Brian Applegarth

President, Founder / Cultivar Strategies, Cannabis Travel Association

Topic: The Quantifiable Effect of Cannabis Tourism on Wine Country

Brian has led the advancement of cannabis travel and tourism. He is the founder of the Cannabis Travel Association International and President of Cultivar Strategies, a cannabis-related solutions provider for destinations. Cultivar Strategies teamed up with MMGY Travel Intelligence to conduct groundbreaking national research on the Active Leisure Cannabis Travel Audience in the United States. Brian serves as a subject matter expert for the California Travel Association, Destinations International, San Francisco Travel, Sonoma County Tourism and the Las Vegas Chamber of Cannabis. He is a sought-after advisor and speaker in his area of expertise.

 Matthew Bartlett

Sr. Operating Partner / Merida Capital Holdings

Topic: The Business of Cannabis; Investor Predictions for 2022

Matthew Bartlett is a Sr. Operating Partner at Merida Capital. At Merida, Matt helps manage nearly 80 investments across the cannabis ecosystem in 4 funds totaling nearly $500M. Matt focuses on growth strategy in start-ups and publicly traded companies across the US and advises some of the largest brands and cultivators in California.

Matt has specialized in commercial and capital markets, agriculture finance, beverage M&A; and global wine & spirits operations for the past 15 years. He brings extensive knowledge in brand and operations management in CPG as well as managing logistics and supply chain for Costco’s Kirkland Wine & Spirits and several nationally distributed Napa, Sonoma and California premium wine brands. Prior to his roles in operations; Matthew established the Wine Division for Bank of Marin (NASDAQ: BMRC), was Vice President at American AgCredit and Regional Manager in Capital Markets Finance for HSBC. He’s a founding member of two California based cannabis companies and is a graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Sonoma State Universities Wine MBA program.

 George Christie

President & CEO / Wine Industry Network

Symposium Moderator

George Christie, a New Jersey native, settled in Sonoma County after college in 1991 where he quickly realized that the wine industry was where he wanted to concentrate his efforts. Since that time, he has been involved in nearly every aspect of the wine industry, from vineyard operations and grower relations to distributor realignments and national marketing campaigns. Always an active member in the wine community, Christie has also held board positions with the Russian River Wine Road, Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley and the Sonoma County Vintners. In 2008, George and his wife Tami, along with the Saini Family, partnered to create Saini Vineyards, a winery specializing on Old Vine Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley.

In 2009, with Elizabeth 'E' Slater, George launched the Wine Industry Network (WIN). What began as an online directory has evolved over the years into one the leading B2B marketing and media companies serving the wine industry. WIN works with over 600 industry product and service providers and produces the Wine Industry Expo (WIN Expo), the 2nd largest trade show for the wine industry, along with the Wine & Weed Symposium, the Wine Industry Advisor news site and the Afternoon Brief daily news email with over 35,000 industry subscribers.

 Misha Frankly

Co-Founder & Operator / Mendocino Experience Cannabis Farm Tours

Topic: The Quantifiable Effect of Cannabis Tourism on Wine Country

Misha Frankly is the co-founder and operator of Mendocino Experience Cannabis Farm Tours. Mendocino Experience has been providing bus tours of cannabis farms, wine vineyards and the giant Redwoods in Mendocino since 2018. Misha has nearly a decade’s experience working in various guiding and driving positions in the San Francisco tourism industry with companies such as City Sightseeing SF, Grayline, Great Pacific Tour Company and Green Dream Tours, among many others. Misha was recently interviewed and his quote notably featured in the recent Wine Spectator June 2021 issue 'Cannabis in Wine Country'.

 Marc D. Hauser

Attorney at Law / Reed Smith

Topic: The Business of Cannabis; Investor Predictions for 2022

Marc Hauser is Counsel and Cannabis Practice Team Leadership at Reed Smith LLP, a global law firm with over 1,600 lawyers worldwide. Nationally recognized by Chambers USA and his peers as one of the country's leading Cannabis attorneys, Marc's practice is focused on the Cannabis industry (non-hemp and hemp), providing sophisticated legal services to industry participants nationally, and helping companies build relationships, manage risk, and get business done in constantly-shifting regulatory environments. His deep and broad base of connections throughout the industry gives him access to an extensive knowledge and skill set, benefitting clients and relationships.

