Grow Sessions

Today on Grow Sessions, Reginald Stanfield, CEO of JustinCredible and Antoine Mordican, CEO of Native Black Farms join us for an informative discussion about NFTs and how they are using this exciting technology to launch Grow Gods Club in an episode entitled, “Are NFTs the Future of the Cannabis Industry?”

So, what are NFTs? Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are digital files or assets that live on a block chain and are secured in a way that ensures ownership. Like physical art, NFTs can be sold but the artist retains the copyright. Sound complicated? In today's episode some of the topics we discuss will include how NFTs work, recommendations on how to get involved in NFTs, types of blockchain networks used, why they are so popular in the cannabis industry and how they are using NFTs to provide access to cannabis cultivation education through their Grow Gods Club. If you are a cannabis grower interested in learning more about cultivation, or are just interested in learning more about this exciting new technology you won’t want to miss this informative episode. 

About Reginald Stanfield

An entrepreneurial spirit-Reginald Stanfield has shown a unique prowess in the field of business from start to finish. While pursuing his degree in Finance he took a leadership role at a medical tech firm. He was offered the position of CFO but decided to pivot to the pursuit of an entrepreneur. Fresh from earning his degree he committed to founding six companies spanning multiple states and industries.

From a young age he was hands-on with family food crops culminating in 20+ years in growing healthy and sustainable plants. It was natural that he funnel his expertise with agriculture and business into founding JustinCredible Cultivation. Taking this a step further, Reginald became an Exec. Board Member of The Block, a chamber of commerce focused on minority owned cannabis businesses in MA. In the last two years he has given back my mentoring multiple entrepreneurs and has been featured on panels at several cannabis conferences. His consistent want to set the standard higher and create opportunities for others are among the reasons he is the Founder of JustinCredible where the motto is "It's Not Credible, Unless It's JustinCredible."

About Antoine Mordican, The Visionary of Grow Gods Club 

The world may debate  what cannabis should be used for, but Antoine Mordican is dedicated to becoming an expert in where it comes from. Through research and experiments, this master engineer has developed a signature method to grow premium cannabis using hydroponics. His certified hemp-growing farm, Native Black Farm, is Birmingham’s source for the best organic, sustainable hemp that money can buy. 

Originally from Chicago, Mordican migrated to the south for better opportunities to further his education. He landed at Alabama A&M University, pursuing finance, but discovered the field wasn’t challenging enough. He shifted his studies and graduated with a degree in E.E. before heading to Colombia Southern to get his MBA. After entering the corporate world, he developed a green thumb, which led to a curiosity about growing cannabis. 

As the State of Alabama Dir. for Minorities for Medical Marijuana, he is committed to raising awareness for the medicinal uses of hemp. In the coming years, he desires to join the advocacy and awareness crusades for legalizing marijuana.

To learn more about Grow God's Club, visit www.growgodsclub.com

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Today on Grow Sessions, Skip Sullivan of High Tide Organic  joins Tony Pavlakis for an educational discussion about the benefits and challenges of growing their high-quality cannabis in living soil in an episode entitled, “The Benefits of Growing Cannabis in Living Soil.”

The goal of growing in living soil is to maintain the natural course of the soil to produce the highest quality and yield through regenerative farming methods. In this episode of Grow Sessions, some of the topics in this episode include: the environmental impact of the cannabis industry, the science behind living soil, the benefits of a microbiology network below the soil, mitigating waste by using regenerative farming methods,  and much, much more.

If you are a cultivator, facility owner or anyone interested in growing, you won’t want to miss this episode.

About Skip Sullivan

Skip Sullivan is a native Mainer residing in South Portland with his wife, their three kids, an anxiety-riddled rescue dog named Howard, and Nacho, a 6-year-old bearded dragon.Skip is a lifelong entrepreneur who has a witticism for pretty much everything. Beware of starting a conversation with him about cannabis – you’d better have 45 minutes to an hour cleared on your schedule because he really loves talking about the plant and its merits. Skip’s a fan of the Beats, especially William S. Burroughs. His musical tastes are eclectic and his choices in footwear are questionable at best.

