Plant Prophets

Socrates Rosenfeld is the Co-Founder and CEO of Jane Technologies. After leaving active duty in 2011 as a U.S. Army veteran and Apache helicopter commander, Socrates turned to cannabis to re-acclimate to civilian life. Because cannabis wasn’t legal at the time in Massachusetts where he lived, he was forced to rely on the black market, where he couldn’t be sure about the quality of the cannabis he was buying.

The frustration of that experience, coupled with the lack of access to cannabis for his fellow vets, led Socrates to co-found Jane Technologies with his brother Abraham.Socrates and his team at Jane have been recognized with multiple distinctions including Forbes’ The Cannabis 42.0 (2023), Inc. 5000's Fastest-Growing Companies in the Pacific (2023) and Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 (2022), in addition to participating on panels at SXSW and MJBizCon.

Prior to starting Jane, Socrates was an associate at McKinsey & Company. He graduated from the United States Military Academy and earned an MBA in entrepreneurship from MIT. CEO and Co-Founder Socrates Rosenfeld has had a fascinating journey from Army Veteran and MIT graduate. He can speak to growth strategies, advertising in cannabis, the importance of data, and more.

Anne Forkutza started her career in customer experience and digital strategy at the age of 18, delivering award-winning campaigns for big brands such as Starbucks, Electronic Arts, and Nike. She has since pivoted to cannabis retail and has worked with some of the most influential cannabis retailers in the industry. As Head of Strategic Partners & Industry Relations at Dutchie, Anne plays a key role in new market expansion opportunities.

Sundie Seefried runs a fintech platform with a 9-year track record of facilitating banking and lending services to the US cannabis industry.

Safe Harbor Financial is among the first service providers to offer compliance, monitoring, and validation services to financial institutions, providing traditional banking services to cannabis, hemp, CBD, and ancillary operators, making communities safer, driving growth in local economies, and fostering long-term partnerships.

Currently managing approximately 1000 cannabis-related relationships, Safe Harbor Financial, through its financial institution clients, implements high standards of accountability, transparency, monitoring, reporting, and risk mitigation measures while meeting Bank Secrecy Act obligations in line with FinCEN guidance on cannabis-related businesses. Over the past eight years, Safe Harbor Financial has facilitated more than $18 billion in deposit transactions for businesses with operations spanning over 40 states and US territories with regulated cannabis markets. For more information, visit www.shfinancial.org.

Sands Lane Holdings is comprised of a purpose-driven venture studio (Sands Lane Ventures), creative, marketing & media agencies (Sands Lane Agency Group), and an investment management platform (Sands Lane Capital). They leverage three primary verticals to drive value across the ecosystem, Brand Incubation & Agency Services, Strategic Advisory & Operations Management, and Financial Advisory & Principal Investments. 

Sands Lane Holdings has developed an industry-leading ecosystem to identify, de-risk and add value to clients and portfolio companies. They are focused on incubating, investing in, and taking a hands-on approach with early-stage consumer brands, activating opportunities through a unique and comprehensive lens, de-risking their business models, and adding long-term value through our ecosystem.

The GreenSpacePro platform helps franchise operators manage projects, assets, and compliance. GreenSpacePro provides software solutions for regulated industries, including operators, regulators, and financial institutions.

State-sanctioned cannabis in the U.S. is the fastest-growing industry in the world, expected to top $40 billion by 2025. The long-term viability of this rapidly growing space hinges on its ability to operate efficiently and remain compliant with evolving regulations.

They are developing technology platforms for an efficient and compliant cannabis industry, and GreenSpacePro is doing it in close collaboration with those who live it day-to-day.

Mike Wilson is the Founder and President of Temeka Group. He utilizes his strong leadership and management skills to oversee the job, from design to installation. Temeka Group was founded in 1991 and focuses on turnkey services, conceptual designs, precise fabrications, and premium installations.

