Nicole Burnette is the founder, CEO and Director of Cultivation for Queen Hemp Company. Queen Hemp Company is the culmination of many threads of my history. These 'threads' have come together in a conglomeration of hydroponic agriculture, education, and the urban environment and a passion for whole plant health and wellness. I have been a passionate grower and educator for 20 years. Rogue Farms Urban Hydroponics was launched in 2014 (a Charlotte based Urban Hydroponic Farm). Queen Hemp Company was established in 2018 as another layer to the Urban Hydroponic farm with a mission to apply dynamic agricultural practices in an urban setting for the highest quality and traceability of whole hemp wellness based products.

My mission is to reframe traditional grow methodology by adapting to a new agricultural/industrial landscape. The goal is to maximize a plants potential by optimizing indoor hydroponic agricultural techniques. This new agricultural landscape is a place for entrepreneurial enterprise, innovation, and a platform to partner with local community organizations and businesses to strengthen our community from within.

Chad Rosen is the Founder & CEO of Victory Hemp Foods, a business-to-business primary food ingredient processing company that develops innovative technology to manufacture hemp grain into premier proteins and oils for applications in food and beverage, skincare and cosmetics, and animal nutrition. Victory Hemp Foods won the 2020 Hemp Innovation Challenge^TM at the World Ag Expo^® in Tulare, CA for the development of two proprietary ingredients, V-70^TM Hemp Heart Protein and V-ONE^TM Hemp Heart Oil. In addition to leading his company’s growth over the past five years, Chad has worked as an industry-wide advocate within the U.S. hemp grain supply chain and market and is dedicated to developing hemp grain as a significant and positive addition to American agriculture.

Ben is the Founder and CEO of FyberX, bringing large scale hemp fiber processing to the United States. Ben began his career with a decade in investment banking, first with Goldman Sachs and subsequently with FBR Capital Markets, over which time he raised over two billion dollars for clients. He is also a co-founder and member of the Board of Directors of Joint Caddie, a CBD company focused on golfers. Ben holds a BS in Quantitative Finance and Economics from James Madison University and is a Registered Representative (FINRA Series 7 License), an Investment Banking Representative (FINRA Series 79) and a Uniform Securities Agent (FINRA Series 63).

Nayana “Nemo” Solanki is held in high regard for her ability to create efficacious CBD products that are steeped in her ayurvedic upbringing. She owns the IP and manufacturing rights to her formulations which are utilized in many forms of CBD products on the market today. As a midstream, white label product manufacturer, Nemo has financially supported the growth of many of her partner brands. She is currently launching a line of wellness and beauty products which do not contain any cannabinoids. She is also pursuing new product developments for super foods derived from hemp and other organic ingredients which are sustainably grown and processed.

Nayana holds a Bachelors of Commerce from Pune University and a MBA in International Business from Symbiosis University, Pune India. She is also a certified botanical products formulator, and operates her business as a cGMP compliant food grade manufacturer. Ms. Solanki has worked in support of global executives for large multi- national companies such as Essar Group, Aegis, and Pantheon. Before starting her own business, Nayana also worked with Harrison College, Charter College, MCAI Marketing, and Impleterra to secure and develop international partnerships and strategic alliances in the business and education sectors.

Nayana was instrumental in securing over 30 academic and business partners for these organizations. She has opened doors to senior state and federal government officials, allowing the companies she represented to import/export products into India and other markets in Asia. Ms. Solanki has a wide range of senior level contacts across key sectors in government and private business.

Companies: Founder, Xtracts LLC, Yuyo Botanics LLC, Stones River LLC, Reward Botanicals LLC & Wayne Enterprises (India)

Dr. Ulven received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from North Dakota State University (2001) and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Materials Engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (2003 & 2005). He has been a faculty member in the Mechanical Engineering Department at North Dakota State University since August of 2005. He has been involved in the research of polymer matrix composites (PMCs) for various commercial and defense applications for the past 17 years. He has co-authored 6 book chapters, 65 journal articles, and over 95 conference papers related to PMCs. He has been a co-author of 5 patent applications which have led to 2 spin-out companies (c2renew inc. and c2sensor corp.). He was recently recognized with the Walter F. and Verna Gehrts Presidential Professorship at NDSU.

