With professional experiences in executive leadership, small business ownership, and the practice of law, Jamie Crumley has spent most of her professional career pursuing dreams and accomplishing goals. She graduated as the University Scholar and Summa Cum Laude with a BS in Psychology and a minor in Spanish from Western Carolina University. She then received her Juris Doctorate from Campbell University and is a licensed attorney in the state of Tennessee. After completing her education, she decided to chase another dream and moved to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue a career in music performance while building her own music management company. After a few years in Nashville and several career successes, Jamie returned to her home state of North Carolina to work alongside her father to start one of North Carolina’s first Industrial Hemp companies, Founder’s Hemp. In her free time, Jamie loves to travel and experience the exciting new adventures that this world has to offer. She tries to never say “no” to a unique venture or a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Rod Kight is the principal of Kight Law Office PC, which represents businesses in the cannabis industry, including hemp and CBD, throughout the USA and the world. Rod edits the popular KightOn Cannabis law blog and wrote “Cannabis Business Law-What You Need to Know”, a cannabis law primer for business executives published by Aspatore Books. Rod speaks at national cannabis conferences, drafts cannabis legislation, and is regularly quoted on cannabis matters in the media, including Time, Wall Street Journal, Business Insider, and Business Insurance. He was recently named a “Top 30 Powerful Cannabis Litigator” by MG Magazine and one of the “100 People You Should Know” by Hemp Connoisseur Magazine. Rod testified at the FDA public hearing on cannabis. He writes and sits on the advisory board for the American Journal of Endocannabinoid Medicine, a peer reviewed publication.

Rod believes strongly in personal and medical cannabis use for many reasons, including that it helped him during chemotherapy treatments for cancer. He is an attorney advocate for NORML, and a member of the International Cannabis Bar Association, the National Cannabis Industry Association, the Hemp Industries Association, the North Carolina Industrial Hemp Association, and the South Carolina Hemp Farmers Association.

Rod is married to his elementary school sweetheart, Ashley, who is his office manager. They are raising five children. Rod plays guitar in a rock band. You may contact him by email (rod@cannabusiness.law) or phone (828-255-9881).

Ray French has an extensive background and leadership experience in large scale agriculture and horticulture. He grew up working in the family farm equipment business and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Ornamental Horticulture from Auburn University specializing in nursery crop production. He has been a propagator and a grower as well as managed operations, sales, and product development for some of the largest and most successful operations in the world. For the last 12 years he has been managing product development under contract for The Home Depot in the US and Canada. This resulted in global travel to coordinate products with breeders, growers, and the retailer to bring over one billion dollars in retail sales to the market annually.

Marc Adesso is an innovative and visionary capital markets, corporate finance and securities attorney representing clients across the nation. Issuers, investment banks and high net worth individuals in a wide range of industries rely on Marc’s unique insight with regard to capital markets matters ranging from IPOs, ICOs, REIT formations, follow-on offerings, shelf takedowns, Rule 144A offerings, block trades, ATMs, PIPEs, reverse mergers, debt offerings and other public company transactions, including takeover defense, proxy contests and matters involving shareholder activism.

Marc counsels issuers, underwriters, hedge funds and other market participants in a full range of capital markets transactions. He also counsels companies, boards and their committees, investors and financial institutions on SEC regulatory and corporate governance issues, including compliance with securities exchanges.

Marc is recognized for his work on securities regulation and corporate governance, and has established a national practice counseling issuers conducting mini-IPOs under Regulation A+ of the JOBS Act, which currently allows companies to raise up to $50 million per year from the general public.

Additionally, Marc is a key member of the firm's blockchain and cryptocurrency practice, and is lauded as one of the world's top attorneys in the area of registered offerings of cryptocurrencies, such as ICOs.

In recognition of his national reputation in the space, as well as being Tennessee's only veteran cannabis attorney, Marc chairs the firm’s legalized cannabis practice, which counsels clients on the rapidly changing landscape facing the cannabis industry. Under Marc's guidance, the firm has counseled clients in matters such as capital raising including IPOs, integration with healthcare providers, joint ventures with universities, licensure, supply chain verticalization, international transactions and challenges with the banking system.

