Best Michael Truong Podcasts (2024)

1
Samson Extracts CEO Kyle Neathery 46:32

8d ago46:32

46:32

Kyle Neathery (Samson Extracts) is the CEO of Samson Extracts, an Alabama-owned and operated manufacturer of high-scale CBD extracts. Previously, Kyle served as the Director of Operations and General Manager for High Life Farms, a privately-held, family-owned cannabis company operating 150,000 square feet that includes an impressive portfolio of cu…

1
CANNABIS XPRESS CEO Chris Jones 48:00

14d ago48:00

48:00

Chris founded Cannabis Xpress in 2018 after selling his previous cannabis retail chain, Star Buds Cannabis Cannabis. He has experience in Cannabis M&A and Distribution from his time at Origin House. Cannabis Xpress currently has 16 stores in Ontario and New Brunswick, focusing on smaller towns without other dispensaries present.…

1
Motif Labs CEO Mario Naric 57:32

3M ago57:32

57:32

Mario Naric is the Founder & CEO of Motif Labs, a leading brand house in Canada’s including Boxhot (#1 vape brand in Canada), Rizzlers, DEBUNK and Boondocks. The company did C$90M of Revenue in 2013 and double-digit EBITDA.

1
The Bettering Company CEO Mark Cozzi 46:54

3M ago46:54

46:54

Mark is CEO and Co-Founder of The Bettering Company. Previously, he had a 35-year career in the finance sector, primarily focused on growth companies and startups. After spending 14 years on Wall Street in investment banking at Salomon Smith Barney / Citigroup Global Markets, he joined a client, Thomas Kaplan, as the first employee and co-founder o…

1
Metrc CEO Michael Johnson 53:45

4M ago53:45

53:45

Michael Johnson was appointed Metrc’s CEO in May 2022. He previously served as the company’s President and CFO from May 2021 to May 2022, where he was responsible for driving the company’s strategic and financial decisions. Prior to joining Metrc, Michael served as CFO at InformedDNA in St. Petersburg, Florida, and CM Group Global, in Nashville, Te…

1
FloraWorks CEO Alleh Lindquist 37:47

4M ago37:47

37:47

FloraWorks is a discovery stage company developing a multifaceted approach to cannabinoid and cannabinoid-inspired drug development utilizing traditional chemical synthesis, advanced biological assays, and cutting-edge computational science to advance cannabinoid research for a new generation of therapeutics. Alleh Lindquist, CEO, FloraWorks. Prior…

1
urban-gro CEO Bradley Nattrass 42:48

5M ago42:48

42:48

urban-gro, Inc.® (Nasdaq: UGRO) is a fully integrated architectural, engineering, construction management, and cultivation systems integration company focused on delivering complete design-build solutions to the indoor CEA and Commercial sectors. With experience in hundreds of CEA facilities spanning millions of square feet across the globe, we des…

1
Eaze CEO Cory Azzalino 51:04

6M ago51:04

51:04

Eaze is a delivery focused multi-state cannabis operator. Eaze have over 1,500 employees nationwide, we’re the largest cannabis retailer in CA with over 1,000 employees, #3 retailer in colorado with full vertical integration and a growing presence in Michigan and Florida. Background on Eaze’s founding in 2014 as a technology company in California b…

1
Prodigy Processing Solutions CEO Marc Beginin 46:21

6M ago46:21

46:21

Marc Beginin is the founder and CEO of Prodigy Processing Solutions, a cannabis extraction equipment and technology industry. Before starting Prodigy, Beginin led Precision Extraction Solutions, a cutting-edge extraction equipment company he established in 2014, which was acquired by Agrify Corporation (NASDAQ: AGFY) in October 2021. LinkedIn: http…

1
Eric Schneider, Managing Director, AlphaRoot 37:19

7M ago37:19

37:19

Re-launched as its own standalone company in 2020, the AlphaRoot story actually started early on in the growth of its now sister company, Founder Shield. Around the same time Founder Shield began to really gain a foothold in emerging industries, the legal cannabis industry began to take off. Given the Founder Shield team’s expertise in working in e…

