Fundraising in Cannabis Crash Course

The marijuana industry is expected to triple in the next five years — and many investors are looking to profit.

As states and entire countries decriminalize or legalize cannabis and/or its components, there are massive opportunities for entrepreneurs and existing companies. As a result of the Covid-19 Pandemic, Cannabis has gone from illegal to essential, and now non-legal states are looking to legalizing to replenish their coffers with tax revenues.

The industry is not recession-proof. You have to do your due diligence to determine who to work with. There’s a lot to learn, so we’re bringing you two investment experts in our local industry to share their tips and expertise. Sensi North Bay hosts our Virtual Connects each month until we can meet once again in person. We hope you’ll join us for our Crash Course in Fundraising.

Guest Speakers:

Joyce Cenali, Partner and Chief Operating Officer, Big Rock Partners, San Francisco, CA

Joyce leads operations at Big Rock Partners, a strategic advisory firm serving investors and companies at the intersection of food, hospitality and cannabis. Their portfolio includes notable California companies Cannacraft, Henry’s Original, Vertosa, Kikoko, Garden Society, Sava, and others. They also own and operate Sonoma Hills Farm, the first full acre cultivation in Sonoma County focused on bringing craft cannabis to the farm-to-table lifestyle. She previously founded a boutique artist management firm, and lead business development, licensing and partner integrations for e-commerce start-ups. A long-time craft cannabis cultivator, she co-founded an Emerald Cup winning operation, and served as Co-Chair for Women Grow, Sonoma. She is an advisor for various female founders of early stage companies that are innovating in cannabis. She attended Smith College, and lives with her wife and puppy children in San Francisco.

Jake Kuczeruk, VP of Business Development, The Arcview Group Director of Partnerships, Dispatch Protocol, Interim Director of Growth at WeTrust A native of the Detroit and Indianapolis areas

Jake moved to the Bay Area after graduating from Indiana University with degrees in Public Policy and Business. Previously, Jake founded the menswear service Tie Society and was part of the core team at Console.fm (both 500 Startups). After a turn running Business Development for both West Agile Labs and MegaBots, Jake shifted into the blockchain space joining WeTrust, Dispatch Labs, and The Bureau. Jake is an active startup advisor, serving as Managing Director of Founder Institute’s SF chapter, and mentor for top accelerators like 500 Startups, GSV Labs, Alchemist Accelerator, among others. He’s guest lectured for Masters-level University courses and assists a prominent Japanese investor in sourcing potential investments. Jake mainly enjoys spending time with his wife and two cats when he’s not watching Red Wings hockey.

Hosted by North Bay Publisher Nancy Birnbaum and facilitated by Michael Diettrich-Chastain, XChange Facilitator, Author, Speaker & CEO of ARC INTEGRATED.