Marc has 23 years of experience as a deal and capital markets lawyer, spending the bulk of his career as personal deal counsel for Sam Zell, a Forbes-listed billionaire and active investor in Chicago. His current Cannabis industry clients include public and private single- and multi-state operators, market-leading ancillary businesses, investment banks and other financial services providers, lenders and real estate investment trusts, private equity funds and other investors, multinational CPG manufacturers, testing labs, cultivators, processors, and entrepreneurs.

In addition, Marc provides perspectives on the cannabis industry through speaking engagements, being frequently quoted in trade and business publications, and his periodic newsletter, Cannabis Musings, which has delivered his unique take on industry activities since 2018.

 Stephanie Honig

Director of Sales & Communications / Honig Vineyard & Winery

Topic: The Quantifiable Effect of Cannabis Tourism on Wine Country

Stephanie Honig was born in Havertown, Pennsylvania. When she was six years old, she moved with her family to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Stephanie moved to Florida in 1994, where she attended Florida International University, graduating in 1997 with a Bachelor's degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management. While attending FIU she also spent time in Europe, studying at Oxford Brookes University in England. She then moved to Philadelphia and worked as a Sales Manager for Marriott Corporation.

In 2000, she moved to New York to pursue a career in the wine industry. While in New York, Stephanie worked as a Sales Manager for Clicquot, Inc., and in National sales for Rudd Winery. In 2005, she earned the WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Higher Certificate and the WSET Diploma. Stephanie left Rudd Winery in 2006 to import her own wine brand from Argentina. She also taught wine classes at the French Culinary Institute in New York and at Florida International University.

In 2006, she moved to Napa Valley and married Michael Honig. Stephanie travels the globe developing Honig's international and national presence and handles the public relations for the business. She has chaired the Public Relations Committee and serves on the Marketing Committee and the International Ambassadors Committees at the Napa Valley Vintner Association. She is active in raising funds for Type 1 diabetes research (her oldest daughter has the disease) and for gun violence. She is certified as a Feng Shui consultant and is a founding board member of the Napa Valley Cannabis Association. She lives on the Honig property in Rutherford with her husband Michael, their daughters Sophia and Lola, sons Sebastian and Santiago, and their dogs Raisin, Hunter and Dulce.

 Devika Maskey

Co-Founder & CEO / TSO Sonoma

Topic: The Quantifiable Effect of Cannabis Tourism on Wine Country

Devika Maskey is Co-Founder and CEO of the luxury cannabis brand, TSO Sonoma. TSO Sonoma is a women-led conscious cannabis lifestyle company dedicated to reimagining wellbeing through events, products, and exclusive membership.

Devika attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and graduated with a degree in Wine and Viticulture with a concentration in Wine Business. With 12 years of experience designing events and tastings in the premium wine business, Devika shifted her focus to create similarly regulated, quality experiences in the emerging cannabis tourism industry. With Sonoma County being the hub for gourmet food, wine, and cannabis, it only seemed natural to create a brand to reflect that.

TSO Sonoma launched in 2017 with a farm-to-table approach focused on regenerative farming practices and sustainability. Reflecting the unique terroir of its environment, TSO Sonoma is a carefully curated collection of products and elevated experiences. As CEO of TSO Sonoma, Devika believes cannabis has the power to elevate your health and invoke connection with your world. The collection merges sustainable sun-grown flower, artful design, and inviting community—for a modern, sophisticated cannabis experience. For the connoisseurs and the curious, TSO Sonoma's products and experiences invite profound new ways of looking at not only the plant but holistic wellness itself.

Devika is a founding member of Women Empowered In Cannabis and the Arcview Group's Women Inclusion Network.

 Tracey Mason

CEO / House of Saka

Topic: The Rise of Cannabis Beverages and What it Means for Wine

A seasoned sales and marketing executive, Tracey Mason has successfully created, marketed and sold innovative products in the CPG and adult beverage sectors for over 25 years.

