WORKWEEK

1) Codie Sanchez

Codie is the founder of Contrarian Thinking.

Codie was the Managing Director of cannabis fund Entourage Effect Capital until April 2021 where she remains a board advisor.

As a starting point, it was this LinkedIn post Codie made that resulted in my creating this newsletter so if you have gained value from Four PM / The Green Paper — you have Codie to thank.

Additionally, Codie has shown me what is possible when creating content and communities online, having grown her newsletter to 100,000+ subscribers in 2021 as she continues to succeed across industries.

2) Taylor Jones

Taylor Jones is the co-founder of Pistil Data.

I first got to know Taylor in August 2020, however, prior to founding Pistil Data, Taylor had helped build a number of successful cannabis companies.

In addition to being an exceptional sales leader, Taylor has a true passion for providing adults with access to cannabis which is refreshing to see.

Knowing what I know about Taylor and Jeffrey, the co-founders of Pistil Data, I can say with certainty that Pistil Data’s success in cannabis is inevitable.

3) Annie Davis

Annie Davis is the founder of Growing Impact.

Annie is the former VP of Marketing for Flow Cannabis, and I first heard Annie’s name earlier this year listening to a podcast.

In addition to being one of the top marketing leaders in cannabis, Annie continues to do an amazing job highlighting the room for improvement in cannabis when it comes to sustainability.

Cannabis needs more people like Annie, and I am very glad that talented executives such as Annie are choosing to work in the cannabis industry.

4) Ross & Zach Lipson

Ross & Zach are the co-founders of Dutchie.

While I am very impressed that Dutchie has more than 10x it’s valuation in 2021, I am even more impressed with how Ross & Zach have scaled Dutchie.

When the pandemic began, cannabis retailers needed solutions to perform online orders and Dutchie experienced a meteoric increase in the level of demand for their e-commerce solution.

From all of the cannabis retailers I have spoken to, they love using Dutchie and this is a testament to how effectively Ross & Zack responded when the entire cannabis industry needed solutions like Dutchie to remain open for business.

5) Brett Puffenbarger

Brett is the Managing Partner of Good Highdeas.

I met Brett earlier this year on LinkedIn — a platform where Brett consistently shares his perspective on the cannabis industry.

Brett continues to share thoughtful takes on the cannabis industry, and I have a great deal of admiration for how apologetically honest Brett is.

Like everyone on this list, if you haven’t crossed paths with Brett’s work in 2021 — I have a strong suspicion you will in 2022.