with kids and parents around the world. In 2009, everyone’s favorite duo reunited after 25 years apart for a national and international comedy tour, the Light Up America reunion tour, selling out everywhere. They also shot a full-length live comedy film Hey Watch This in 2010. The pair followed with subsequent tours, satisfying audiences thirsty to see the pair together. They continue to perform together as their schedules allow. CHICANO ART COLLECTOR & ADVOCATE Cheech is recognized today as a preeminent Chicano art advocate. In the mid-1980s, he began developing what is now arguably the finest private collection of Chicano art. Much of it formed the core of his inaugural exhibition Chicano Visions: American Painters on the Verge, which broke attendance records during its groundbreaking 15‐city tour during 2001‐2007 to major art museums across the United States About Cheech's Stash Notorious stoner, Cheech Marin, famously known for embodying half of hilariously irreverent stoner comedy duo Cheech and Chong, knows a thing or two about cannabis. Which is why he thought it only fair to develop his own personal brand of curated cannabis, and with this he presents “Cheech’s Stash,” a little piece of paradise for the connoisseur of pleasurable living. Along with his daughter Jasmine, and son Joey-Dee, Cheech has personally selected strains and worked with master growers to sustainably produce an all natural selection of quality cannabis products, representative of over four decades of legendary experience. Cheech's participation in the cannabis business marks a major milestone for the longtime advocate and global counterculture icon who says he remains dedicated to his vision of "sharing the love, experience, and understanding of cannabis", and is looking forward to shaping the future of the adult-use market responsibly. Cheech is bringing party to his own back yard, as California is the first state to feature the initial four Cheech's Private Stash cannabis flower strains - Sour Diesel, Cookie Glue, Do Si Dos, and Platinum OG. Each line offers diverse genetics, boasting a range of Indicas, Sativas, and Hybrids with accommodating mid to high THC varieties. These selected strains reflect a well rounded survey of what Cheech himself considers to be good weed, boasting Cheech’s unwavering promise that Cheech’s Stash WILL ALWAYS BE GOOD! |
Chris Bolton, CEO, Theracann International
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Chris Bolton is the CEO of Theracann International. He is a Senior Executive with a proven reputation for creating a corporate vision to maximize multi-stakeholder input and the knowledge and passion to implement on that vision. Proven experience in conducting international business.
He has Multi-industry experience including Agriculture, Analytical Laboratory, Construction, Consulting, Legal (Corporate, Civil, Criminal, Securities), Environmental Technologies, Import / Export of High Technologies, Greenhouse Gas Offset Trading, Manufacturing, Medical, Commercial Painting, Personal Security, Oil & Gas (Downstream / Upstream), IT Service (Business Analysis, Software & Hardware), and Regulatory Governance. About TheraCann International TheraCann International is based in Panama, operating in 11 countries with offices in Australia, Canada, Panama and the United States. TheraCann provides a full turn key solution, known as the "BenchmarkSOLUTION" for the regulated industrial hemp, commercial cannabis, psychedelic and urban food sectors. TheraCann's BenchmarkSOLUTION provides both professional consulting, onsite management and disruptive technologies to ensure project success. BenchmarkSOLUTION includes the plan, design, implementation and management of EU GMP compliant operations that include disruptive technologies for cultivation (www.sproutai.solutions), traceability (www.etchbiotrace.solutions) and enterprise resource planning and compliance (ERPc) global supply chain infrastructure utilizing its One System One Solution (OS2) multi-lingual, multi-jurisdictional secure web based application (www.os2.solutions)
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David Hess, President & Co-Founder, Tress Capital
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A two time cancer survivor, David was introduced to the vast benefits of medical cannabis while undergoing cancer treatments in 2001 and again in 2003. David has since dedicated himself to furthering research, awareness, and business opportunities in the expanding cannabis industry.
David’s proven successes over the past 20 years establishing and working closely with niche businesses stretches across a variety of sectors including marketing and advertising, real-estate, telecom, personal protective apparel and cannabis. In 2013, David partnered with Asher Troppe, an experienced fiduciary and independent trader on Wall Street with over a decade's experience managing equity and equity portfolios to establish Tress, the cannabis industry’s go to source for private capital, solutions and strategic support. Tress Capital is a strategic private investment firm embedded at the core of the global cannabis sector originating and managing investments for HNW, family office, and institutional investors. Tress has a track record of successful industry investment and works closely with its companies and the industry providing active value-add support. The Tress portfolio includes industry leaders such as SC Labs, Headset, Baker Technologies (TILT), Cannabis Now, Grownetics, North Bud Farms, Infusion Biosciences, WasteTrakr and iCAN. With a unique industry network, unparalleled deal flow pipeline and experienced team with in house niche expertise, Tress Capital is the go to for sophisticated investors seeking competence. Tress Solutions provides M&A advisory, strategy, business development, and operational support to sector companies.
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Emily Paxhia, Managing Director, Poseidon Asset Management
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Emily Paxhia is a co-founder and Managing Partner of Poseidon. Emily has reviewed thousands of companies in the cannabis industry and has worked with countless founders in many capacities. She had helped to shape founders' pitch preparations, their go-to-market strategies/ product launches, and advised on day-to-day business operations. Emily has held board seats for multiple portfolio companies and participates as an adviser to multiple teams.