About High Tide Organic

As lifelong Mainers, we’ve got roots that run deep here in this great state. We’re committed to growing the highest quality medicine for our clients, using only the best organic nutrients. We grow in small batches to ensure that each plant gets plenty of love and attention. Our goal is to build long-term relationships in our community with this quality product and exceptional customer service.

Let us help soothe what ails you.

To learn more about High Tide Organic, visit https://www.hightideorganic.com

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Today on Grow Sessions, Matt Pendleton, aka the Modern Alkemist  joins Tony Pavlakis for an educational discussion on what cryptocurrency is and the future of block chain technology in the cannabis industry in an episode entitled, "Cryptocurrency and Cannabis What the Future Holds."

In this episode of Grow Sessions, we will discuss what cryptocurrency is and what the future may hold for this new technology. In this episode, some of the topics discussed include: bitcoin, blockchain technology, NRTs and what all of this means to our future.

You won’t want to miss this interesting episode.

About Matt Pendelton

Matthew is a chemical engineer, technologist and manufacturing professional with experience in highly regulated CPG environments including pharmaceuticals, craft beer and spirits, and most recently, cannabis. His accolades include gold medals at the Great American Beer Festival and San Francisco World Spirits Competition and 1st Place at the High Times Cannabis Cup. Over the past 8 years, Matthew has developed innovative brands, products and processes for market leading public and private cannabis operators on five continents through his boutique consulting firm, Modern Alkemist.

Contact Matt: [email protected]
Website: modernalkemist.com

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Today on Grow Sessions, Brendan Robinson, Co-Founder of 420NJEvents and CEO, Minority Cannabis Academy joins Tony Pavlakis for an informative discussion on social equity in the cannabis industry in an episode entitled, “Why Social Equity is Important in the Cannabis Industry.”

It is no secret that cannabis had an adverse impact on people of color during its prohibition period. To counter this injustice, many states have implemented social equity programs to coincide with the legalization of cannabis in an attempt to ensure that  those with marijuana offenses prior to legalization be afforded an opportunity to participate in the growing industry.

In this episode of Grow Sessions, we will discuss the importance of social equity programs to the cannabis community. Some of the important topics we discuss will include: understanding what is needed to invest in a cannabis business, why funding is so important, creating pathways to careers in the industry for minorities, education for those interested in pursuing a career in the industry, why social equity needs to be addressed head on to have a national plan in place if we go federal, and much, much more.

You won’t want to miss this important conversation on erasing the stigma of cannabis. The Cannabis Community is a great community of people, but we’re stronger together!

About Brendan Robinson

Hailing from the New Jersey tri- state area, Brendon attended both The College of New Jersey and Rowan University to study Accounting & Finance. Following his studies, accompanied by steady appearances on the Dean's List, Brendon embarked upon an illustrious career in banking.  

Following his long-standing career in finance, Brendon boldly stepped away from his position to answer the calling of his passions- social equity, cannabis reform, and the progression of people of color. Brendon has successfully founded multiple ventures focused on erasing the stigmas of cannabis and instead using all of the amazing benefits of cannabis to heal people and communities. Brendon proudly serves on the board of The Mission Green Project alongside the Founder, Weldon Angelos. Brendon has also gone so far as to partner with REEForm Cannabis alongside Angelos to bring even more attention to the need for decriminalization of marijuana. 

Brendon and his work in the cannabis industry has been featured by multiple national publications such as High Times, NJ.com, Benzinga, and Northleaf East Magazine. Most recently, Brendon and his business partner Stanley Okoro were named as esteemed members of the "22 to Watch in 2022" by NJ Cannabis Insider.

As an active and vocal member of the cannabis community, Brendon has also built amazing relationships with brand partners and sponsors who include TerrAscend (The Apothecarium), Columbia Care (Cannabist), Green Thumb Industries, Curaleaf, Hemper, Acreage, Earth & Ivy and Tetragram.