Her prior experience includes serving as Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at CannaCraft, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Terravant Wine Company, SVP of Marketing and Innovation at Purple Wine and Spirits, EVP of Global Marketing at Goelet Wine Estates/Clos du Val Winery, VP of Global Innovation at Treasury Wine Estates, Director of Commercial Innovation at Diageo and VP of Sales and Marketing at Epic Wines.

In addition to overseeing House of Saka’s day-to-day operations, Mason is also President and Creative Director for M3G-Inc, a leading marketing consultancy group she founded in 2013. She has a BA in Politics from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia with further graduate study at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, a love of all things food and wine and an unparalleled passion for branding.

 Rick Maturo

Associate Director of Client Services / NielsenIQ Cannabis Practices

Topic: Cannabis and Wine – Friend or Foe? Complementary or Substitutable?

Rick is the Associate Director of Client Services of NielsenIQ Cannabis Practice in the United States, supporting relationships with NielsenIQ's many CPG and retail clients, as well as with key industry groups and the media.

In this role, Rick supports an array of cannabis-centric initiatives for NielsenIQ's clients and internal product teams, providing business information, analysis, insights, and designing research methodologies for syndicated and custom solutions. He is especially interested in researching how access to legal cannabis impacts adults' CPG shopping and consumption behaviors.

 Lauren Mendelsohn

Senior Associate Attorney / Law Offices of Omar Figueroa

Topic: The Quantifiable Effect of Cannabis Tourism on Wine Country

Lauren Mendelsohn is a Senior Associate Attorney at the Law Offices of Omar Figueroa, one of the leading cannabis licensing, regulatory compliance, and intellectual property law firms in California. She is an activist at heart who enjoys helping individuals and businesses navigate regulatory regimes and coming up with creative solutions to problems. She was named a 2020 and 2021 Northern California Rising Star by Super Lawyers®.

Lauren focuses on cannabis and hemp permitting and licensing, regulatory compliance, business formations and transactions, intellectual property, and government relations. She frequently writes for her law office's blog and has been featured in newspapers and online publications. She has also spoken at numerous cannabis industry conferences and events, and has taught several continuing legal education seminars, in both live and virtual formats.

For several years, Lauren has been involved in drug policy reform as well as other social justice efforts. She formerly chaired the Board of Directors of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) and served on the Board of Directors for the Sonoma County Growers Alliance (SCGA). Currently, Lauren is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Cannabis Bar Association (INCBA). She is involved in local, state, and federal lobbying efforts related to cannabis and hemp, equity, psychedelics, and more.

Lauren earned her Juris Doctor from the University of California, Irvine School of Law and her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Maryland. She is a proud member of the California State Bar, the Sonoma County Bar Association, the International Cannabis Bar Association, SSDP's Sensible Society, California NORML, the National Cannabis Industry Association, Americans for Safe Access, and the ACLU.

 Claudio Miranda

Founder / Guild Enterprises

Topic: The Business of Cannabis; Investor Predictions for 2022

Claudio Miranda is a seasoned entrepreneur and C-level executive with 20 years of experience in marketing, consumer branding, multi-channel retailing, and sustainable enterprise. He was formerly the co-founder and CMO of two industry-leading natural product brands – Organic Bouquet and Organic Style – and later became a marketing consultant for the cannabis, gourmet foods and wine industries. He currently oversees the Guild family of cannabis brands, which includes a vertically-integrated dispensary in San Jose; a 3-acre cannabis nursery in Monterey County; and an award-winning concentrates brand that specializes in high potency, terpene-rich extracts. Claudio is a graduate of UC Berkeley; has served as Professor of Marketing at the Dominican University Green MBA Program; and currently serves as a startup advisor at Gateway—California's first venture-backed cannabis incubator.

 Kelly Nielsen

Vice President of Insights & Analytics / BDSA

Topic: Cannabis Category Performance Review; Surviving and Thriving

Kelly Nielsen is the Vice President of Insights and Analytics with BDSA, the premiere market research firm serving the global cannabinoid industry. She leads the Insights and Analytics team and engages with clients to generate insights from a vast quantity of data to make informed business decisions and drive results.