Evan is the Managing Partner and co-founder of Atlas Labs FL, LLC, a start-up hemp testing laboratory in Central Florida. He received a BS in Chemistry from the United States Naval Academy and has worked for the last decade in the pharmaceutical quality testing and support services industry, including standing up an ISO 17025 and USP compliant microbiology laboratory and a licensed cannabis laboratory in Maryland prior to joining with several partners to focus on providing testing services to the hemp industry in the southeastern United States.

Justin Swanson, Principal at Bose Public Affairs Group and Of Counsel at Bose McKinney & Evans, has developed a unique multi-dimensional government affairs practice that leverages his public policy expertise with traditional legal skills to effectively advance the interests of his diverse set of clients. Swanson is also co-founder and President of the Midwest Hemp Council, which is the leading trade organization that is working to build and connect the hemp supply chain in the Midwest.

Swanson has emerged as one of the country's leading hemp lobbyists and hemp lawyers. He successfully led lobbying efforts to ensure the state would be the primary regulator of hemp production in Indiana after the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill. Swanson also led a legal team that challenged a state law that criminalized part of the hemp plant, which was the first of its kind legal question. The litigation is ongoing.

In 2019, the Indiana Lawyer recognized Swanson as an Up and Coming Lawyer, an award bestowed on just 15 attorneys each year. In 2021, Swanson was included in the inaugural class of Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch.

Co-Owner of Wright-Oakes LLC
Co-Owner of WO Investments LLC
Partner in First Crop Inc.
Operations Manager for First Crop Inc.
Active member in Adams State University value added hemp sector partnership
Steering Committee for the Hemp Feed Coalition
Board Member of the US Hemp Growers Association
Presenter for the Farm Journal Hemp College

Wright-Oakes LLC has been active in the hemp industry for 6 years. We support hemp from all aspects, working with the small farmer to the large agricultural farms.

WO Investments LLC is focused on the grain and fiber processing of hemp for our local farmers as well as all Farmers.

Dion has been around farming most of his life and started pursuing a serious career in agriculture directly out of high school. After starting out as a farm hand with a local farm he worked his way up to oversee day to day operations. In this experience he discovered that hemp was the path he needed to pursue! His main interest in hemp was saving on water usage for the local farmers. The journey began with introducing hemp to his father in law. Dion is closely connected with the whole industry from growing, to new equipment, to every kind of processing from CBD, food and fiber. Dion has traveled the U.S. speaking at many events for the Farm Journal/Hemp College, Midwest Hemp Council, SBDC and many other organizations.

Wright-Oakes LLC along with First Crop Inc. strongly supports education in the hemp industry, integrating with regenerative agricultural and most importantly supporting the Farmer!

Josh Ludgate has well over fifteen years of experience in the extraction industry. Previously, Josh co-founded Appalachian Extracts, where he developed advanced extraction hemp techniques for bulk ingredients and private-label products. He consulted for VA and NC Conventional and Certified Organic farmers, leading each to their first years of successful hemp cultivation. Josh is currently the Lab Manager at Golden Piedmont Labs in South Boston, Virginia one of the largest cannabinoid extraction and purification facilities on the east coast.

Rend Al-Mondhiry is a Partner at Amin Talati Wasserman LLP in Washington, DC. She advises clients in the dietary supplement, food, and cosmetic industries on a broad range of FDA and FTC compliance matters, with a focus on helping companies navigate the rapidly evolving regulatory landscape for hemp and CBD products at both the federal and state level. She is committed to helping her clients responsibly develop and market products, drawing on her years of experience advising the nation’s leading dietary supplement and food companies on complex labeling, advertising, and ingredient issues. In her previous role as Associate General Counsel at the Council for Responsible Nutrition, Rend advocated on the industry’s behalf numerous times before FDA, FTC, Congress, and state attorneys general. She has assisted companies with FDA import alerts and detentions, International Trade Commission matters, and Proposition 65 compliance, and has substantial experience initiating and defending challenges before the Council of Better Business Bureau’s National Advertising Division.

