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If your impact-based organization needs incredible executives, Visit YScouts.com now to find your next purpose-driven, performance-proven leader.
Episodes
Friday Dec 17, 2021
Friday Dec 17, 2021
In 2017, Armen was named to Vegas Inc.’s prestigious “40 Under 40” list and in 2018, he was named as one of High Times’ “100 Most Influential People in Cannabis.”
Armen Yemenidjian began his career at Tropicana Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas in August 2009 in the Marketing Department, subsequently moving to Casino Operations and Player Development. He served as Special Projects Manager, Director and Vice President of Player Development before becoming Vice President of Casino Marketing and Operations. He was approved for a Non-restricted Gaming License from the Nevada Gaming Commission in 2009 and served as a member of the Tropicana Las Vegas Executive Committee as well as the Casino Credit and Compliance Committee.
After the sale of Tropicana in August 2015, Yemenidjian founded a number of companies in varying industries, including Armenco Capital, a commercial and residential real estate investment company, Armenco Restaurant Group, a franchisee of Jersey Mike’s in Las Vegas, and Integral Associates I & II, medical and recreational cannabis companies that own and operate three Essence Vegas dispensaries and two state-of-the-art cultivation and production facilities (dbas Desert Grown Farms and Cannabiotix NV). In 2018 and 2019, the company was approved for an additional eight licenses in the State of Nevada and was approved to move forward in the commercial cannabis licensing process in West Hollywood, Pasadena, and Culver City, California. Under Yemenidjian’s leadership, Essence Vegas has received numerous accolades, including being named Business Insider’s number one dispensary in Nevada and top-25 dispensary in the United States; a 15-time Leafly List Winner, the most among dispensaries in Nevada, and the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s 2016 “Best of Las Vegas.”
In 2019, Green Thumb Industries acquired Integral Associates and Armen joined the GTI team as President. Armen stepped down from GTI as President in April of 2020.
Armen was a member of the Nevada Dispensary Association and the Nevada Cannabis Coalition, was appointed by the Clark County Commission to serve on the Cannabis Green Ribbon Panel March 2017 and was selected by the state of Nevada to participate in the Governor’s Task Force on Cultivation.
Yemenidjian holds a Bachelors’ Degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California.
Connect:
Y Scouts is a leadership search firm that finds purpose-aligned and performance-proven leaders to help organizations achieve their missions faster. Ready to supercharge your leadership search and get the right person in your organization? Contact Y Scouts.
Wednesday Dec 01, 2021
Wednesday Dec 01, 2021
Ankur Rungta is co-founder and chief executive officer of C3 Industries Inc. Under his leadership, the company has raised over $100 million of capital and currently employs almost 400 people. Ankur and his team have overseen the development of six award-winning cannabis production facilities as well as twenty-one retail stores in Michigan, Massachusetts, Missouri and Oregon.
Ankur is also a co-founder and board member of Nickel City Pictures, a film and television production company based in Los Angeles and New York City that has produced such box-office hits as “John Wick 2,” “November Man,” and “Mother’s Day,” among others.
Prior to launching these companies, Ankur worked as an investment banker at Moelis & Company in New York and as a corporate attorney at Sullivan & Cromwell in New York, advising clients on capital markets and M&A transactions.
Ankur earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan in 2004. He earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law school in 2008, when he graduated Magna Cum Laude and Order of the Coif.
In 2014, he was nominated to the Michigan Opera Theatre Board of Directors. He has taken an active role in the arts organization – where he serves as Vice Chairman of the Board and leads the Nominating and Governance Committee, the youngest person to hold those roles.
Ankur is also a dedicated family man. He and his wife reside in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with their two children. He enjoys traveling, spending time with his family, playing basketball, watching college and professional sports, and keeping up with current events and politics. Ankur was born in Columbus, Ohio, and grew up in Buffalo, New York.
Headcount: 350-375
Markets: Michigan, Missouri, Oregon, Massachusetts
Capital Raised: $65M to date / $100M including sale leaseback
Connect:
Y Scouts is a leadership search firm that finds purpose-aligned and performance-proven leaders to help organizations achieve their missions faster. Ready to supercharge your leadership search and get the right person in your organization? Contact Y Scouts.
Monday Nov 15, 2021
Monday Nov 15, 2021
Laurie Parfitt is an accomplished executive, leader & coach who inspires companies with her vision for what's possible and her ability to execute and drive results.
She has over two decades of driving innovation & execution across multiple functional areas within companies from start-up to Fortune 500.