Prior to joining BDSA, Kelly spent 13 years at The Nielsen Company within the BASES Innovation division. At BASES, she led efforts to bring innovation insights specifically to the alcohol beverage and cannabis industries. She brings with her over 10 years of experience partnering with beer, wine, and spirits manufacturers to improve innovation outcomes.

In her current role, Kelly prides herself in making data come to life with storytelling and actionable insights to help clients drive success in the cannabis market. Together with her team, she works with manufacturers, retailers, and investors to deliver unmatched insights and analytics to drive their businesses forward.

 Debbie Novograd

CEO / BevZero

Topic: The Rise of Cannabis Beverages and What it Means for Wine

Debbie Novograd is a problem solver and forward thinker. Her ability to not only look at larger existing problems, both internally and externally, but identify future opportunities in the marketplace to meet consumer trends and needs is what propelled her over the last 25 years through leadership roles in marketing and business development for food and beverage behemoths like Starbucks and Aramark. As Director of Marketing for Starbucks International, Debbie utilized brand innovation to define Starbucks in each new market, marrying consumer needs with company deliverables. At Aramark, Debbie moved into operational management and business development solidifying new partnerships and retaining national accounts. Both of these roles would prove to perfectly position her for what was to come. Under her leadership, BevZero now stands at the forefront of beverage innovation in the dealcoholization and infused beverage space helping global beverage brands of all sizes develop new products, as well as improve existing ones by guiding them through a step-by-step process that allows them to produce the highest quality products. As Debbie leads BevZero into the next decade of beverage innovation, she will continue to use her foresight, her team’s expertise and the company’s cutting-edge technology to not only develop next-gen beverage products, but to change the overall perception of social beverages and consumers’ relationships with non-alcoholic and lower-alcoholic drinks.

 Amanda Reiman

Vice President of Community Development / Flow Cannabis Co.

Topic: The Quantifiable Effect of Cannabis Tourism on Wine Country

Amanda Reiman is the Founder of Personal Plants, a multimedia platform designed to support the home cultivation and processing of therapeutic plants.

After receiving her PhD from UC Berkeley, Dr. Reiman was the Director of Research and Patient Services at Berkeley Patients Group, one of the oldest dispensaries in the country, and the Manager of Marijuana Law and Policy for the Drug Policy Alliance, a national nonprofit that was engaged in the drafting and campaigns of legalization initiatives across the country and abroad. She also taught courses on substance abuse treatment and drug policy at UC Berkeley for 10 years.

Dr. Reiman is an internationally recognized cannabis expert and public health researcher. Dubbed "The Brain" by Elle.com, she is a leader in the field of cannabis as a substitute for alcohol and other drugs and has presented her research on cannabis dispensaries and the use of cannabis as a substitute for opiates all over the world. She has written for/been quoted in The Huffington Post, New York Times, Washington Post, and Playboy as well as numerous peer reviewed academic journals and several textbooks.

Also an expert in cannabis policy on the local, national and international level, Dr. Reiman was the first Chairwoman of the Berkeley Medical Cannabis Commission and also sat on the Oakland Cannabis Regulatory Commission. She currently sits on the Board of Cannabis Doing Good, Cannabis Travel Association International, and Lavender Lotus, a nonprofit focused on bringing alternative medicine to underserved communities. She currently resides in Mendocino County, California.

 Cy Scott

CEO and Founder / Headset, Inc.

Topic: Cannabis and Wine – Friend or Foe? Complementary or Substitutable?

Cy Scott is co-founder and CEO of Headset, Inc., turning retail data into real-time cannabis market insights. Headset helps companies in cannabis succeed by promoting better decision making via market intelligence offerings and operational insights in a sleek, intuitive and easy-to-use package. Prior to founding Headset, Cy co-founded Leafly. Since Leafly’s inception in 2010, Cy helped to grow the site into the world’s leading cannabis information resource, a model of a successful ancillary brand in this new emerging industry. Along with his work at Headset, Cy founded a monthly Cannabis Tech Meetup hosting cannabis entrepreneurs and technology developers, which has now expanded into multiple regions throughout the US. Cy’s favorite strain is Tangie.