To learn more about Brendan Robinson, 420 Events and/or MCA  please visit him at: [email protected]

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Today on Grow Sessions, Mike Trzpit, National Account Manager for Abel Womack joins Tony Pavlakis for an informative discussion on vertical tier growing vs. single tier growing in an episode entitled, “The Benefits of Growing Cannabis Vertically.”

Vertical growing can significantly increase a cannabis facility’s output by helping improve on older single-level and static canopy layouts. Vertically growing helps growers utilize space in a facility while helping to increase production capabilities. In this episode, some of the topics discussed will include: the pros and cons of vertical farming, why some growers prefer single tier farms to multi-level farms, the different types of vertical benches available, the space needed to benefit from vertical farming, how to plan for growing vertically and much, much more.

If you are a cultivator, facility owner or anyone interested in growing, you won’t want to miss this exciting episode.

About Mike Trzpit

As the National Account Manager in the Cannabis Industry, Mike Trzpit is focused on helping companies increase productivity and operational efficiencies by finding solutions to their cultivation facility and dispensary challenges.

If you have questions for Mike, you can reach him at [email protected]

About Abel Womack

Whether you’re designing a new commercial indoor vertical farming facility or ready to scale up to a larger operation, our team of automation and space-saving specialists can help.
 
Contact Abel Womack today and a member of our team will reach out to you to see how we can offer cost-effective solutions for your commercial indoor growing needs.

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On the latest episode of Grow Sessions we welcome Rob Patton & Josh Turner of  Green Meadows. In an episode entitled, “The Benefits of Growing Cannabis Organically,” we learn how Green Meadow’s grows their high-quality cannabis using organic & regenerative farming methods.

Topics include conventional cannabis cultivation vs. organic cultivation, what it takes to classify as an organic business, how to reduce carbon footprint & how Green Meadows helps educate consumers on how to grow their own cannabis, while contributing to charities such as Veteran’s Aide to help give back to the community.

If you are a grower, owner of a facility or just interested in the industry, you don’t want to miss this episode. 

Robert R. “Rob” Patton is co-founder & CMO at Green Meadows. As CMO, Rob leads all sales & marketing activities; dispensary efforts that generate in-store revenue; community engagement;  wholesale activities, including both the procurement of partner products to be sold at the dispensary as well as cannabis produced by Green Meadows.

Joshua Turner is VP of Cultivation. His experience with cultivating cannabis began in the '90s. During graduate school, his first research projects with cannabis was to study environmental restoration from contaminated soils. He moved to Nevada and began designing & building cannabis facilities. In 2016, he helped found & build Woodman Peak Farms in CA. His genetics have won awards for concentrates & flower.

In 2020, he took his operation to MA and managed cultivation of hemp. He worked with MDAR to educate farmers on hemp cultivation & certified genetics. It was his love for organic cultivation and the close-knit family culture that brought him to where he is today. At Green Meadows he oversees the fully organic, living soil cultivation operation.  

About Green Meadows: Green Meadows is a vertically integrated cannabis company based in Southbridge, MA, committed to providing customers & medical patients the highest quality cannabis through curation & cultivation. Green Meadows’ organic cannabis is grown in a 35,000-square-foot cannabis facility that sits in the same restored 19th century mill building as its dispensary. The facility has been designed to deploy organic & environmentally responsible methods, which includes a patent-pending fertigation system, integrated pest management program that exceeds Clean Green Certification standards, as well as new processes for fertilizer use, propagation, & soil blending. Founded by the Patton family, Green Meadows is committed to veteran & diversity employment, continued scientific study of potential benefits of cannabis in treating conditions of urgent importance to improving the quality of care for veterans.  

History of Military & Veteran Support: Green Meadows is owned and operated by descendants of WWII General George S. Patton and is founded on the Patton family’s heritage of veteran advocacy, community service & organic agriculture. The Patton family’s support for military veterans dates back generations. It grew stronger considering the difficult experiences and related burdens of PTSD endured by many veterans of the Iraq-Afghanistan era.