Extremely active in the investment decision making and ongoing investment oversight processes, she works closely with her partners to create meaningful deal structures, ensuring that proper governance is carried out at the company level. Further, Emily has dedicated time and energy to supporting policy groups and has served on the Board of Directors of the Marijuana Policy Project. She also currently serves on the Board of Athletes for CARE and The Initiative. Emily has over 10 years of experience working as a consultant and researcher, and as such, has become an expert at extracting actionable insights from research and applying them to make corporations function more efficiently and successfully. She also leverages this experience to engage in detailed market analysis for determination around product-market fit and potential scalability. Emily graduated from New York University with an M.A. in Psychology in 2008. She graduated from Skidmore College with a B.A. in Psychology in 2002. About Poseidon was founded by siblings Emily & Morgan Paxhia in 2013, making their first fund one of the longest running dedicated cannabis investment funds, with over $85 million in Assets Under Management and an IRR of 53% net of fees as of December 31, 2019. On March 31, 2020, the Poseidon team closed the fundraise for its Fund Two, a Venture Capital strategy, bringing total Assets Under Management to $145 million. The Poseidon team has focused on a diversified strategy covering a range of company stages and industry subsectors across the capital spectrum. Pioneering the Efficient Frontier of #Cannabis #Alpha. Providing opportunities for a smarter crop of accredited investors interested in the Cannabis industry. Poseidon’s business model is designed to identify attractive opportunities and take advantage of market dislocations for the benefit of our clients. With an eye on emerging opportunities and fields yet to be fully cultivated, Poseidon is unafraid to bring radical--yet proven--investment strategies to places and spaces others may balk, always knowing that with intelligent risk, great reward is as inevitable as the tides.
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Elaine Richer, CEO & Founder, MyCureAll
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Ms. Richer is a highly seasoned Pharmacist and healthcare professional that has held leadership roles in three Fortune 500 companies that include Rite Aid, Walgreens, and CVS Caremark. Ms. Richer is a graduate of Long Island University School of Pharmacy and has been a licensed pharmacist in New Jersey and Florida for over 20 years.
Ms. Richer wants to make our society a better place, and her goal is to decrease opioid overdoses, decrease deaths from suicides and overdoses, reunite families suffering due to drug addiction, and help patients achieve the most effective pain control. Ms. Richer is dedicated to providing quality patient care and ensuring improved clinical outcomes. In her 20-plus years as a pharmacist, she has seen tens of thousands of patients for dozens of different conditions. As a pharmacist, she always strives to help patients, make their lives happier, healthier, and ease their burdens. Addiction is a tough illness and she feels honored to help patients on their road to recovery. At MyCureAll, her mission is to optimize innovation to treat pain properly, while preventing addiction at its core, and ensure improved clinical outcomes. She has successfully trained and managed diverse teams of pharmacists and has in-depth experience in all aspects of the Pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) industry that are companies that manage prescription drug benefits on behalf of health insurers, Medicare Part D drug plans, large employers, and other payers.
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Jim Baudino, Partner, Fiorello
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Jim Baudino is an advisor, investor and award-winning executive who has held leadership roles across industries ranging from cannabis to automotive with a focus and expertise in bringing consumer brands to market.
Jim is a partner at Fiorello Agency, a brand incubator and leading creative and strategic communications agency focused on supporting early-stage, high-growth businesses in emerging markets. He started his career in cannabis and hemp with MERRY JANE Media, the Snoop Dogg founded global media platform at the intersection of cannabis and culture, where he played a pivotal role in the launch of the company and bringing cannabis-related content to a mainstream audience. Jim has focused on raising awareness of the benefits of cannabis and its long history, while also dispelling stigmas and educating on the social and economic issues and injustices. Prior to the cannabis industry, Jim spent ten years with Toyota North America, where he held leadership roles in marketing and business development, with the latest overseeing national sponsorship and partnership strategies for the Toyota lineup, including 20+ celebrities and athletes. He spearheaded relationships with brands like NBC, GoPro, NBA, Pepsi and Live Nation to create fully integrated programs that engaged millions of consumers. Along with internal awards for innovation, Jim was the recipient of the auto industry’s prestigious Automotive News 40 Under 40 Award. Jim holds an MBA from UCLA Anderson and a BSE in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan. He is on the board of ThinkLA, the Media, Marketing, and Advertising Collective with a mission to connect, inspire and educate the Los Angeles marketing community, and has led the integration of cannabis and hemp into their programming. He has spoken about cannabis at numerous mainstream conferences and universities, and in his free time, Jim enjoys traveling to unique destinations with his wife and two children.
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Dr. Kourosh Parsapour, Founder, Weedrecs
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Dr. Kourosh Parsapour has 15+ years of experience in pediatrics and critical care. His background in technology-enabled healthcare solutions started in 2005 at UC Davis. His research and numerous publications in telemedicine culminated in his first startup, Telepeds. Specialists on Call, the leading provider of tele-stroke services, acquired Telepeds within its first year. Subsequent to his successful exit, he obtained his Healthcare Executive MBA from UC Irvine and cofounded two digital health startups, 5plus and personalRN (pRN). He is currently the CEO of pRN which provides disease-specific mHealth education that is personalized to the needs of patients and their caregivers. In late 2016, pRN applied its unique patient assessment and education platform as a new vertical in the cannabis industry to address the physician shortage, which exists in evaluating medical marijuana patients. The platform evolved into the current clinical decision support software (canDSS), which will soon be available nationwide to assist physicians in providing efficient and more accurate patient evaluations.
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