Becky is the founder and CEO of ECC Test Lab, an ISO 17025 cannabis testing lab located in Ashland, Virginia. She received a BS in Chemical Engineering from Manhattan College and an MS in Renewable Energy Engineering from Appalachian State University. Her experience in project management, regulatory and research labs, and business development has facilitated the success and continued growth of ECC. ECC Test Lab is a SWaM (Small, Women-owned and Minority-owned) certified business.

An active member of the hemp community, she is the first Virginia-based board member of the Southeast Hemp Association. Part of her focus with SEHA includes advocating for standardization among cannabis testing labs, that includes a platform for testing labs that adhere to scientifically validated best practices that can be utilized by any laboratories, processors, and regulators performing cannabis testing. Becky is excited to see the sustainable growth of the cannabis industry throughout the southeast.

Dr. Andre West, Associate Professor and Director of The Zeis Textiles Extension (ZTE) in the Wilson College of Textiles at North Carolina State University has been in the apparel business for over 35 years; in fashion trend forecasting, fashion design, textile design, manufacturing, retailing and finally in academic research and teaching.

His present research heavily involves the use of technology and sustainability within the textiles and fashion design process inclusive of consumer-driven customization, digital printing, 3-D virtual garment making, 3-D body scanning, and WholeGarment knitwear. ZTE is the industrial service arm of the Wilson College of Textiles and with the other Colleges in the University are researching the use of hemp from farm to fashion. As a self-professed tree hugger and vegan Andre tries to incorporate natural fibers into many of his projects, (especially hemp) as a way of mitigating the effects of global warming.

Jonathan Miller has emerged as one of the nation’s leading advocates for the legalization of hemp. He serves as the general counsel to the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, the hemp industry’s leading national business advocacy organization, with more than 90 member companies and organizations that represent every link of the hemp product chain, from seed to sale.

Jonathan also serves as the Member in Charge of the Frost Brown Todd law firm in Lexington, Kentucky. Upon leading successful lobbying efforts that laid the groundwork for new laws that legalize hemp and hemp-derived CBD, Miller serves as a trusted counsel to dozens of companies in the industrial hemp space, with his full-service complement of law partners offering client counsel on issues ranging from intellectual property to corporate transactions to FDA regulation.

Jonathan’s work was recognized by the prestigious National Law Journal which named him to its inaugural class of “Trailblazers” among government relations professionals.

In his nearly two decades of public service, Jonathan held numerous senior positions in state and federal government, including two terms as Kentucky's elected State Treasurer, serving as Kentucky’s Secretary of Finance and Administration, as Deputy Chief of Staff of the U.S. Department of Energy, and as Legislative Director for Congressman Jim Cooper (D-TN). He graduated from both Harvard College and Harvard Law School with high honors.

John Johnson is the principal of Agricola, LLC, an agriculture consulting firm advising on farm to fork issues and serves on the board of the National Industrial Hemp Council (NIHC). He is also the former Chief Operating Officer for the National Pork Board in Des Moines, Iowa. In that role, he was responsible for providing strategic support to the Chief Executive Officer of the pork checkoff, overseeing organizational goal setting and accountability measurements and facilitating cross-departmental coordination.

Johnson was also responsible for directing high-level, cross-functional projects that required engagement and direction from the Board of Directors at the National Pork Board and its senior leadership team. He served as a member of the leadership team and served as the primary contact with USDA.

Prior to joining the National Pork Board in 2009, Johnson served seven years as an appointee of President George W. Bush to the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) as the Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs in Washington, D.C. He was responsible for administering the nation’s farm subsidy programs, disaster assistance programs, the Conservation Reserve Program, and the Tobacco Buyout Program.

Prior to joining FSA, Johnson served in senior leadership positions at several agricultural organizations.

He grew up on a family farm in New Jersey. Johnson and his wife Kathryn have two grown daughters, Lauren and Carla.

