by Grow Up Conference | Aug 11, 2017
Jodie Giesz-Ramsay (formerly Emery) is a high-profile longtime advocate for cannabis and civil liberties. Since 2004 she has engaged in many forms of activism including election campaigns, presentations to government bodies, and frequent appearances in the media and at events. Jodie owns and operates Cannabis Culture Magazine, Pot TV, Cannabis Culture stores and lounges, and a hemp-themed coffeeshop model called Jodie’s Joint. She has been arrested and convicted for her peaceful civil disobedience, and remains passionate about human rights and drug policy reform.
by Grow Up Conference | Aug 11, 2017
Dooma Wendschuh is the Co-Founder and CEO of Province, a Toronto-based highly disruptive startup in Canada’s legal cannabis industry. Province’s products promise a better class of psychoactive, the first true alternative to alcohol. Following twenty-nine speaking engagements, thirteen times on national television, and nearly sixty media appearances, Mr. Wendschuh has emerged as a leading voice in the burgeoning cannabis industry. He is known for advocating and helping bring about a new paradigm where top quality cannabinoid-derived products serve as a safer and healthier alternative to alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, and prescribed and illegal psychoactives.
Prior to founding Province, Mr. Wendschuh was the co-founder of a successful, well-known Colorado-based cannabinoid research and consumer products company which he ran for two and a half years. Before entering the cannabis industry, Mr. Wendschuh was co-founder and co-CEO of sekretagent Productions, Inc., a film and video game production company and advertising agency with offices in Los Angeles and Montreal. sekretagent is best known for its video game work, helping to develop and launch the wildly popular ASSASSIN’S CREED franchise, and providing development and story services on BATMAN: ARKHAM ORIGINS, three games in the PRINCE OF PERSIA franchise, and many more. Collectively, sekretagent’s games grossed more than $5 billion worldwide. sekretagent’s advertising division created and produced award winning work for the Coca-Cola Company, General Motors, Polaroid, Diamond Resorts International, Mentos Mints, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, and many others. Under Mr. Wendschuh’s leadership, sekretagent also sold eight motion pictures and one television series to major studios and produced THE PLAGUE for Sony Screengems.
Mr. Wendschuh graduated magna cum-laude from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, and received his Masters from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema / Television Peter Stark Producing Program.
by Grow Up Conference | Aug 11, 2017
Shannon has been developing educational and competency-based training programs for the cannabis industry in Canada since 2015. She had a major role in the design and implementation of Canada’s first university course focusing on the management of medical cannabis production under the MMPR. Using leading edge online technologies along with proven Competency-Based Training methodologies to design and develop programs, she has implemented training both face-to-face and online for thousands of clients in Canada and internationally. She has been Director of Training at Cannabis Compliance Inc. (CCI), Canada’s foremost cannabis regulatory consulting firm and then with Deloitte’s Center for Cannabis. Shannon holds an MEd from Simon Fraser University.
With 3 decades of experience in education and training, including 7 years specifically in the cannabis sector, Shannon has the unique position of being at the forefront of this industry as it has evolved and has seen first-hand how developing people and instilling competence in leading practices not only mitigates risk but propels clients to success. www.hachekloet.com
by Grow Up Conference | Aug 10, 2017
Kimberly is a leading voice in the patent agent community. She has a PhD in chemistry and currently serves on the Canadian Patent Agent Examining Board for the qualification of Canadian Patent Agents. Kimberly thrives on the challenge of figuring out how best to claim, strengthen and protect her clients’ inventions to create a strategic patent portfolio.
Kimberly is a registered Patent Agent in Canada and the United States. The focus of her practice is on drafting and prosecuting patent and design applications, preparing patentability, infringement, validity and freedom-to-operate opinions, providing worldwide strategic patent and design portfolio management and conducting due diligence in patent and design valuations.
Kimberly specializes in the areas of chemistry, pharmaceutics, medical devices, aerospace and energy and mining. More specifically, she specializes in the fields of organic and inorganic chemistry, such as pharmaceutical formulations, polymers, surfactants, petroleum, propellants, electrochemistry, photochemistry and synthesis. Kimberly’s post-doctoral research experience in chemistry related to synthesis of new drugs for photodynamic therapeutic treatment of cancer (Queen Mary and Westfield College, London, England) and the development of new polymeric materials and methodologies for holographic data storage (NSF Center for Photoinduced Charge Transfer, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY). During that time she co-authored several well-known scientific publications.
