CanopyBoulder Cannabis Business Podcast

This is an oldie but, oh.. so good! We're giving you a re-run of one of the panels in our last Jumpstart Conference, where industry operators talk about what its like to work in the space and give entrepreneurs ideas on where to focus. 

In this episode you'll hear from Nancy Whiteman of Wana Brands, Ryan Brown of Native Roots and Graham Carlson of CW Hemp - all moderated by CanopyBoulder's own Patrick Rea. 

They'll talk about things like listening to their customers, regulatory hurdles, challenges and how entrepreneurs can best get in front of folks like them. 

And if you LIKE this content, be sure to join us next week, July 25, in Denver, CO for our Summer 2019 Jumpstart Conference. Go get those tickets... like, now! http://bit.ly/CB-Jumpstart-2019

Ever wondered what the perfect cannabis product was for you? You know.. the one that'll make you feel like you did when you first started smoking and couldn't stop the giggles...? Yeah, us too.

This week, we're chatting with Bob Chien, CEO & founder of Marigen, a service that uses your specific DNA to made product recommendations. We're chatting with him about all the science behind cannabis and how our bodies interact with it, what it takes to get a business off the ground and his best advice to startups. 

To learn more about Marigen, visit them at marigen.us

What do you know about logistics?... wait, don't fall asleep! 

Delivery and logistics are one of those areas we so often overlook. And yet, in a highly regulated industry like cannabis, are hugely important. This week, we're talking with Tim Ruybal, CEO & founder of Dyspense Technologies on what delivery, tracking and distribution looks like in the industry. He also digs into the importance of listening to your customer, how to manage multiple segments and the evolution of an industry. 

Learn more about Tim and Dyspense at Dyspense.com 

When people say “cannabis industry”, often the first thought is into retailers, edible brands and large cultivation operations. But what about the picks and shovels that support those businesses? (After all, I bet you don’t know a single gold miner's name but you’ve definitely heard of Levi’s Jeans…).

This week, we’re chatting with CFO of Urban-Gro, Bob Pullar. Urban-Gro offers cultivators holistic environmental solutions but, more importantly, they are a fast-growing picks and shovels business. 

In this episode, we chat with Bob about what it takes to grow a fast growing ancillary cannabis business, what the trends look like in AgTech and his predictions for the future. Check it out.

Learn more about Urban-Gro at urban-gro.com. 

The world of consumer packaged goods (CPG) presents a whole new set of obstacles, challenges and opportunities for entrepreneurs. And since the Farm Bill passed back in December, plenty are getting in on the CBD and hemp CPG game. 

This week, we're talking with one of those new brands - Backyard Sodas, an all-natural, CBD infused soda. CEO & founder, Jonathan Schultz, talks to us a little about soda, natural products, emerging hemp/CBD opportunities, what its like running a CPG company and more. 

Learn more about Backyard Soda at backyardsodas.com

We're back at it.. trying desperately to make sense of the legal (???) hemp and CBD markets. We know, it's confusing. 

What with the FDA and DEA and Farm Bill... it's hard to know what's real and where the actual opportunties live. This week on the podcast, we're talking with attorney and CBD expert, Cameron Field, about all the ins and outs on hemp and CBD regulation. He takes us through what's real and what's not, when we can expect final regulations, what those might look like and all the other little quiet hurdles we may have missed along the way. 

Check it out. 

This week on the podcast, we're diving into federal policy around cannabis because, well, it's confusing. 

Major shifts in policy don't happen overnight and rarely happen without some support in the form of lobbying. Cannabis is no different. 

This week, we're chatting with Andrew Kline, former prosecutor, and current Director of Policy for the National Cannabis Industry Association on what the landscape looks like. Get his thoughts on what it'll take to legalize, when that could happen, who should be shaping these policies and how you can participate. 

This episode is a rerun. Hope you enjoy this little blast from the past...

Pitching to investors isn't easy but it is critical to success. This week, we're talking about best practices when it comes to putting together materials for investors and getting up there in all your glory to... gasp.. talk about yourself! Check it out!

AI. Deep Learning. Computer Vision. Whatever the term you prefer, its all the same - using computers and machines to learn processes we humans do to save us time. And, understandable, its all the rage - who wants to do things themselves? 

But what does it take to build and run one of these companies successfully? What about in the cannabis industry? Join us as we tackle the terms, what makes one of these businesses really stand out, how regulations might push the sector forward and more. 

The nascent cannabis industry has a lot to think about - regulations, federal prohibition, building a complete infrastructure... it's a lot. But in a world where climate changes are real and there is a island twice the size of Texas of plastic floating in the pacific ocean, isn't it time for the cannabis industry to think about sustainability? This week, we're breaking down the waste issues in the cannabis industry, how regulations add to the problem and what solutions exist to fix this issue before it becomes more of a problem. Joining us to discuss this topic is Ron Basak-Smith  and James Eichner of Sana Packaging, a sustainable packaging solution for the industry.

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Learn more about Sana Packaging at sanapackaging.com

The dispensaries of yesteryear are long gone these days. What used to be sketchy buildings with bars on the windows have given way to a whole new world of retail experiences. Restrictions around retail and advertising have created a need for innovation in retail that promises to impact traditional buying experiences. This week on the podcast, we're talking with Peak Beyond about retail tech, interactive buying and their predictions on how cannabis will change shopping forever.