Represents the fourth-generation of his family's farm operating outside Charlotte, North Carolina. Having graduated from North Carolina State University with a bachelor's degree in landscape architecture and a minor in business management, Shawn has pursued entrepreneurial enterprises throughout his life with sucess in co-founding The Naked Pig Meat Company, which provides farm families economic value through grain and animal purchasing and meat processing, and Aggrist Inc., an cultication, genetics, and bulk derivatives processing.

Patrick Atagi is President and CEO of DA Farms in Nyssa, Oregon where he is a 3rd generation specialty crop farm owner. He served as Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for the United States Department of Agriculture during the George W. Bush administration. Atagi is an experienced executive with a demonstrated history of working in the government relations industry. Atagi served as a Legislative Assistant under United States Senator Mark O. Hatfield (Oregon), then Chairman of the United States Senate Appropriations Committee.

Atagi is also the head of government affairs for NWPCA. He leads staff on policy analysis of regulatory and legislative issues. Atagi is responsible for obtaining, contracting, and managing outside expert consultants on industry issues. He builds and maintains coalitions with associations whose members use wood pallets and containers. He also assists members and strengthen their relationships with affiliated industry groups.

Atagi represents association positions in front of international, federal and state officials, industry groups, and other associations. Atagi has his State Government Affairs Professional Certificate from the State Government Affairs Council. He is skilled in managing nonprofit organizations, working with Board of Directors and Executive Committees, annual meeting management and planning, governmental affairs, and media/ communications. Atagi previously worked for the US Apple Association, UnitedFresh, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), been the Secretariat for the World Chlorine Council, and the American Chemistry Council.

Atagi is a strong business development professional and a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and University of Maryland MBA program.

Jody McGinness comes to the Hemp Industries Association with greater than twenty years of experience in leading associations and membership organizations in the nonprofit sector. Most recently he served as the head of fundraising for the Marijuana Policy Project while that organization campaigned successfully to pass adult-use legalization legislation in Illinois and Vermont as well as engineering the passage of medical cannabis legalization in Utah. His passion for hemp is informed by personal experience, having witnessed family members who were directly harmed by prohibition, and he is inspired by the potential of the U.S. hemp industries to provide opportunities for entrepreneurship and innovation to the benefit of all Americans. He makes his home just outside the nation’s capital, where he resides with his family, and -in what free time he is able to find- he enjoys experiencing the wonders of the natural world through the eyes of his three young children.

Greg Wilson has spent his career as an engineer in the building materials industry. Educated at both Frostburg and Harvard, Greg has worked in China, Europe, Australia, and North America developing new products and establishing the factories to convert plant fiber into wood composites to replace solid wood. An outdoor enthusiast and serial entrepreneur focusing on environmentally sustainable projects. HempWood has been Greg’s homecoming to reaching his dream of “Made in USA” being stamped on his products! The idea of using hemp as a sustainable wood substitute came to Greg while he was working for a bamboo flooring company years ago. Fibonacci, LLC is an Ag Tech company operating in the eco-friendly building materials space. By using the algorithm of a tree, HempWood has reverse engineered the natural growth cycle of plant-based materials and utilized bio-mimicry to transform hemp fibers and protein based bonding agents into a viable wood substitute that grows 100 times faster and is 20% stronger than oak.

Chase Hubbard earned his degree in Sustainable Agriculture from Warren Wilson College in Asheville, NC and later completed NC State’s Agricultural Leadership Development Program. His career in farm management – including a broad range of crops, livestock, and markets – received widespread local and national recognition for progressive agricultural practices and for mentoring young farmers. Chase’s unique perspectives in agriculture result from deep sector knowledge across many commodities and geography, ranging from Western North Carolina to Latin America and Southeast Asia. In addition to farming full-time, he served as an elected Soil and Water Conservation Supervisor, and in appointed leadership roles for local/state agricultural committees and commodity groups. Chase covers the emerging hemp industry for The Jacobsen.

