Plant Prophets

Entourage Effect Capital (EEC), formerly known as Cresco Capital Partners, is a leading cannabis investment firm. The term ‘entourage effect’ means that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. In other words, EEC orchestrates success by actively leveraging our unique set of capabilities.

Matt entered cannabis as the founder of EEC in 2014. He is known and respected in the industry as one of its foremost and thought-leading investors and has developed invaluable cannabis relationships as a result. 

Matt has spoken on countless industry panels and has discussed cannabis on media outlets such as CNBC, Fox News, Cheddar, Yahoo Finance, and Bloomberg. Prior to EEC and during his 20+ year career in private equity, Matt founded two $500M+ alternative investment firms and built deep and broad expertise in turnaround management and real estate.

In 2010, a young cannabis-loving couple set out on a mission to create a better edible experience for legal consumers. Scott and Kristi Palmer were inspired by a visit to a local chocolatier and soon started crafting the first Kiva Bars in their home kitchen. They didn’t realize it at the time, but they weren’t just creating a premium edible product, they were setting the gold standard for the entire legal cannabis industry.

In the last decade, their customers’ support has turned our family-owned business into the #1 edibles brand in the country. Today, they are proud to employ 400+ passionate people and have added Terra, Petra, Camino, and Lost Farm to our happy family of premium cannabis products.

Cannabis consumers deserve to know exactly what they’re ingesting, which is why Kiva was one of the first edible makers in the country to self-impose stringent standards for potency, production, packaging, and testing. They believe that the principles of consistency, efficacy, and food safety are fundamental to creating a high-quality edible that you can always feel confident sharing with friends and family.

After 14 years of creating, running, and growing Reliant Funding into one of the largest small business funding companies in America, Adam Stettner saw an opportunity to create a product for another underserved segment: The Cannabis Industry. In September of 2021 Adam founded FundCanna, a financial services company focused on the financial needs of the Cannabis sector. 

Cannabis is one of the fastest-growing industries in the United States. All industries need access to capital, Cannabis in particular. FundCanna makes it easy for all segments of the Cannabis industry to access flexible capital solutions. 

The team at FundCanna has provided businesses nationwide with access to funding for nearly 20 years. Nobody has more experience creating and servicing financial products for underserved clients than Stettner and his team at FundCanna. Together they have provided over $6 Billion to over 200,000 unique businesses nationwide and have looked at nearly 1 Million small business files and their financials. Further Stettner and his team have funded an additional $14 Billion to individual borrowers in the form of education loans. 

FundCanna exists to empower cannabis companies and their related vendors, giving them more control over cash flow by providing access to simple and flexible financing solutions. 

Kevin Hart is the Founder & CEO of Green Check Verified. Kevin brings four decades of enterprise software experience as part of his founding vision for Green Check. He has worked in the C-Suite for a variety of software companies with global clients and partners, and he has led two companies to successful exits with publicly traded companies, as well as another to an IPO.

With decades of experience at the helm of venture-backed companies, Kevin has brought together an unmatched team to help him lead Green Check to its leading position in the cannabis financial services market.

Established in 2017, Green Check Verified brought together leaders in banking, compliance, and technology to build a company that enables financial institutions to safely and successfully offer services to the legal cannabis industry by utilizing best-in-class technology solutions and advisory services.

Their journey began in 2013 when CEO Roger Volodarsky decided he wanted more than what the industry standard could provide. In response, with the mission of providing the best platform for extract consumption, he brought together the disciplines of design, technology, and engineering to create Puffco.

Before they arrived, most vaporizers utilized fibrous wicks, glues to hold the bowl or coil in place, and plastics in the airpath. They did away with the toxins and developed a safer, simpler, and far more flavorful industry standard. They also added the first temperature controls to a vaporizer pen, allowing you to further dial in your experience.

Puffco is the cleanest, simplest, and most flavorful consumption experience available. No glues, fibers, or chemicals. The most awarded vaporizers and products. Industry-leading innovation, done strictly in-house.