1
Sunderstorm, CEO, Cameron Clarke 53:28

8M ago53:28

53:28

Sunderstorm is currently in CA, NV, CO, and MA. The company plans to launch in IL soon. The company also announced in December 2022 plans to enter Thailand through an agreement with THCG Group Ltd. (THCG), a Thailand-based, vertically integrated medical cannabis license holder with existing cultivation, distribution and retail operations, including…

1
Curio Wellness, Wendy, Rebecca, and David 1:02:05

9M ago1:02:05

1:02:05

Curio Wellness is the leading wholesaler in most recent adult-use market in Maryland. They're also one of the only cannabis operators with FDA approved safety certifications for manufacturing. Focused on product innovation to introduce first to market cutting edge brands like terpene chews. The company also has a franchising program and fund aimed …

1
Hemper / HARA Supply CEO Bryan Gerber 45:18

9M ago45:18

45:18

Hemper launched in 2015 as a curator of monthly, limited-run cannabis accessory boxes and now has ~33,000 monthly subscribers (different packaing and products) with more than 500,000 boxes shipped to date. The company's limited-run boxes include celebrity-designed and curated editions with original artwork that have become collectors' items. The co…

1
Cresco Labs, Chief Information Officer, Zach Marburger 47:33

9M ago47:33

47:33

Zach Marburger is Cresco Labs' Chief Information Officer. He oversees the technology and data infrastructure throughout the organization and is responsible for designing, scaling and implementing technological systems and data platforms to optimize the customer experience. Throughout his tenure with the company, Mr. Marburger has worked in various …

1
Willow Industries, CEO, Jill Ellsworth 34:06

9M ago34:06

34:06

Willow Industries is the industry leader in cannabis kill step and post-harvest microbial decontamination technology. Founded in 2015 by CEO Jill Ellsworth, the company is built on one simple principle: cultivators should be equipped with resources to provide patients and consumers with consistently safe cannabis. Based in Denver, CO, Willow's serv…

1
Naturae, CEO, Nicolas Guarino 48:58

10M ago48:58

48:58

As of June 30th, 2023, Naturae has 3 brands and ~30 SKUs selling at 15 of the 16 opened adult-use dispensaries in New York. We discuss Challenges and evolution of the company from CBD to Cannabis; Development of in-house brands while also running a vertically integrated company (excluding retail); Strategy to defend their brands in the market as mo…

1
Jane Technologies launches POS ft. CEO Socrates Rosenfeld 39:58

11M ago39:58

39:58

Jane Technologies Launches Revolutionary New Point-Of-Sale Platform to Transform Dispensary Operations Leverages leading, proprietary e-commerce technology to enhance in-store shopping experience and empower retailers SANTA CRUZ, Calif., June 21, 2023 – Jane Technologies, Inc. (“Jane”), the cannabis industry’s leading e-commerce provider and creato…

1
Safe Harbor Financial, CEO, Sundie Seefried 47:48

11M ago47:48

47:48

Sundie Seefried has spent ~40 years in the credit union industry. In 2014, she saw that Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) needed financial services and that Colorado communities would be safer if the new industry had access to banking solutions. Seefried was the former CEO of Partner Colorado Credit Union (PCCU). Established in 2015 by PCCU, Safe …

1
Ayr Wellness, CEO, David Goubert 49:39

11M ago49:39

49:39

David Goubert is President and CEO of Ayr Wellness and is responsible for overseeing the Company’s operational and commercial functions, including production, supply chain, retail, wholesale and marketing. Mr. Goubert joined Ayr from Neiman Marcus Group, one of the largest multi-brand retailers in the United States, where he helped lead the company…

1
FlowerHire, Jason Desentz & Mike Siebold 46:27

11M ago46:27

46:27

Jason Desentz is a HR leader with over 20+ years of progressive human resources experience working for start-up cannabis companies & Fortune 100 companies. He has developed an innovative framework to help companies build resilient and sustainable organizations. Mike Siebold is a strategic advisor and investor to several cannabis teams domestically.…