Melissa D. Marsal is the current Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for West Town Bank & Trust and West Town Bancorp, overseeing Banking Operations, HR Compliance and IT. She also serves on the ALCO, IT, Compliance and HR Committees of the Bank and previously served as the Bank’s Information Security Officer. Ms. Marsal previously served as the Bank’s Chief Marketing Officer overseeing Sales and Marketing prior to her transition to COO. Melissa graduated from East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina in 1992 and was one of the original organizers and founders of Albemarle Bank & Trust assisting in the organizing of the proposed de novo that is now West Town Bank & Trust.

Nathan is the founder of Lux Botanics, a mission-led craft botanical product manufacturer in Black Mountain, NC. Lux partners with local growers of medicinal plants and fungi to develop ethically sourced, standardized concentration medicinal ingredients. Lux incorporates these ingredients into formulations and products for product makers, brand owners, and retailers.

Dave is the co-founder and CEO of Open Book Extracts (OBX), a large-scale, vertically integrated hemp-derived CBD company that is setting the standard for professionalism and transparency in sourcing, extracting, and formulating superior products. Prior to OBX, Dave co-founded Greenleaf, a leading Ohio medical marijuana company, that won and now operates the maximum number of licenses allowed by the state. While Dave’s commitment to cannabis is driven by his firm belief in its efficacy, his engineering background drives his commitment to data and traceability. Dave started his career as a quality engineer in the automotive space and then served Fortune 500 semiconductor companies as CEO of LineStream, an automation software company which he co-founded and sold in 2017.

Erin Williams has been with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) for over 10 years. She has served in a variety of roles, including Dispute Resolution Specialist and Policy and Planning Coordinator for the agency’s Division of Consumer Protection. She is currently a Policy Analyst in the agency’s Office of Policy, Planning, and Research and serves as the agency’s Regulatory Coordinator. Ms. Williams has coordinated VDACS’s work to oversee Virginia’s industrial hemp research since the enactment of the Virginia Industrial Hemp Law in 2015. Additionally, she oversees the agency’s Industrial Hemp Grower License program. Ms. Williams earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and a law degree from Quinnipiac University School of Law in Hamden, Connecticut.

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.

Matt along with Chase Werner started Triangle Hemp, which functions primarily to work with farmers to provide feminized seed and transplants.

Triangle Hemp's passion is growing plants which started with our commercial greenhouse vegetable business 7 years ago. Matt's expertise consists of high-tech greenhouse production on a commercial scale focused on the consistency and reliability needed to fill large 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 160 farmers spread out across 10 states to provide field-ready starter plants with the best quality genetics available.

Taimour Azhar is a hemp entrepreneur, founder and President of the Hempville. Taimour has worked as an Electrical Engineering consultant for fortune 500 companies like PPG and DuPont for over 10 years. He has an extensive knowledge and experience of large scale manufacturing and managing multi Million dollar projects. He is fully determined to contribute in hemp industry and lead industrial hemp processing in America.”

Chase Werner has been designing, building and operating Controlled Environment Agriculture systems since 2006. First as a hobbyist, then as Founding Partner of Endless Sun Farms, a year-round hydroponic produce greenhouse and since 2017 as Founding Partner of Triangle Hemp. From their greenhouses in Durham, NC, Triangle Hemp has provided over 500 acres of hemp transplants to farmers across 10 states and is offering feminized seed as well as transplants in 2020.

I am originally from Beaufort, North Carolina. I came to the triangle region 12 years ago to attend NC State University. I graduated from NC State in 2012 with a Bachelor’s in Zoology and again in 2015 with a Master’s in Entomology. I specialized in insect diversity among varying agroecosystems. I began working with the NCDA&CS in early 2016 and have transitioned from a temporary, to a full time field staff, to a supervisory role, and finally to the Industrial Hemp Program Manager. I have been with the Industrial Hemp Program since 2018.