George S. Patton IV, father of Chairman Bob Patton, founded Green Meadows Farm as an organic fruit & vegetable farm after retiring as army major-general in 1980, where he named its fields for soldiers who lost their lives under his command in Vietnam. Combining his devotion to organic, sustainable agriculture with the medical potential of cannabis for veterans & others was the inspiration behind the family’s cannabis venture.

For more information, visit: https://greenmeadows.com/

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Mike Sarro of RX Green Technologies joins Tony Pavlakis for part two of his discussion on  “Moisture Management and Cannabis Plant Health." In today's episode, we discuss the five variables to maximize plant growth: light, humidity, temp, CO2 and water (nutrients). Other topics include: production costs, how to measure your production - pounds per light, grams/watt and grams per sq. foot, should growers lower their expenses or increase their production to maximize revenue and how saving money can cost you in the long run. We will also talk about  why LED lights are the only way to grow in 2022 and beyond.  If you are a cultivator, facility owner or anyone interested in commercial cultivation, you won’t want to miss this episode.

More About Mike Sarro, Plant Specialist, RX Green Technologies

Mike Sarro comes from a diverse business, technology and science background. Prior to joining the industry, he spent 10+ years working with both amateur and elite athletes performing 1000’s of hours of testing on how key minerals, carbs, fats, proteins and rest enhance athletic performance.

When the industry was coming of age commercially back in 2012 he knew his technical skills and experience in exercise physiology would cross over to plant physiology as he saw a strong correlation between human cells and plants cells.

Over the last six years covering markets in the Eastern US and Canada, he manages over 2.5 million square feet of cannabis cultivation including indoor, outdoor and greenhouse canopies with all media and lighting conditions as a Plant Specialist with RX Green Technologies.

RX Green Technologies specializes in Nutrients, IPM and Media with over 6.5 million square feet of commercial cultivation on its regimen.

Rx Green Technologies, is dedicated to designing products for testing. Our robust product testing platform allows us to deliver solutions for  growers that are easy to use and drive results in commercial operations. We conduct trials on all aspects of product performance, generating insights that allow you to maximize your plant’s performance via our solutions. For a closer look at our R&D visit: https://www.rxgreentechnologies.com/about/rd/

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On the latest episode of Grow Sessions we welcome Kim Gibson of Gibby's Garden, the first family-owned cannabis business and  first licensed micro business in the state of Massachusetts.  In this informative discussion, Kim will discuss the unique challenges Gibby's had to overcome to get where they are today in an episode entitled, "The Challenges & Rewards of Creating a Small Cannabis Business."

Topics in this episode include pointers and recommendations to others thinking of opening a cannabis business, an overview of the license and fit-up process with pointers and recommendations, the responsibility they feel to assist and partner with other small cannabis establishments to help drive this new industry in a healthy direction and their drive to hold onto the respect for and purity of this God-given herb that is destined to help all of mankind...if mankind will just get out of the way and much, much more.

If you are a cannabis grower thinking of opening your own cannabis business, you don’t want to miss this episode. 

About Kim Gibson

• Kim is a licensed builder and has been designing and building data centers for the last 25 years for a Central MA company.   She has been transitioning out of this position over the last six months and is happy to have only one full-time position on the horizon!.  

• Her education is in Secondary Science Education with a minor in Microbiology undertaken at Oregon State University.

• Kim’s heart is in the medicinal end of the Cannabis industry.  She has been producing herbal remedies from herbs in the Gibson home Gardens for decades, so the transition to Cannabis has been a natural move.

• Kim manages the overall licensing and business aspect of paperwork, filing and registrations for Gibby’s.

• Beyond continuing to nurture the relationships with our partners, Kim is planning to form an organization of small Cannabis establishments that will encourage further partnerships and give us a stronger voice beside the corporate cannabis groups as this industry continues to be formed.   