1
Advanced Vapor Devices (AVD), CEO, Alex Kwon 58:58

11M ago58:58

58:58

Summary. Advanced Vapor Devices (AVD) has quietly built the second-largest vape company by market share, just behind CCELL. In my conversations with CEO, Alex Kwon, it's clear that the company prefers to be heads down on execution, while letting the product, technology, and customers (such as Trulieve, Jeeter, Gold Drop, Blue River, Jetty, to name …

1
Benjamin Ballinger, Diamond Miners Consulting 51:14

12M ago51:14

51:14

Benjamin Ballinger is a cofounder of Shryne Group, California’s largest vertically-integrated operator—with retail, manufacturing, cultivation and distribution operations across the state, and the parent company of STIIIZY—the biggest vape brand in the US. As one of Shryne’s top executive, Benjamin oversaw the massive scaling of the company through…

1
Timeless Vapes, Co-Founder, Rocky Huang 46:54

1y ago46:54

46:54

The profitable #1 ranked vape brand in Arizona has taken no outside funding to expand to its current footprint in five markets (AZ, CA, OH, OK, MO). Background. Prior to founding Timeless, Rocky was CEO & Co-Founder of Molly Water, a premium alkaline mineral water designed to assist in regulating the body’s pH balance. Rocky and COO Shawn Williams …

1
MariMed, CEO, Jon Levine 42:22

1y ago42:22

42:22

Recorded on March 22, 2023. Topics discussed: – M&A – Verticalization – Revenue Mix– Net Debt, Chicago Atlantic Financing– Branded Portfolio vs. Licensing– What are the ways in which MariMed is trying to drum up investor attentionMariMed Inc., a multi-state cannabis operator, is dedicated to improving lives every day through its high-quality produc…

1
Petalfast, CEO, Jason Vegotsky 50:28

1y ago50:28

50:28

Petalfast is the first-of-its-kind route-through-market platform for the cannabis industry. Petalfast helps cannabis brands thrive via its go-to-market accelerator program and through its full spectrum of agency services available to brands nationally. Notable cannabis brands already engaged in the Petalfast platform include Space Coyote, Emerald S…

1
Bloomwell Group, CEO, Niklas Kouparanis 43:26

1y ago43:26

43:26

The Bloomwell Group is a Frankfurt,Germany-based holding company for medical cannabis companies and potentially for companies in a recreational market. Founded in June 2020, the Company operates three different business: Algae Care, a telemedicine platform with over 100,000+ treatments and 13,000 returning treatments; Ilios Sante, a vape pen brand …

1
Kyle Shenfeld, President, Rainbow Realty Group 35:59

1y ago35:59

35:59

Rainbow Realty Group and its affiliates are real estate companies focused on retail, industrial and greenhouse properties with cannabis companies in the United States. Rainbow offers sale-leaseback and mortgage financing with a portfolio consisting of 50+ properties across 9 states in the U.S. Rainbow’s parent, Gould Investors L.P., has been in the…

1
FLUENT (Cansortium), CEO, Robert Beasley 48:08

1y ago48:08

48:08

Cansortium Inc. is a vertically-integrated cannabis company with licenses and operations in Florida, Pennsylvania and Texas. The Company operates under the Fluent™ brand and is dedicated to being one of the highest quality cannabis companies for the communities it serves. This is driven by Cansortium's unrelenting commitment to operational excellen…

1
Hirsh Jain, Founder, Ananda Strategy 56:14

1y ago56:14

56:14

Hirsh Jain is the Founder of Ananda Strategy, a consultancy that advises leading cannabis brands, retailers, ancillary technology businesses and venture capital funds across North America and Western Europe. Ananda represents many of California’s leading retailers, and has helped them open many of the top-performing dispensaries in the state. Hirsh…

1
LeafLink, President and CEO, Artie Minson and Executive Chairman, Ryan Smith 31:13

1y ago31:13

31:13

LeafLink, the cannabis industry's leading B2B technology platform, is standardizing how thousands of brands, distributors, and retailers manage their operations. The Company's industry-defining tools streamline the way legal cannabis businesses create, manage, pay for, and ship their orders. LeafLink's marketplace currently processes approximately …

1
POSaBIT, CEO, Ryan Hamlin 54:51

1+ y ago54:51

54:51

POSaBIT is a FinTech company providing Point-of-Sale solution and cashless payment for cannabis retailers.