Dr. Yohannes is Chief Operating Officer of Renaissance Fiber LLC. Dr. Yohannes also holds an adjunct appointment at the Wake Forest School of Medicine in the department of Physiology and Pharmacology. Prior to Renaissance Fiber, Dr. Yohannes had spent over 25 years in the pharmaceutical industry. His experience includes senior level positions multiple companies, including most recently Ophidion Inc, where he was Executive Director of Operations. Before that, he was Head of the Therapeutics Accelerator at Wake Forest Innovations, supporting academic drug discovery efforts. His academic term was preceded as the Senior Director of Drug Discovery and Development at Targacept, where he was additionally the Therapeutic Area Leader for Addictions. Prior to Targacept, Dr. Yohannes was Director of Chemistry at ArQule, Inc., and before that, Director of Medicinal Chemistry at Infinity Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Yohannes started his career at Pfizer, where he spent 8 years in the CNS drug discovery group working on multiple programs in neurodegenerative diseases and psychotherapeutics, and where he helped establish the nicotine research group that discovered the smoking cessation drug Chantix.

Dr. Yohannes received his Bachelors in Chemistry with honors Sterling College in Kansas. He completed his Ph.D. in Synthetic Organic Chemistry at Purdue University. Dr. Yohannes then spent two years at Yale where he received postdoctoral training as an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow. Dr. Yohannes also holds an Executive MBA from the University of Rhode Island, and has founded or supported three other startup companies over the past two years as an entrepreneur.

Charles is Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Sanitas Peak. A 25-year veteran entrepreneur, Charles has extensive experience in financial markets, marketing and distribution. Previously, he was a principal at Cherry Creek Partners, a Denver-based private equity firm that syndicates investment opportunities in real estate and provides seed capital to start-ups.

Previously, Charles served as director of business development for American Property Solutions, a joint venture between Bitzer& L.C. Fulenwider focusing on bank REO and distressed real estate. Prior to APS, Charles founded GM Limited, a golf licensing distribution company with a substantive roster of brands including Reebok, Greg Norman and Payne Stewart. GM Limited became one of the most successful golf apparel businesses in Hong Kong and China. Charles sold the company in 1997 and has continued to profitably invest in business sectors including communications, oil and gas and real estate - areas to which he brings significant energy and acumen.

Previously, Charles was Regional Marketing Manager for a Hong Kong-based, Coca-Cola Licensing operation, overseeing the distribution and marketing in Singapore, the Philippines, Taiwan and Hong Kong; research analyst for Credit Lyonnais Securities, evaluating potential investments for British merchant banks and global emerging market funds; and on the underwriting and debt syndication desk for Kemper Financial in Chicago, IL.

Charles received a BA from Vassar College and earned an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Over the past 25 years Volker has held a number of leadership role sin Regulatory Science and Food Safety R & D in the agricultural solutions industry and more recently in environmental and life science laboratory service businesses. He has a wealth of international, operational, business development and technology - related experience, developing and growing science and technology solution - based companies, teams, and laboratories in the life sciences marketplace. Most recently, Volker and his Avazyme team have been a strong supporter and testing partner for the fast - emerging Industrial Hemp industry in North Carolina and the entire East Coast.

Volker began his career at BASFAG, in Germany where he held various R & D leadership and operating roles(some of the min the US) in the Agricultural Solutions Division and was a leader in innovation teams and mergers and acquisition swith subsequent integrations. He also played a pivotal role inseveral external international regulatory task forces(OECD) and industry associations (ECPA, CLA, CLI) in Europe and the US. He is now applying his extensive knowledge and network in agriculture, crop science, pesticides, natural products metabolism and xenobiotic metabolism, nutraceuticals / pharmaceuticals and regulatory science to the hemp industry and the entire Food Value Chain; From Farm - to - Fork and from Farm - to - Farmacy.

Prior to starting his own companies, Volker was President of Smithers Viscient, a mid - size contract research organization focused on global environmental testing and business development and operations a cross agrochemical, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. Volker was responsible for Business Process Optimization, acquisition of companies in the US, Europe, and Japan, and the irsubsequent integration in the existing Smithers business.