About Gibby's Garden

Gibby’s Garden LLC is the first Cannabis Microbusiness Establishment in Massachusetts.  Gibby’s received Commence Operations from the state of MA on Dec. 31, 2019.  Gibby’s is a family operated business owned by Kim and Fred Gibson and their son Joseph Gibson with Kim being the majority owner.  

Gibby’s Garden Microbusiness:

• Gibby's  grow facility is located in Uxbridge, MA and is approximately 11,000 SF split between administrative spaces, grow room, production rooms and storage.  We are currently beginning the fit-up of our final two flower rooms which will cap us at the 5,000 SF of grow when complete  summer of 2022.

• Kim’s background in construction has saved in design and permit set costs.  Joe and Fred performed as much of the initial construction as possible.    

To learn more about Kim Gibson and Gibby's Garden, please visit www.gibbysgardenma.com. Gibby's welcomes other cultivators to visit their grow and learn more about what it took to get where they are today.

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On the latest episode of Grow Sessions we welcome DiAnA McElroy of Higher High, LLC in an informal discussion about fostering a better understanding of the cannabis plants potential in an episode entitled, “Focusing on the Positive Impact of Cannabis to Society.”

Topics in this episode include cannabis as a medicine, removing the stigma in the cannabis industry, educating the public on the benefits of cannabis, what it’s like to work in this growing industry and much, much more.

If you work in the cannabis industry or an advocate of cannabis use you won't want to miss this episode.

About DiAnA McElroy and Higher High, LLC

DiAnA McElroy is the Founder and CEO of Higher High, LLC a consulting firm focused on the needs of new startups.
 
 DiAnA was the Community Outreach Specialist for TerrAscend New Jersey. She is a well-respected cannabis professional who had split her time between the Apothecarium dispensaries and the grow facility in Boonton township. Her role within the organization was to be a bridge between the community and the company, as well as liaison with various media outlets. She has served on multiple advisory boards and as the SME for local police departments on the ever-changing legal landscape.

DiAnA believes that education and open and honest conversations are the only way to remove the stigma and misinformation around cannabis, so that qualified patients can find the right medication.

To learn more about DiAnA McElroy and Higher High LLC, please visit her on LInkedin or email: [email protected].

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On our latest episode of Grow Sessions we welcome Jay Simner & Leon Steinberg in an informative episode entitled, “How to Raise Financing for Your Cannabis Business.”

Raising money to open or scale a cannabis business can be challenging, especially with U.S. banking restrictions, but there are proven ways to secure financing. Today we will talk about insights into equipment financing and the steps required to purchase equipment once your license has been procured. Topics will include: steps and information required by lender/lessor, raising equity, lease terms and rates and how you can get your cannabis business up and running.

If you are a cannabis grower, owner of a facility or thinking of opening your own cannabis business, you don’t want to miss this episode. 

About Jay Simner 

Jay Simner, is the founder and Managing Member of Chicago based Cencor Capital, LLC.  Cencor provides funding for a variety of capital equipment in multiple industries, including essential equipment used in the cannabis industry.  From 1994-2009, Jay was one of the original principal owners of Relational Funding Corporation, acquired by interests of the Pritzker family office.  Jay has worked in the equipment leasing industry his entire career and holding positions with Computer Leasing, Inc., Heller Financial and GE Capital.

Jay holds a BS degree in Accounting and Finance from Syracuse University. 

About Leon Steinberg

Leon Steinberg is the founder and Managing Member of New Jersey based Three Point Capital, LLC, which he started in 2011.  Three Point arranges leases for an array of essential use equipment for middle market and emerging growth companies, including Cannabis companies. Leon has worked his entire career in the equipment leasing industry.  He applies his experience and knowledge to help customers best utilize their budgeted capital to acquire equipment in the most optimal way.

Jay and Leon, who previously worked for many years for the same employers before founding Cencor and Three Point, respectively, have established a joint venture, pooling their expertise and resources, in order to better serve the emerging Cannabis industry.

To learn more about Cencor Capital visit:  www.cencorcapital.com

To learn more about Three Point Capital, visit:  www.3ptcapital.com

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