A visionary leader with more than 30 years of experience in the packaging industry, Mr.Sanfilippo is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of VIST™ Labs and VIST Franchise Systems. Previously, he was President of Elk Grove Village, Ill.-based Sonoco Elk Grove, Inc. from Aug. 2017 until Jan. 2020 after its acquisition of Clear Lam Packaging, Inc. At Clear Lam, he served as President and CEO starting in 1999.

Sanfilippo is credited with developing more than 100 patents representing major advances in flexible and forming film packaging materials for fresh and processed foods, healthcare products, and other packaged goods. Under his leadership, Clear Lam became known as a front-runner in modified atmosphere packaging technologies, films, and structures that improve food safety and extend shelf life.

Patrick Rea is the Managing Director of Poseidon Garden Ventures. Poseidon was founded by siblings Emily & Morgan Paxhia in 2013, making their first fund one of the longest-running dedicated cannabis investment funds. The Poseidon team has focused on a diversified strategy covering a range of company stages and industry subsectors across the capital spectrum. 

Now in the eighth year of conducting due diligence, deploying capital, and serving on multiple company boards of Directors, the team is considered a leader in the cannabis industry. This recognition, in conjunction with Poseidon being a first mover in the cannabis investment space, has led to a level of trust with industry insiders. Poseidon has forged a positive reputation in the cannabis industry by helping companies when others would not, resulting in proprietary deal flow.

Khadijah Tribble is an activist and policy strategist on a mission to do good. Khadijah received her MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School in 2018. Upon her graduation, she successfully launched the Marijuana Policy Trust, a social enterprise partnering with the government and the cannabis community to establish a regulatory framework that works for all stakeholders. Applying a social justice and equity lens, Khadijah utilizes over 15 years of consulting experience to assist government officials in regulating a new cannabis marketplace.

No stranger to complex problems, Khadijah has lent her expertise and talents as a board advisor to numerous worthy organizations including her current role as a board member for New Profit’s Hero awardee, Changing Perceptions, an organization leading the charge in offering ex-offenders a way out of recidivism and path to entrepreneurship. Most recently she served as strategic chair for United Medical Center Hospital and founding board member of the Community Wellness Collective. 

As a Cheng Fellow, Khadijah worked with local and state government officials in Massachusetts providing policy briefings and recommendations for establishing the state’s regulatory framework for cannabis. Dividing her time between Washington, DC, Boston, and Oakland Khadijah continues to refine the cannabis equity in the regulation toolkit (CERT) which she developed during her Cheng Fellowship.

Established in 2017, Green Check Verified brought together leaders in banking, compliance, and technology to build a company that enables financial institutions to safely and successfully offer services to the legal cannabis industry by utilizing best-in-class technology solutions and advisory services.

Brett Puffenbarger is the Vice President of Marketing for the Cannabis Division at Green Check Verified. Brett is a cannabis professional with experience across a broad range of the “green rush.” Brett is also the Co-founder and Managing Partner of Good Highdeas, a bespoke advisory and consulting company.

Brett has marketing and sales experience across a wide variety of industries. He is also passionate about PR and holds his Master of Arts from Full Sail University.

PayRio is a female-founded payments company that offers specialized payment solutions in the cannabis, CBD, and high-risk health and wellness industries. Founder and self-described “highly driven, long-term payments geek” Aubrey Amatelli has a background in payment processing, honing her craft at corporate giants including JP Morgan. She is paving the way for female leaders in the cannabis & fintech industries. She is also a single mother of 3 and a CEO simultaneously.

80% of PayRio's business directly supports dispensary growth through card payments. According to Amatelli, It’s their mission to normalize payments in the cannabis industry, and "we’re off to a great start". 

Amatelli believes that to positively impact gender equality in cannabis, it’s important to “spread the love and support for women-owned cannabis businesses.” Following women-owned businesses and vendors on social media platforms and purchasing products from their companies is a great way to show your support. But, she says, one of the most beneficial ways to impact gender equality in cannabis is to hire women and promote them from within.