In 2014 Volker founded Avazyme, Inc. a contract research solution provider, offering field and laboratory testing, product development, and expert consulting services to the agriculture and food industries. Avazyme’s comprehensive services include food safety analyses for contaminants, pathogens, allergens, food quality and nutrition analysis, genetictrait testing, product safety, FDA Menu Labeling, pesticidere sidues, mycotoxin analysis, specialized studies for regulatory submission data packages, and a full spectrum of testing for products a fety and product quality related to Industrial Hemp. Avazyme provides fast and reliable answers to ensure product safety and high product quality for consumable food, feed, cosmetics, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products.

In 2015, Volker was also appointed Adjunct Professor by the Department of Chemistry, in the College of Science of North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC; Advisory Council Member at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center; and North Carolina AgBiotech Advisory Council Member. Volker holds a degree in Chemistry (Vordiplom) from University Hamburgin Germany, and a PH.D. in Chemistry from Rice University, Houston, Texas, studying the Bio synthesis of Antibiotics from Fermentation. He had a Post - Doc appointment at the University of Hawaii, working on marine and algalnatural products and the bio synthesis and novel structure elucidations of Cyano bacteria. Volker has also completed extensive Executive education at Harvard Business School.

When not in the office or traveling on business, Volker is teaching and mentoring students as an Adjunct Professor at NC State University, or roaming the great outdoors eithers kiing, kayaking or on foot with his dog soren joying wood working and designing and creating fine furniture.

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).

Michael Sanders has a diverse entrepreneurial background and has founded 6 industrial hemp/CBD companies since 2014, all of which are operating at a profit including Co-Founder of Xtracts LLC, Sana Botanicals LLC & Stones River LLC. Mike was awarded the first hemp processors license issued by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. Mike has designed, built and overseen the operations of 5 processing facilities for cannabis/hemp/CBD. Additionally, he, along with his wife, design and manufacture most of their key processing equipment with their strategic partners. Mike has developed a true seed to sale supply chain for the hemp/CBD companies in which he is involved. His companies are strategically partnered with large cannabis, tobacco and beverage companies with global reach.

Mike has founded or co-founded companies during the past 20+ years. Additionally, he has acted as a key strategic consultant to startup mid-level companies, government agencies, and academic institutions globally. Michael has overseen multiple international projects in Educational Management, Renewable Energy and Contract Finance. Mike was the co-founder of Orbis Education Services in 2004, which introduced an innovative nursing education partnership between private business, hospitals, and universities in the USA. Orbis sold for $362 million in 2019 which was a leap from its humble beginnings on Mike’s original $125,000 personal investment. He also has served on the board of directors of several privately-held, multi-national companies with global operational offices, as well as on 3 charitable boards. Mike has worked with senior government officials in the Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Russia, China, Cambodia and the USA on a variety of education and renewable energy initiatives. His efforts have resulted in active alliances and partnerships with 60+ universities globally, and strategic partnerships with a host of international and domestic businesses.

Mike is a decorated member of the US Air Force and worked for the Office of Special Investigations, both as a member of the USAF and later as a civilian contractor.

Mike’s personal goal is to develop businesses and natural products supply chains that support personalized medicine options in lieu of traditional Western pharmaceuticals.

Eric Steenstra is a hemp industry pioneer, cofounding hemp clothing and lifestyle brand Ecolution with Steve DeAngelo in 1992. Steenstra was a founding member of the Hemp Industries Association and served as its Executive Director from 2008 to 2016. Steenstra now serves as the president of Vote Hemp, the political advocacy organization that he co-founded in 2000. Steenstra also serves as Vice President of the California Hemp Council. Steenstra is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and trusted source to the media, including NY Times, Forbes, CNN, Rolling Stone and the Washington Post.

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).

Yimeng "Jack" He serves as an Analytical Chemist at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR). He brings more than 10 years of experience in analytical chemistry instrumentation, specializing in mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography. In his role at IALR, Jack facilitates regional economic transformation by providing analytical chemistry services to local industry and research groups. He also manages analytical chemistry projects and labs equipped with the latest, top-of-the-line equipment. Jack developsmethodologies for identification and quantitation of chemical analytes using modern instruments such as UPLC MS/MS and GC MS. He also tests a wide range of chemical analytes ranging from cannabinoids and pesticides to metabolites and volatile carcinogens.