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Learn more about The Peak Beyond at https://thepeakbeyond.com/

In the world of startups, any edge you can give your team is a good thing. Could mentorship be one of those? Based on a study done by Endeavor insights, the answer is a big, fat YES. This week on the podcast, we're breaking down why thats the case, how to find a mentor for your startup and imparting some best practices to be sure you're the best mentee possible. 

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Learn more about the Endeavor Insights study here: https://techcrunch.com/2015/03/22/mentors-are-the-secret-weapons-of-successful-startups/

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Learn more about Canopyboulder at canopyboulder.com

Any venture-backed startup is always thinking about how to return the investment made into them. But taking a company from concept to exit is no easy task. This week on the podcast, we're joined by Mason Levy, CEO & Founder of WeGrow, which was acquired in 2018. He takes us through his journey and some of the important components to readying your business for acquisition. 

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Learn more about Mason Levy and his next venture, Swivl, at tryswivl.com

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Learn more about CanopyBoulder at canopyboulder.com

The world of retail is changing - when was the last time you talked to a person at the grocery store? Matt Frost, CEO & Founder of anna is trying to bring the same thing to the cannabis industry with his cannabis vending machine. Yes, you heard that right... cannabis. vending. machine. 

Hear about his journey into the world of cannabis entrepreneurship on this week's BONUS episode of the podcast. 

How do regulators make regulations around industries as novel as the cannabis industry? And how can  you as an industry participant have more control over the rules that govern you? Find out this week as we recap a keynote address given by Dominique Mendiola, the current Director of Marijuana Coordination for the State of Colorado (appointed by former Gov. Hickenlooper).

 Joining me to help us understand the regulations, how they came to be and explain how you can be more involved in the process is compliance expert, Kate Awada of Azara Solutions. 

This is it y'all. The last part of our three part series bringing you our annual Jumpstart Conference.

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Learn more about Azara Solutions at Azara.io

Learn more about CanopyBoulder at CanopyBoulder.com

This week, we're talking with Bello CEO & Founder, Ian Carlson, about his innovative new vaporizer technology aimed specifically at social consumption arenas. Using a "Vapor Tap" technology, the company simplifies vaping while simultaneously making smoking weed even more sexy. Join us in the episode for more insight into creating hardware products in a nascent industry. 

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For more on Bello by Designed Technology, visit sayhellobello.com.

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CanopyBoulder is currently accepting applications for investment and for our 16-week accelerator cohort. Learn more at CanopyBoulder.com/apply.

Every year, we hold a Jumpstart Conference where cannabis industry experts, the cannacurious and everyone in between can get together to discuss the industry. Last week was that night. We know everyone couldn't be there - so we're breaking it down for you all. Join us for the first episode in a three-part series designed to get you all caught up.

This episode features our operator panel with Graham Carlson, VP of Strategic Initiatives for Charlotte's Web/CW Hemp, Ryan Brown, CEO of Native Roots and Nancy Whiteman, CEO & Founder of Wana Brands. The panel talks about their biggest hurdles, where the gaps ripe for opportunity live, how to best get your idea in front of folks like them and more - all moderated by our own Patrick Rea. 

States like Colorado have fully legal access to grow, buy and manufacture cannabis. And yet, there's no where to legally consume outside of your own personal house. How lame is that? The Grove Spaces,  one of the most recent CanopyBoulder teams, is taking on the challenge of getting social use spaces up and running. Check out what CEO & Founder, John Moore, has to say about what's going on in the social consumption arena. 

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For more information on The Grove Spaces, go to www.thegove.space. 

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For more information on CanopyBoulder, go to www.canopyboulder.com 

We're back with our series on preparing your business for exit - a thing all young companies should at least be aware of. Even if you're not ready for this yet, it pays to understand how to get your accounting documents in line so that, when the time comes, your business is more attractive (read: higher value and payout). This week, we chatting with Matt Fargo from Kurtz Fargo, an accounting & advisory firm that helps startups navigate these waters. Learn more about Kurtz Fargo at http://kurtzfargo.com/

Compliance. That thing that keeps all cannabis licensed businesses up at night. We've all heard the horror stories of companies losing everything over compliance violations - and, honestly, they're pretty scary. This week, we're talking with Azara CEO & Founder, Kathryn Awada, about her solution. The former bud-tender and all around cannabis pro started down this path as the first ever Metrc consultant. Now, shes using her expertise to build out a platform that helps businesses sleep at night. Listen to what shes up to. . Visit Azara at https://www.azara.io/

This week, we're recapping not one, but TWO, cannabis investment conferences in the financial capitals of both the US and Canada. Last week, we attended IMN's Institutional Capital & Cannabis Conference in New York City and Kahner Global in Toronto. The two yielded very different experiences, highlighting the differences in cannabis investing between the US and Canada. Listen to us break down the events so you can pretend like you were there too. Get it in blog format here: https://go.canopyboulder.com/news/cannabis-investor-forums-a-recap-from-new-york-and-toronto