Laurie has honed her skills at organizations such as Kraft Foods, Beam Suntory, Topco Associates, Mizkan & Mission Dispensaries.
Through her company, LKP Impact Consulting, Laurie works with cannabis and consumer products companies on brand strategy/design, consumer insights and commercial go-to-market strategy.
Parfitt’s background includes experience in large-scale, integrated cross-channel marketing and experience campaigns, including a background in traditional marketing, category development and sales strategy in an omni-channel environment.
Parfitt served as the Vice President of Customer Engagement and Marketing for Mission Dispensaries, which currently owns or manages nine retail locations in six states.
In that role, she oversaw consumer experience and marketing/brand strategies for the booming cannabis dispensary operator, as well as developed the concept of joint business planning, which includes strategic sourcing, assortment optimization and activation.
She is also the fractional Chief Experience Officer of Union Cannabis Group which owns the Dabstract Concentrate brand.
In addition, Laurie is a recognized speaker at Cannabis Conference, Cannabis Beverage Expo and The Hatchery.
Connect:
Connect with Laurie on LinkedIn
Y Scouts is a leadership search firm that finds purpose-aligned and performance-proven leaders to help organizations achieve their missions faster. Ready to supercharge your leadership search and get the right person in your organization? Contact Y Scouts.
Monday Oct 18, 2021
Monday Oct 18, 2021
Patrick McCartan is Co-Founder and CEO of Regennabis, the leading ESG & Sustainability advisory firm in the global cannabis industry and Co-Founder of Regenerative Cannabis Live, the world's premier sustainable cannabis conference.
Patrick is also Co-Founder of Regennabis Ventures, a private equity impact fund investing in cannabis startups with a commitment to sustainability and ESG, and is the Co-Founder of Honeyoil, a licensed producer in Colombia.
With a background in corporate sustainability working with Fortune 500 companies, Patrick operates within the global ecosystem of the public and private cannabis space and is pioneering the incorporation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into the global cannabis industry.
Connect:
Connect with Patrick on LinkedIn
Y Scouts is a leadership search firm that finds purpose-aligned and performance-proven leaders to help organizations achieve their missions faster. Ready to supercharge your leadership search and get the right person in your organization? Contact Y Scouts.
Tuesday Sep 21, 2021
Tuesday Sep 21, 2021
Andrew DeAngelo, Cannabis Industry Consultant and Strategic Advisor, Co-founder of Harborside & Last Prisoner Project, Founder of Andrew DeAngelo Consulting
Andrew DeAngelo is a visionary leader with a proven track record of enacting systemic social change and developing best practices in cannabis — he is the very definition of a trailblazer and someone who has proudly walked the road less traveled.
During his almost 13-year tenure at Harborside, where he currently serves as an advisor, Andrew has pioneered legal cannabis business processes and provided groundbreaking political engagement and thought leadership to the cannabis community. Andrew also lends his vast cannabis business and political expertise as a consultant for hire to the global community at large, including several strategic partnerships with the world's leading cannabis-centric service firms.
Andrew led the design and development of gold-standard cannabis retail by innovating many “firsts” for the industry. These include: introducing CBD medicines to heal severely epileptic children as documented in Discovery Channel’s Weed Wars, implementing the first lab-testing program in the history of cannabis dispensing, creating child-resistant packaging for edibles, standardizing inventory tracking, initiating senior outreach, and successfully preventing the federal government from seizing Harborside in forfeiture actions against the company in 2012.
Andrew is co-founder and Chairperson of the Board for the non-profit Last Prisoner Project (LPP). LPP’s mission is to free and re-integrate all cannabis prisoners on earth into mainstream society. Since its inception in 2019, LPP has successfully re-integrated the formerly incarcerated and 2020 will be the year LPP frees its first constituent.
Andrew is also a founding Board of Directors member of the California Cannabis Industry Association (CCIA), the premier cannabis industry trade association in California, where he served from 2013 to 2020 building the organization from zero to 500 member companies. CCIA continues to represent the industry in California as it works on reforming Prop 64 to improve the legal and regulatory framework for cannabis trade throughout the state.
Graduating with honors from Chapman University with a BFA degree in Communications & Theatre, Andrew began his political career as an activist while studying for his MFA in acting at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. Over two decades as an activist, Andrew worked on a variety of voter initiatives which legalized medical and adult-use cannabis in San Francisco, Washington D.C, and the State of California.