Will pursued his vision for building brands in highly competitive markets and launched Evolve, Inc. in 2002. Today Evolve provides marketing strategy and advertising services to more than 100 different businesses throughout the US and Canada. Will graduated with a BS in marketing and an MBA from Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia. Serving in leadership roles in international marketing management and brand development in established and emerging markets for the last 20 years, Will has expanded his entrepreneurial endeavors and is an owner of Sana Botanicals. He is also directly involved in marketing strategy for such organizations as The Hemp Farmacy, and pioneered the market launch for Kingdom Harvest in Asheville NC. Will donates his time and company resources to the NCIHA, and manages a private fund to invest in hemp grows that educate farmers and businesses on sustainable production and business operations.

Chris participated in the birth of the cannabis industry in Washington, operating one of the first and oldest medical dispensaries in Seattle from 2011 to 2016. For a decade, Chris has participated in the design and managed the construction of dozens of indoor gardens. These projects have ranged from 8 light specialty home grows to 200 light perpetual harvest operations and everything in between. Chris loves to develop and execute a clean cannabis workflow, from clone to cure, with documented and measurable daily goals.

Chris also brings extensive cannabis retail experience, serving both the MMJ community and now the recreational markets for the better part of 10 years. Cannabis presents specific and unique challenges to business owners. Whether it’s shop layout, atmosphere, safety procedures, security plans, purchasing, inventory management or staffing and budtender training, Chris has a unique perspective based in real experience and millions in cannabis sales.

Mike Sanders has a diverse entrepreneurial background and has been part of over a dozen successful startups over the past 20+ years. Mike’s current focus is on the manufacturing of high value molecules from plants for food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical applications.

Eric Steenstra is a hemp industry pioneer beginning as a co-founder and CEO of hemp clothing and lifestyle brand Ecolution in 1993. Steenstra was a founding member of the Hemp Industries Association (HIA) and served as its Executive Director from 2007 through 2016. During that timehe grew HIA membership by more than 300%. Steenstra now serves as the president of Vote Hemp, the political advocacy organizationthat he cofounded in 2000.

Vote Hemp has been instrumental in getting pro-hemp legislation passed in 35 states. In 2005, Steenstra worked with Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) to get the first modern U.S. hemp legislation (H. 3037) introduced in Congress and in 2012 he worked with Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) to get hemp legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate. Vote Hemp’s outreach and education efforts made it possible to get 225 bi-partisan votes to pass the Polis amendment. Steenstra worked closely with Rep. Polis (D-CO) and Sen. McConnell (R-KY) to have breakthrough hemp legislation included in the 2014 Farm Bill that ultimately enabled the first legal hemp farming in over 50 years. Section 7606 of the Farm Bill resulted in 24,800 acres of hemp being planted across 19 states by 1450 licensed farmers and university researchers under state hemp pilot programs in 2017.

Matt along with Chase Werner started Triangle Hemp, which functions primarily as a large scale hemp nursery and produces greenhouse flower in the off-season.

Triangle Hemp’s passion is growing plants which started with our commercial greenhouse vegetable business six years ago. Matt's expertise consists of high-tech greenhouse production on a commercial scale focused on the consistency and reliability needed to fill year-round contracts. Other areas of expertise includes large-scale asexual propagation and organic integrated pest management.

Triangle Hemp’s goal is to be a resource for hemp farmers to help create a solid foundation so that any hemp grower can be successful. We have and are currently working with over 90 farmers spread out across NC, SC, VA and KY to provide field-ready starter plants with the best quality genetics available.

Guy Carpenter is the President of Bear Fiber Inc. in Wilmington, NC, the leading hemp supply chain management company for hemp fiber, yarn textiles and apparel manufacturing. He has over 30 years of experience on five continents in sourcing, apparel manufacturing, distribution and sales including a decade of strategic turnaround/crunch management consulting in the Fashion Industry. He has run large yarn-forward factories, developed successful brands in the US & Europe and worked with many global brands to develop textiles and apparel. His focus on textile quality evolved into a passion for natural fibers and sustainability. He also serves as a commissioner for the North Carolina Industrial Hemp Pilot Program.

