NY Cannabis Insider is hosting an industry “summit” at The Desmond Hotel in Albany, N.Y. on May 18 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Details and tickets available here.
The event will feature an open discussion forum alongside panel discussions and will host industry professionals – from growers, processors and retailers to attorneys, consultants and politicians –for a day of venting, problem-solving, and learning. The event will feature traditional breakout panels on industry hot topics alongside an open forum dedicated to discussing specific challenges faced followed by proposing ideas and solutions. Attendees can participate in some or all breakout sessions and/or open discussion workshop topics as they would like to. View the full agenda timing here.
Panelists and speakers sharing their perspectives include:
· Ryan Androos – Owner, Route 27 Hemp Yard: with a business mission to pave the road towards new-age, sustainable cannabis cultivation. Every single one of their CBD products are handcrafted from seed to seal. Ryan is also the Chairman of the Long Island region of the New York Cannabis Growers & Processors Association.
· Jenny Argie – Owner, Jenny’s Baked at Home: is a Brooklyn based small-business owner, a plant-based eating, CBD advocate, single mother of three, and a breast cancer survivor. Jenny advocates for a plant-based diet and full-spectrum hemp oil and teaches others how to incorporate CBD oil into plant-based cooking.
· Tom Buchan, Esq. – Vice President, Park Strategies: has a background in serving clients in many industries, including insurance, professional practice, cannabis, healthcare, energy and environmental issues and helps clients to navigate State Government in New York by providing assistance in developing legislative proposals, budget items, and regulatory solutions.
· Michelle Fields – Attorney, The Mary Jane Consulting Group: a practicing Attorney in New York State with litigation experience (Criminal, Business Immigration, and Contract Law) and now a Cannabis Attorney/Legal Writer /Advisor in Regulatory/Compliance S.E.E.D-Sustainability and Educational Development, and Global Business Development/Licensing
· Warren Harasz – VP of Regulatory Compliance, Cannaspire: oversees business license application development, SOPs, employee handbooks, business plans, as well as retainer projects for business consulting and project management, developing business license applications in many states and more each month as legislation changes.
· Freeman Klopott – Vice President, Marino: has spent two decades as a journalist and public affairs and communications professional, developing the stories that shape public opinion, respond to crises, and build brands. Prior to joining the Marino team, Freeman was the first Communications Director, and among the first to join the team, at the New York State Office of Cannabis Management. In that role, he built the communications program and team from the ground-up, elevating the rollout of New York State’s adult-use market into an international story with a messaging platform that has defined the market.
· Hal McCabe – Cannabis Association of New York; Mayor, Village of Homer: has worked in every level of government over the past 25 years and came to CANY with a passion for helping small farmers and small businesses.
· Katie Neer, Esq. – Of Counsel, Dickinson & Avella: assists clients on New York state regulatory and legislative issues. Katie primarily focuses on regulatory compliance issues for heavily regulated industries, including cannabis, gaming, and financial services.
· Venus Rodriguez-McGregor: a Doula, a Childbirth Educator with degrees in Women’s and Infant’s Health and Psychology, CEO of Sana Cannabis LLC and current CAURD applicant in NY. Venus was recently appointed Chair for the CAURD Coalition’s Women’s Committee. Her brand merges her two passions; health and wellness with Cannabis.
· Joe Rossi – Managing Director/Cannabis Practice Group Leader, Park Strategies: focuses on state and local government relations, business development, relationship management and strategic planning. Joe is known to be a zealous advocate for his clients with his unique perspective gained through experience working in organized labor, the public sector, and the private sector.
· Britni Tantalo – Co-founder and President, Flower City Dispensary Inc.: a woman minority New York State CAURD applicant looking to obtain a retail dispensary license as Flower City Dispensary. She is also the co-founder and President of the New York CAURD Coalition, an organization that aims to create educational pathways in cannabis and ensure access to resources to create a sustainable, equitable, and inclusive cannabis industry.
· Sheri Tarr – Founder and Chief Advisor, ‘68 Partners: a multi-disciplinary professional, Sheri Tarr is uniquely positioned at the intersection of cannabis, commercialization, and compliance. Sheri has amassed over three decades of real-world experience operating in highly regulated environments.
These speakers will present on these industry hot topics in breakout sessions that will be happening throughout the day concurrent to the interactive forum:
· Understanding True Parties of Interest (TPI)
· Application to operation: compliance and success for cannabusinesses
· Congratulations, you got your license! Now what?
· Sketching out a timeline
· Medical cannabis 101
Meet the sponsors and vendors offering onsite advice and support
Sponsors and vendors are the businesses shaping and supporting the industry. Look for them at the event for advice and help with your cannabis business:
· Cannaspire provides the products, services, and consulting you need to succeed in the cannabis industry from application to expansion.
· New York State Dispute Resolution Association, Inc. is a not-for-profit membership organization committed to the promotion of quality conflict management and peaceful dispute resolution.
· New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association’s mission is to protect and serve the patients in New York’s medical cannabis program while working collaboratively to establish a responsible, inclusive and competitive adult-use cannabis program.
· Ground Game Cannabis is a New York State sales and distribution agency created to help cannabis brands get their products on dispensary shelves and keep them there.
· Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW is a labor union that proudly represents working people in a variety of different industries, including New York’s cannabis workers who are employed across the industry’s full supply chain from seed to sale.
· Citrin Cooperman is one of the nation’s largest professional services firms, with a dedicated Cannabis Advisory Services (CAS) team that utilizes their specialized knowledge to help companies thrive.
· Dickinson & Avella knows the cannabis industry inside and out from their work on the implementation of medical marijuana to the emerging adult-use market.
· The Bluntness is one of the fastest growing independent digital media and marketing platforms exploring, examining and elevating the intersection of cannabis & psychedelic culture, community & commerce.
· Allspace is thoughtful space design meets full-service fabrication & installation; we work with your to develop a concept that encompasses everything from aesthetics to functionality.
· McNeil & Co. in conjunction with the New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF) and the Cannabis Association of New York are excited to launch a safety group to provide a sustainable workers’ compensation solution for members of the New York State cannabis industry.
· Cannabis Workforce Initiative has a mission to promote and support social equity in the adult-use cannabis market by providing quality workforce development and legal education.
· HUB International Limited has specialized cannabis insurance experts and risk consultants help you manage the emerging risks that face your cannabis business with the right risk transfer and mitigation.
· New York Consortium of Cannabis Accountants has a mission to promote financial literacy among New York’s legacy market leaders and social equity entrepreneurs.
· StaffBuffalo and HRBuffalo are ancillary businesses to the cannabis industry, optimizing the People Operations to enable growing businesses to thrive.
· East Coast Cannabis Insurance offers experienced insurance solutions for everything in the cannabis industry, from workers comp to crop coverage.
· Cannabis360 is a full-service cannabis marketing partner focused on crafting your brand story, finding your best audience and driving brand awareness for your business.
· Hybrid Marketing focuses on business outcomes to move the needle in the areas of revenue, risk, cost, cashflow, and asset utilization.
Our next event will be an afternoon networking and production facility tour hosted by Beak & Skiff/1911 Establish/ayrloom held on June 8 in CNY (tickets and details here). Contact Lindsay Wickham at [email protected] to learn more about sponsor and vendor opportunities.
As entrepreneurs and cannabis professionals are moving forward in the billion-dollar legal weed industry, NY Cannabis Insider events allow participants to learn about regulations, discuss topics essential to New York State, make connections, establish teams and foundations, and continue business planning.