Jack’s past career experience includes working on analytical methodology development projects for Environment Canada (Canadian EPA counterpart). He also worked in the pharmaceutical industry under a GLP (Good Laboratory Practice) setting. Plus, Jack developed small-scale pilot manufacturing processes and provided guidance to production personnel on scale-up processes. He holds a master’s degree in Organic Chemistry.

Bert James is an active crop consultant and farmer in Eastern NC. Homegrown Agriculture, established in 2001, has assisted over 100,000 acres of North Carolina production with fertility and crop management, specializing in technology and efficiency. In 2015, he served as president of the North Carolina Association of Crop Advisors.

Recently, the opportunity to manage the family farm in Martin, Halifax, and Pitt Counties has become a primary business interest. The production concepts involve integrating old methods with new farm practices such as regenerative row crop and livestock land management. Desiring new crops and a constant focus on localized markets led to a larger opportunity.

Bio Regen Co-op was formed in December 2016 to assist in bringing new crops forward that may be viable sources of income for local farmers. The first focus was on the opportunity in industrial hemp. Two years later, North Carolina looks to be a legitimate front-runner in bringing this ancient plant back to production. This would not have been possible without the financial support of the Co-op members and efforts from founders and board members, past and present. We have much to learn and are excited about the possibilities new crops and industry brings.

Anni Self was born and raised in a small farming community in southwestern Ohio. Anni studied botany at Miami University and received her B.S. in Plant Science from Tennessee Technological University. She later earned her M.S. in Plant Pathology from the University of Tennessee. Anni has worked in and around the horticulture industry her entire career and has been employed with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture for the past 31 years. At the Department, Anni has served as nematologist, horticultural marketing specialist, and plant pathologist. She currently serves as the plant certification administrator, and is responsible for all plant regulatory programs including industrial hemp and apiary.

Anni and her husband live on a farm just west of Nashville, and raise beef cattle, pigs and meat goats.

Eric Henry, president of TS Designs, started his business creating screen designs in 1978 while attending North Carolina State University. Two years later he merged his company with Tom Sineath to form TS Designs. Eric has been in the screen printing business for more than 30 years. Eric’s duties at TSD range from sales and R&D to marketing. He is the foremost public face of TSD, attending numerous trade shows, giving speeches to groups and universities and hosting tours of the TSD facility. His boundless enthusiasm and energy have gained him a certain level of notoriety at most of them, even winning him the Sustainability Champion Award from Sustainable North Carolina in 2009.

Tai Olson is the Director of Operations at US Heritage Group, a leader in hemp-based construction products and systems and the first company to build a Hempcrete house in North America. US Heritage Group specializes in cast-on-site Hempcrete and pre-fabricated structural hemp panels. Tai has worked to develop the Hemp Building market and overseen the design and construction of projects throughout the US. He has a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Virginia, and a Master of Engineering Management from Northwestern University with a specialization in Product Development.

Chip has had a long career working in corporate finance, in which he has built up formidable expertise in the renewable energy, agriculture and hard commodities sectors. He began his role in these industries when he was working for what has since become Wells Fargo and the Royal Bank of Canada. After sharpening his skills he launched 3Cord Consulting where they help organizations identify the best financing plan for immediate and future needs.

More recently, Chip has turned his attention to the rapidly growing cannabis and hemp markets in the US. He has applied the skills and connections built up over years provide financing services for cannabis farms and processing entities. This has naturally led to his newest partnerships in the hemp space, where his most recent project is the development of a high-capacity hemp processing plant just outside of Asheville NC. He has taken on the role of CEO as a founding member of Abundant Labs, LLC. He has built a team of operators, farmers and science professionals to finish out a state of the art facility. The facility is operational and pushing up to four thousand pounds per day of biomass through their cGMP facility producing Full Spectrum Distillate, Broad Spectrum (Tfree with Flash Chromatography), and pure CBD Isolate. He has turned his attention to international relationships as they have begun exporting their product internationally.