Mr. Carpenter earned a BA from the College of Charleston and an MBA in International Business from the University of South Carolina. He has served as both a Peace Corps Volunteer (Niger, West Africa) and in the U.S. Army (Airborne/Air Assault Calvary Scout).

Chad is an entrepreneur passionate about developing impact based businesses and brands with sustainable supply chains. As a recent graduate of the Village Capital Agricultural Accelerator, his network in the food system is far reaching at high levels in the private and public sectors. The White House invited Chad to represent Kentucky and Victory Hemp Foods at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Palo Alto, where we met with POTUS’s Entrepreneurial Ambassadors and 700 other entrepreneurs from 170 countries to work on solving for some of the world most pressing issues here at home and abroad, including food security. As the President for the Board of the Kentucky Hemp Industry Association and a Board Member for the Organic Association of Kentucky, he’s committed to bringing hemp into the rural economy where sustainable economic development is needed. To this end he moved from California in 2014 and has put down roots in Henry County, Kentucky, where he's learned how to hang tobacco and suffer sweet tea.

Tyler co-chairs the firm's Hemp Law practice group. He regularly works with clients involved in all levels of hemp and CBD industries and guides the firm's practice in those efforts.

Tyler is passionate about the hemp and cannabidiol ("CBD") industries, their products, and their people. He co-chairs the firm's Hemp Law practice group, and he represents clients in all aspects of the hemp and CBD industries – both in North Carolina and beyond. His clients include farmers and growers, processors, extractors, product manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers. He also assists clients who are involved in the industry but do not directly "touch the plant" – including brokers, consultants, marketing agencies, lenders and financial institutions, and other suppliers and vendors.

In his hemp and CBD practice, Tyler regularly provides advice and counsel to his clients on Federal, state, and local legal and regulatory compliance matters, and he regularly represents clients in all types of agribusiness, transactional, and corporate deals and agreements within the industry. He is also actively engaged in state-level lobbying and public activism efforts in support of the industry, its companies, and their products. The hemp and CBD industries are unique, and Tyler and the firm's Hemp Law team are committed to helping the people and businesses within them.

Tyler's previous practice experience also includes a broad range of corporate and transactional matters, including drafting and negotiating corporate agreements and documents, managing all aspects of mergers, acquisitions, and other transactions for a variety of companies, and assisting privately held companies in all aspects of their business needs, from corporate governance and transactions to business structuring, development and expansion opportunities, and succession planning.

Tyler also works with other regulated industries – including breweries, distilleries, and wineries – to address permitting needs, compliance issues, distribution and supply chain matters, and negotiations and interactions with local, state, and federal governmental and regulatory agencies. Tyler has also represented financial institutions and other creditors in bankruptcy cases and litigation in state and federal court, including workouts, reorganizations, collection cases, and other contested matters.

Preston provides trading and industry research services covering alternative energy, natural resources and cannabis. Additionally, he provides compliance & regulatory analysis services, and recommendations for private and listed companies. He has created and administered Continuing Education programs pertaining to contractual analysis, negotiations, and Anti-Money Laundering (AML).

Prior to joining CVC Partners and Alinga Capital, Preston spent ten years in the financial services space, with institutions such as The Vanguard Group, Wachovia Securities / Wells Fargo Advisors, and MetLife Securities.

With contributions to New Leaf Data Services, Cannabis Benchmarks® and Hemp Benchmarks ®, Preston covers the hemp and cannabis-infused derivatives market, and he supports emerging enterprises with business appraisals and valuation strategies. He provides public speaking services at educational symposiums relating to the "Cannabis Economics" series he developed, the latest installment of which is "Cannabis Economics 104: The Time Value of Cannabinoids." Preston is an instructor for the Women's Cannabis Chamber of Commerce and advisor to the Texas Hemp Harvesters Association in addition to being a member of the North Carolina Industrial Hemp Association.

Preston received his Bachelor of Science from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, his MBA from Wake Forest University, a Juris Doctor from Thomas Jefferson School of Law, and a Masters in Finance from Boston College.