Vol. 2: Key Considerations Before Building Your CBD Extraction Facility

Dr. Daniel Chinnapen

Chief Scientific Officer

Dr. Chinnapen recently joined Vantage as Chief Scientific Officer and is responsible for direction on oversight of the Company’s extraction operations, research and development. Dr. Chinnapen has a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and was a principal investigator at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital focused on research into large molecule therapeutic delivery. Dr. Chinnapen also brings extensive experience from various cutting-edge biotech companies focused on biologic drug development. He has publications in peer-reviewed journals and brings a critical eye to the science of CBD supporting the company’s deep-science approach at every step of the process from seed-to-extract

Deepank Utkhede

Chief Operations Officer

Mr. Utkhede has 22 years of experience in pharmaceutical formulation and process development and has extensive experience developing robust and commercially scalable manufacturing processes. He has worked extensively developing various pharmaceutical dosage forms — topicals (dermal and ocular), orals (capsules and liquid), parenterals (aseptic and terminally sterilized) — and drug/device combination products with extensive experience in the area of lyophilization, liposome and emulsion technology. Utkhede is also well versed in GMP/FDA regulation.

Bridget Hoffer

Marigold PR (Moderator)

Bridget is the co-founder of Marigold Marketing and PR, a communications strategist and brand expert. She has extensive experience in delivering strategic communications, marketing, and brand programs that achieve results and resonate. Her expertise ranges from developing and managing iconic Canadian brands to refreshed personal brands with effective positioning to ensure relevance and value.

Since 2015, she has been a consultant with individual clients, digital start-ups and PR firms providing communications strategy and planning for business development, expansion and launching new brands. From 2000 to 2014, Bridget was the executive director of CBC communications, marketing, and brand for all CBC English Services. She collaborated with CBC Radio-Canada’s French and Corporates service on national projects. During her tenure, CBC was ranked as one of Canada’s most influential brands by Ipsos. Previous, to her role as executive director, Bridget was director of CBC Radio and CBC regional communications. Before joining CBC, Bridget led the communications teams for the United Way of Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Currently, she is a board member for Safetynet services in Oakville, ON.

Av Singh, PhD, PAg

Cultivation Advisor and Chief Science Officer, FS Cannabis

Av Singh is one of the leading authorities on regenerative organic cannabis production. Dr. Singh has authored over 200 peer-reviewed papers, chapters, and extension articles and has been an invited speaker to over 500 workshops, conferences, symposia as well as guest-lecturing at over 30 universities in Canada, the US, the UK, and India. Av has had the privilege of visiting over 2000 farms across five continents which has shaped his extension of holistic, system-based design solutions. Emphasizing a union of traditional knowledge with science, Av works with growers to cultivate an appreciation of plant:soil interrelationships.

Av has recently been appointed to the Cannabis Quality Assurance (CQA) Standards Committee and is a member of the International Cannabinoid Research Society, and was identified as one of the Top 50 Heroes shaping the Canadian Cannabis sector by High! Canada Magazine and a Cannabis Hero by Cannabis Amnesty.  Av is a frequent speaker and advisory board member at  O’Cannabiz and the Grow Up Conferences.