As an actor, Andrew starred in the feature film Mary Jane’s Not A Virgin Anymore which premiered at Sundance in 1997, and on national television shows like Superior Court (1987); Homicide: Life on the Street (1998); as well as dozens of plays across the United States. Andrew also stars in Discovery Channel’s reality television series Weed Wars (2011, 2012). Between 2002 and 2005, Andrew served as a professor at Chapman University teaching acting.
Andrew and his brother Steve recently formed DeAngelo Brothers Productions (DAB), which intends to produce, support, and distribute cannabis content over a variety of mediums and platforms. DAB’s mission is “to create new mythologies for cannabis in pop culture, smashing the stigma of the lazy stoner and replacing it with fresh and positive representations of cannabis in society.”
As a speaker, Andrew has appeared at the MJBusiness Daily Conference in Las Vegas, ICBC, NCIA conferences in Chicago/Boston/San Jose, Emerald Conference, and the U.S Cannabis Conference in Miami. Andrew is scheduled to present at 2020 conferences across the globe. Courses on cannabis business training led by Andrew are available online through Green Flower Media.
For more information, please visit: https://www.andrewdeangelo.com
Connect:
Y Scouts is a leadership search firm that finds purpose-aligned and performance-proven leaders to help organizations achieve their missions faster. Ready to supercharge your leadership search and get the right person in your organization? Contact Y Scouts.
Tuesday Aug 31, 2021
Tuesday Aug 31, 2021
Keith Stroup is a Washington, DC public-interest attorney who founded NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) in 1970.
Stroup obtained his undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Illinois in 1965, and in 1968 he graduated from Georgetown Law School in Washington, DC. Stroup first smoked marijuana when he was a first-year law student and has been a regular smoker since.
Following two years as staff counsel for the National Commission on Product Safety following law school, a job that allowed him to avoid the Vietnam War with a critical skills deferment, Stroup founded NORML and ran the organization through 1979, during which time 11 states decriminalized minor marijuana offenses. Stroup has also practiced criminal law, lobbied on Capitol Hill for family farmers and artists, and for several years served as executive director of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL).
In 1994 Stroup resumed his work with NORML, rejoining the board of directors and serving again as Executive Director through 2004. He is currently NORML’s Legal Counsel.
In 1992 Stroup was the recipient of the Richard J. Dennis Drugpeace Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Drug Policy Reform presented by the Drug Policy Foundation, Washington, DC. In 2010 he received the Al Horn Award for Advancing the Cause of Justice from the NORML Legal Committee. And in 2012 Stroup received the High Times Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 2013 Stroup published the history of NORML entitled It’s NORML To Smoke Pot: the 40 Year Fight for Marijuana Smokers’ Rights.
Connect:
NORML:
NORML.org: Working to Restore Marijuana Laws Since 1970
Y Scouts is a leadership search firm that finds purpose-aligned and performance-proven leaders to help organizations achieve their missions faster. Ready to supercharge your leadership search and get the right person in your organization? Contact Y Scouts.
Monday Aug 16, 2021
Monday Aug 16, 2021
Chris has held both sales and leadership positions in the investment management as well as executive leadership positions in the cannabis industry. In his current role, Chris is the Managing Partner of Phoenix Distributors, a sales and marketing as a service company for the cannabis industry. Phoenix Distributors focuses on helping Cannabis and CBD operators build efficient revenue streams by providing third party sales and marketing services for their products.
Previously, Chris was the Chief Operating Officer at Genius Fund, a $160 million cannabis focused private equity fund. In his role as Chief Operating Officer Chris was tasked with spearheading a ground up restructure of all Genius Fund portfolio companies to sustain operations with no additional investor capital. Prior to taking over the role of COO, Chris was the Chief Revenue Officer at Genius where he scaled and built a channelized salesforce across THC CPG products, CBD CPG products, wholesale CBD and THC commodities, and investor relations. Prior to entering the cannabis space Chris was in charge of investment sales for the New England region of the United States at Voya Investment Management.
Connect:
Phoenix Distribution:
Visit Phoenix Distro on the Web
Y Scouts is a leadership search firm that finds purpose-aligned and performance-proven leaders to help organizations achieve their missions faster. Ready to supercharge your leadership search and get the right person in your organization? Contact Y Scouts.