1
Kai Kirk, Chief Product Officer, BLAZE 41:33

1+ y ago41:33

41:33

Kai Kirk is a serial cannabis industry entrepreneur and executive leader with a wealth of experience operating in different roles across several industries. His time working in project management, engineering, information technology, private equity and venture capital give him the elevated base of knowledge necessary to understand and anticipate th…

1
Aaron Miles, Chief Investment Officer, Verano 43:07

1+ y ago43:07

43:07

Aaron Miles serves as Chief Investment Officer of Verano Holdings (CSE: VRNO) (OTCQX: VRNOF), a leading cannabis company with active operations in the U.S. Over the course of his more than 19 years of financial and capital markets experience, Miles has served in leadership roles across a variety of Fortune 500 companies and industries. His backgrou…

1
Leaf Trade, President & Chief Revenue Officer, Michael Piermont 41:40

1+ y ago41:40

41:40

Leaf Trade is a wholesale cannabis buying and selling platform that streamlines and simplifies the industry’s supply chain and business operations. The Company supports cultivators throughout the entire wholesale selling process through their cannabis marketplace—connecting cultivators and dispensaries via flexible integrations, amplifying brands t…

1
Grön, CEO, Christine Smith 39:25

1+ y ago39:25

39:25

Grön (pronounced Grewn) is one of North America’s largest producers of adult-use cannabis-infused edibles. The Company uses ingredients are organic, single-origin, Fair Trade Certified, and locally sourced whenever possible. Product offerings include cannabis-infused chocolate, sugar-coated Pearls, Mega Pearls, and Candy-Coated Pips. Grön cannabis …

1
Jane, CEO, Socrates Rosenfeld (2nd appearance) 50:47

1+ y ago50:47

50:47

Soc is back for a second time to provide updates on Jane, including the recently launched iOS app and how the company thinks about building adjacent products to create a win-win-win for retailers, brands, and consumers. If you're interested in Soc's first appearance, check it out here: https://www.highlyobjective.com/p/-podcast-jane-technologies-ce…

1
Treez, CEO, John Yang 40:13

1+ y ago40:13

40:13

Treez is the leading enterprise cloud commerce platform that streamlines retail and supply chain operations within the cannabis market. Through Treez's innovative technology and open API platform for retailers and brands, the company provides a robust breadth and depth of software and digital payments solutions, along with dedicated 24/7 customer s…

1
Vicente Sederberg, Brandon Kurtzman, Partner // Jason Adelstone, Associate 1:09:59

1+ y ago1:09:59

1:09:59

Dai speaks with Jason on the NY and MA and Brandon on What's happening in Germany and Europe more broadly as it relates to regulation, licensing, and M&A. Jason Adelstone is an associate attorney in Vicente Sederberg’s Denver office, where he focuses his practice on federal and international policy, impact litigation, corporate and business law, an…

1
Safe Harbor Financial, CIO, Paul Penney 34:26

1+ y ago34:26

34:26

Paul leads the lending strategy, investor relations, and investment opportunities as well as assist with M&A strategy for Safe Harbor. Penney was previously CIO of KreditForce Capital, a merchant bank focused on emerging growth industries including cannabis, where he managed a portfolio of both public and private equity positions as well as senior …

1
Kiva Co-Founder, Kristi Palmer 37:51

1+ y ago37:51

37:51

In 2010, Scott Palmer 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, and soon after, a top 3 CA Distributor in Kiva Sales & Services. Dai chats to Kristi about starting …