Kimberly is a Fellow of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC) and a member of the American Chemical Society (ACS), Chemical Institute of Canada (CIC), the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO), the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) and the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM). In addition to serving on the Canadian Patent Agent Examining Board, she currently serves on the Women’s IPO Committee and the Canadian Practice IPO Committee.
Her clients include academic/research institutes, start-up companies, pharmaceutical small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and larger blue chip companies.
by Grow Up Conference | Aug 2, 2017
Alex Rea is Vice President of Homegrown Hydroponics Inc and co-founder of Phytomedical Cannabis Consulting. Homegrown , a Toronto based company engaged in hydroponic equipment supply is a leader in the industry, engaged in imports, wholesale supply, retailing and consulting for large scale legal cannabis growing. With Phytomedical, Alex assists clients seek legal access and information on buying, using and growing cannabis. Alex is the second generation, with a unique perspective of the cannabis industry and has a passion for learning how this plant will affect Canadian Industry.
by Grow Up Conference | Aug 2, 2017
Matt Rogge is the Director of Research and Development at 7ACRES, where he holds a specific focus in developing and implementing the company’s long term genetic optimization strategy. Matt’s objective is the continuous development of a team capable of ensuring 7ACRES will be a leader in cannabis genetic innovation, improving the Company’s cultivation efficiency, and providing genetic material for other Licensed Producers.
Prior to becoming the Director of R&D, Matt was 7ACRES’ first Director of Production where he was instrumental in the creation of 7ACRES’ proprietary system for scaling craft cannabis production. The resulting production program enables 7ACRES to produce large lots of cannabis flowers which retain key quality aspects of craft growing; gentle plant interactions, ideal environmental conditions, effective IPM strategy, 14-day whole plant hang-dry, and a hands on approach to manicuring for optimal visual appeal. Prior to joining 7ACRES, Matt completed programs in Forestry and Horticulture, which he applied to developing his skillset under the MMAR program, and in commercial cultivation facilities.
by Grow Up Conference | Aug 2, 2017
Cam Battley is Chief Corporate Officer of Aurora Cannabis, one of the world’s largest and fastest growing cannabis companies. A passionate spokesperson for the medical cannabis industry, Cam started with Aurora Cannabis in March 2016 and has been a key driver to Aurora’s emergence as a global leader.
As a senior healthcare industry leader and strategist with more than 20 years of international experience, Cam is the lead external-facing executive of Aurora, responsible for establishing and managing relationships with shareholders, analysts, media, regulators, governments, and other companies and organizations operating in the cannabis sector. He also chairs the Executive Committee, acts as liaison with the Board, and ensures organizational alignment across the Company’s operations, domestic and international.
Cam is a member of the Board of Directors of Cannabis Canada, the trade association of Licensed Producers. With a background as a health sector management consultant, he brings experience in government, health- care NGOs, and the biopharmaceutical industry.
Prior to joining Aurora, Cam was Vice President of Communications and Corporate Development for Bedrocan Canada, an experienced world-wide producer of legal cannabis. During his time there, Cam was the primary spokesperson and responsible for media, external communications, investor relations, business development, government relations, and physician and patient initiatives. Cam’s leadership generated significant media coverage for Bedrocan.
In 1997, Cam founded Health Strategy Group, an international management consultancy with clients ranging from health professional and patient NGOs, to innovative and generic pharmaceutical firms, and biotechnology and medical device companies. While there, Cam established himself as an expert speaker and communicator and was retained to provide media training for executives and health professionals throughout the industry.
Before founding Health Strategy Group, Cam was Vice President, Creative, of Veritas Communications. Under Cam’s leadership, Veritas grew from six to 24 employees, becoming Canada’s largest health care communications firm.
Cam also worked for Eli Lilly and Company, as Director of Communications for Canada. There, Cam was the lead spokesperson for all corporate and product communications (including Prozac), developed public information and awareness campaigns with mental health organizations, conducted issues management, and developed an external publication that included contributions from leading journalists and public figures.
Cam arrived in the health sector after serving as Legislative Assistant to the Canadian Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs, where he was responsible for developing legislation and shepherding it through the House of Commons, as well as negotiating with stakeholder groups and opposition parties. He is proud to have helped develop and introduce Bill C-91, which provides patent protection for innovative pharmaceuticals.
Cam is also the founder of Wind Gage Communications, a video and film production company. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Micron Waste Technologies, and of Campaigning for Cancer (South Africa).
Cam lives in rural Ontario, Canada with his wife and two children. He coaches boys’ and girls’ soccer teams and is a Scout leader. He is a trail runner and PADI certified Rescue Diver.