Sunday Aug 01, 2021
Sunday Aug 01, 2021
Ari Sherman and Jourdan Samel are Sales & Marketing executives in the natural products industry. Ari and Jourdan Co-Founded Hemp Health and natural foods brand Evo Hemp in 2012 to facilitate the evolution of the United States family farm. By establishing a supply chain of U.S. grown hemp, they’re working to revive the country’s agricultural system. The Evo Hemp brand was created to bring innovative hemp based consumer products to the U.S. market. Evo’s product line consists of both hemp food products and CBD infused products; and can now be found in over 3,000 retail stores nationwide including HEB, Whole Foods Market Globally, Publix, Fresh Market, Kroger, Safeway & Costco.
In 2017, Ari and Jourdan were recognized by Forbes magazine as a 30 under 30 member in the Food and Drink category. In 2018 They were recognized by Marijuana Venture in their 40 under 40 category as well.
Their mission is focused on reviving rural communities out of poverty through industrial farming. Recently, they announced their partnership with Native American Tribes across the country. These partnerships will highlight how hemp can be used as a tool for economic growth and prosperity in rural areas.
Connect:
Ari Sherman LinkedIn
Jourdan Samel LinkedIn
Evo Hemp Spotlights:
Evo Hemp Expands Retail Footprint in Whole Foods and H-E-B Supermarkets
Evo Hemp Partners With Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to Grow Organic Hemp
American Hemp Documentary, Staring Jourdan Samel and Ari Sherman
Y Scouts is a leadership search firm that finds purpose-aligned and performance-proven leaders to help organizations achieve their missions faster. Ready to supercharge your leadership search and get the right person in your organization? Contact Y Scouts.
Sunday Jul 18, 2021
Sunday Jul 18, 2021
Colton is CEO of Flourish Software, a leading supply chain management and seed to sale tracking software solution for the cannabis, CBD, and hemp verticals. Colton’s career and expertise are at the intersection of supply chain operations, enterprise software, and analytics. He graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with a BS in Industrial Engineering.
Resource Links:
Y Scouts is a leadership search firm that finds purpose-aligned and performance-proven leaders to help organizations achieve their missions faster. Ready to supercharge your leadership search and get the right person in your organization? Contact Y Scouts.
Sunday Jun 13, 2021
Sunday Jun 13, 2021
Eric is CEO at RYTE™ Brands, a portfolio company whose holdings include RYTE CBD, Moksha Chocolate, and LYTE (CBD Pre-Rolls). He launched RYTE online and in-stores in August of 2020, building out and executing RYTE's branding and product portfolio, DTC and Retail sales channels, and national marketing campaigns. Eric also works closely with RYTE’s portfolio partners to amplify their growth – providing retail trade guidance, strategic direction, and market insight.
In the industry since 2014, Eric has a wide-ranging background in CPG sales, manufacturing/processing, brand & product development, compliance, education, and testing. He regularly participates on industry panels speaking on a wide range of topics and has launched multiple brands and dozens of product SKUs into the market.
Before joining RYTE™ Brands, Eric led Wholesale/Retail (B2B) Sales at Balanced Health Botanicals, one of the fastest-growing brands in the CPG industry and parent company to both CBDistillery and BOTA. Under his leadership, monthly sales of branded products increased by 750% and overall corporate revenue increased from $10MM to $68MM. Fueling that growth was an increase in store count from several hundred outlets to over 5000+, with monthly sales in the Independent Channel growing from $125k to $1.2MM. Under his direction, national placement included products in Albertsons, ULTA, TJ Max, and Sierra Trading Post.™
Prior to joining Balanced Health, Eric was principal and founder at Full Spectrum Advisors, a boutique sales, marketing, and product development consultancy focused on the cannabis industry. Before founding FSA, Eric served as VP of Revenue for Sansal Enterprises in Pueblo, CO where he gained firsthand, “on farm” experience in cultivation and processing (not to mention cloning, harvesting, drying, and greenhouse operations).
Eric spent his early career on Wall Street, working for 14 years on the Chicago Stock Exchange at a sell side Broker /Dealer (Cheevers and Company) specializing in equity derivatives.
He carried his series 7 and 24 licenses while serving as desk principal. He attended Miami University in Oxford, OH, where he earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Marketing with Minors in German and Political Science.
Originally from Chicago, Eric is an avid Cubs and Bears fan. These days he can be found hiking around Boulder with his four kids, trail running, camping , or skiing the trees.
Helpful Links:
Y Scouts is a leadership search firm that finds purpose-aligned and performance-proven leaders to help organizations achieve their missions faster. Ready to supercharge your leadership search and get the right person in your organization? Contact Y Scouts.