1
Dutchie, Chief Product Officer, Zach Lipson 37:50

1+ y ago37:50

37:50

Zach Lipson is Co-Founder and CPO at dutchie, the leading e-commerce and point of sale provider for the cannabis space. As a Product Designer and Product Manager by trade, Zach is driven by beautiful design and solving complex problems in innovative and elegant ways, using technology and design. We talk through buy vs. build with regards to Dutchie…

1
Presidential, CEO, Everett Smith 36:18

1+ y ago36:18

36:18

Dubbed 'The World's Strongest Pre-Rolls', Presidential is renowned and loved as the producer of the #1 ranked Infused Moonrock Blunt and is one of the top-selling brands in California. We speak to Everett on his background, Presidential's suite of products, collaborations, growth, and funding.

1
MXXN, CEO, Darnell Smith 39:55

1+ y ago39:55

39:55

The recently launched product aims to take the cannabis-infused, non-alcoholic spirit market "to the moon" with three SKUs (Jalisco Agave, London Dry, Kentucky Oak). Darnell Smith is a CPG and alcohol industry veteran and cannabis entrepreneur, innovator and advocate. Smith is the founder and CEO of MXXN, a non-alcoholic, cannabis-infused spirits b…

1
Jetty Extracts, CEO, Ron Gershoni 50:17

2y ago50:17

50:17

Founded in 2013, Jetty is one of the true originals in the California cannabis market. Jetty began its operations in San Diego with a focus on craft and innovation while applying a strict adherence to compliance, fiscal responsibility, environmental concerns, and community commitment. Today, Jetty’s 65-plus employees work at the company’s 14,000 sq…

1
Bespoke Financial (George Mancheril, Judson Hill) x Blaze (Chris Violas) 34:00

2y ago34:00

34:00

Bespoke Financial has announced an integrated partnership with BLAZE. The partnership establishes an embedded lending product providing cannabis retailers access to Bespoke’s financing at the click of a button within BLAZE’s Dispensary POS software. We speak on how the partnership came about, benefits to retailers, and how it works.…

1
TILT, CEO, Gary Santo 57:34

2y ago57:34

57:34

Gary Santo brings more than 25 years of experience in Consumer Credit, Financial Services, Gaming and Technology, Higher Education and Pharma. He has held a variety of senior-level positions at The First Marblehead Corporation, Fitch Ratings, International Game Technology (IGT), Lantheus Medical Imaging and, most recently, Columbia Care.…

1
Ascend Wellness Holdings (AWH), CEO, Abner Kurtin 32:49

2y ago32:49

32:49

Abner Kurtin is the Founder and CEO of Ascend Wellness Holdings (AWH) and the Portfolio Manager for JM10 Partners Fund. Established in 2018, JM10 Partners operates two private equity funds that invest growth capital into the cannabis industry. Kurtin has been managing opportunity capital for over 20 years. Prior to AWH, he was the founder of K Capi…

1
WM Technology, CEO, Chris Beals 58:01

2y ago58:01

58:01

Chris Beals oversees all aspects of WM Technology’s business and is also a member of the company’s board of directors. Prior to becoming CEO, Chris was WM Technology’s President and General Counsel. Previously, Chris was with Colbeck Capital, Deutsche Telekom, Covington & Burling and Davis Polk.

1
Alpine IQ, Nick Paschal (CEO) & West Paschal (Chief Revenue Officer) 50:39

2y ago50:39

50:39

Alpine IQ empowers the legal cannabis industry by providing customer-focused technology to help retailers and cannabis brands of all sizes resolve growth challenges and generate revenue. The company provides customers with the industry’s most extensive suite of tools to protect, segment, and promote all in-store and online operations. I spoke with …

1
Bespoke Financial, CEO, George Mancheril 48:05

2y ago48:05

48:05

Bespoke Financial CEO George Mancheril discusses the company's background, products, customer success stories, and growth plans. Bespoke provides clients access to working capital by offering short term lending options to fuel business growth in the legal cannabis industry, reducing cash flow cycles and providing cannabis companies greater financia…

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