 Jocelyn Sheltraw

Director of Industry Relations / Headset, Inc.

Topic: The Business of Cannabis; Investor Predictions for 2022

Jocelyn Sheltraw is the Director of Industry Relations at Headset, responsible for internal and external strategies to build Headset's brand awareness, community development, and market expansion across North America.

Jocelyn is a vocal cannabis advocate and industry thought leader, involved in various cannabis associations, committees, social equity programs, as well as regular speaker at cannabis industry events, podcasts and webinars.

Prior to the cannabis industry, Jocelyn spent 10 years working in mobile advertising and technology developing advertising and monetization strategies for apps including: Flipboard, Spotify, SoundCloud, Pandora, and Uber to name a few.

 Austin Stevenson

Chief Innovation Officer / Vertosa Inc.

Topic: The Rise of Cannabis Beverages and What it Means for Wine

Austin is the Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) at Vertosa. He leads all commercial activities, including technical sales, tactical marketing, and new business development. Prior to joining Vertosa, Austin leveraged his bio-tech experience building the regulatory Hemp/CBD testing program for Eurofins Scientific - a world leader in food, environment, and product testing services – where he built and designed quality testing protocols for CVS and other retailers who carry Hemp/CBD products. For over 10 years, Austin has advised start-ups, built businesses, and launched hundreds of new products in finance, technology, and cannabis CPG industries. With an undergraduate degree from Columbia University in New York City, and a Masters of Science from the University of Bath in the United Kingdom--Austin is passionate about creating impact around the world, and designing products that consumers love with Vertosa.

 Alexa Wall

Owner & CEO, Boardmember / Luma California, SCGA

Topic: The Quantifiable Effect of Cannabis Tourism on Wine Country

Alexa Rae Wall, originally from Austin Texas, came to California to get her Masters in Environmental Management from the University of San Francisco and has her Bachelor of Science in Marine & Freshwater Biology from the University of Texas. Alexa is deeply involved in local cannabis policy serving on multiple boards of cannabis trade associations such as the Sonoma County Growers Alliance and the Cannabis Business Association of Sonoma County. Alexa also served a two year term on the Sonoma County Cannabis Advisory Group and currently co-owns and operates an all living soil cannabis farm with her family in Sonoma County.

 Terry Wheatley

President / Vintage Wine Estates

Topic: Welcome and Introduction with Opening Keynote

Veteran marketer and entrepreneur Terry Wheatley leads at the intersection of wine and cannabis. Terry began her career at E. & J. Gallo Winery where she spent the early years of her career. After Gallo, she moved on to Trinchero Family Estates directing national account marketing and ultimately heading up all sales and marketing as Senior Vice-President. As a preferred supplier, Terry helped launch Target's national wine business with her innovation, the Wine Cube.

After Trinchero, Terry turned to entrepreneurship, launching her own wine creation, sales and marketing company called Canopy Management. Canopy introduced several best-selling lifestyle brands such as Middle Sister and Purple Cowboy and was an early adopter of social media as a marketing, sales and loyalty-building tool with the Wine Sisterhood platform. Canopy Management was acquired by Vintage Wine Estates in 2014 where Terry is now President and is the first woman to take a major U.S. wine producer public. She has been recognized as one of the wine industry's "2016 Most Innovative Women in Food and Drink" by Fortune and Food & Wine Magazines, and 2018 Innovator of the Year by Wine Enthusiast Magazine.

Always looking to the future, Terry recognized the opportunity for cannabis and the synergies with the wine industry early on. She developed a relationship with the founders of Canna Craft who recognized her business acumen, innovation and creativity. Terry was appointed Chairperson of the CannaCraft Board of Directors in 2019.

Terry is spearheading product innovation, research and development in the wine and cannabis space using her expertise and knowledge of both worlds. Committed to giving back, Terry, herself a breast cancer survivor, co-founded Tough Enough to Wear Pink, the campaign to help families facing breast cancer, and Vintage Wine Estates' Angels Share campaign, fighting food insecurity in partnership with the Redwood Empire Food Bank and food banks across America. Terry mentors, coaches and supports the professional development of women in the wine industry and other young entrepreneurs.