Steve is a former HM Customs and Excise Officer, involved in a wide sphere of work, from becoming a Civil Service Accredited Teacher/Trainer to receiving Commendations for Bravery in Undercover Work. During that time Steve assumed various legal roles including representing HMRC at Magistrates courts and in a leading role in a number of high-profile prosecutions. He spent some six years as an investigator in London and the UK before leaving in 2000.

After leaving his Government role, Steve moved to KPMG, where he was later to head up their Producer Responsibility – European Environment Law Team (2000 – 2005), advising clients including Sony, Harley Davidson, Manchester United, and Booker.

Steve left KPMG to set up his own business and to read for a Degree, where he proved academically gifted, receiving the 14 “subject prizes” while an undergraduate, culminating in the award of the Academy Prize and the Quantum LLP Prize (each in 2010). Steve has worked as a visiting lecturer for both undergraduate and postgraduate master’s students specializing in Business Law, Employment law, Contract law, and European law. In 2011 he became a member of the National Association of Licensed Paralegals (NALP).

Guy Rocourt is the Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer for Papa & Barkley, a leading California cannabis wellness company. 

At P&B Guy is responsible for optimizing production practices, ensuring the company complies with rigorous testing and lab standards, and developing the product roadmap as the brand continues to expand into different areas of the cannabis marketplace.

Previously Guy designed and built manufactured infused product facilities (MIPs) in multiple states, making him an expert in Cannabis science, tech, strategy, and production. Due to his vast experience, he is an asset to those hoping to invest in the space. He also has experience caring for patients with Cannabis. Guy graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology and is a U.S. Navy veteran.

RIV Capital is a cannabis investment and acquisition firm. At RIV Capital, they do more than provide capital – we help build sustainable businesses. their mission is to acquire, invest in, launch, and/or develop U.S. operators and brands across financially and strategically attractive states to create multistate platforms. They have a strong balance sheet, existing domain expertise, strategic relationships, and commitment to making the cannabis industry stronger, faster, better, and smarter. Their goal is to leverage our assets and expertise to accelerate the growth of their investments and acquisitions and return value to their shareholders. Mark Sims is the President and Chief Executive Officer of RIV Capital. Prior to joining RIV Capital, Mark served as Senior Vice President, Strategy and M&A at The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, one of the world’s leading marketers of branded consumer lawn and garden as well as hydroponic and indoor growing products. In this role, he was responsible for leading the corporate strategy department which provides comprehensive strategy support for strategic intelligence, mergers and acquisitions, strategic planning, and internal consulting. He began his career with Scotts in 2007 and has held positions of increasing responsibility in strategy, M&A, enterprise risk management, process transformation, and IT; including serving as the CIO. Prior to joining Scotts Miracle-Gro, Mark spent 15 years in management consulting focused on business transformation to drive growth and productivity. Mark serves on the Board of Directors of the regional health insurance company SummaCare and the Audit and Compliance Committee of their parent Summa Health. He completed the Advanced Management Program at the Wharton School, has a master’s in Industrial Engineering from Cleveland State University, and a bachelor’s in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan.

Khari has spent over 25 years of his professional career in public and government service, working for several elected officials, non-profit organizations, and city agencies where he focused on strengthening communities by advocating and addressing racial, health, and civic disparities. He spent his career as a connector and relishes the role of a problem solver.

As the Head of Corporate Responsibility, he provides strategic leadership in creating a culture of inclusion. Ayr Wellness is committed to providing avenues of opportunity in the cannabis industry and his role is to create the road map as well as build strong pillars to achieve that goal.

Rianna Young is the CEO + Founder of Happy Hounds CBD, a premium Pet Treat and Tincture company on a mission to help our furry family members thrive. Happy Hounds is a CBD is the Future of Pet Care. A Pet Treat & Tincture company combining healthy, tasty, and unique ingredients so your pets can thrive. 

Happy Hounds CBD began out of our Founder, Rianna's vision for ingredient-rich calming solutions for pets after her childhood dog, a genius Jack Russell named Angel was hit by a car. After this accident, the smart, spotted terrier was withdrawn and the only option, at that time, was traditional anti-anxiety and pain medication. They robbed Angel of her spunky, hilarious personality.