Looking to be on the 2025 Top 50 list?
Make your submission below. Nominate yourself, a friend, employee, colleague or another outstanding industry leader for a chance to shine in the spotlight as we curate this list to honour the most dedicated change makers.
Toronto • May 27 – 29, 2024
Delta Hotel Toronto Airport Conference Centre
Edmonton • Sept. 29 – Oct. 1
Edmonton Convention Centre
Top 50 Cannabis Leaders in Canada
Grow Up Conference & Expo, proudly announces the inaugural Top 50 Cannabis Leaders in Canada, a landmark initiative recognizing the most influential figures in the Canadian cannabis sector.
Carefully curated by Grow Up, the Top 50 Cannabis Leaders in Canada is the first of its kind in the country and highlights individuals who have displayed exemplary leadership, innovation, and commitment to advancing the market. “Grow Up’s Top 50 list set out to answer the question: If someone wants to start a new cannabis business in Canada and speak to an industry expert, who would we recommend?” explains Randy Rowe, President of Grow Up. From entrepreneurs trailblazing new paths to industry veterans shaping the future, these leaders serve as a beacon of inspiration for the next generation of cannabis professionals.
Alexandre Gauthier
VP of R&D, Director of Cultivation, Origine Nature
Cultivation
A rising star in Canadian industry, Alexandre Gauthier heads the cultivation team at Origine Nature and is also the Vice-president of R&D. Passionate about the plant and curious to unravel all its... View More
Antuanette Gomez
CEO, Peak Pharm Labs
Medical
Antuanette is an International Speaker and Cannabis Business Maven. She is the owner of Pleasure Peaks a Hemp CBD sexual wellness line in the USA, and co-founder and CEO of... View More
Atiyyah Ferouz
Founder, AgCann Consultancy
Atiyyah is a speaker, educator, and thought leader in the international cannabis space. A plant scientist by training, she entered the Canadian cannabis industry in 2018 as a Tissue Culture... View More
Dr. Av Singh
Executive Director, Scotian Cannabis Alliance
Consultant
Av Singh is one of the leading proponents of regenerative organic cannabis production being engaged in cannabis projects across six continents. Dr. Singh has authored over 200 peer-reviewed papers, chapters,... View More
Brett Wells
Chief Executive Officer, Weed Pool Cannabis Cooperative
Supplier
Saskatchewanians believe in hard work, fair play, and integrity above all else and Brett Wells, CEO of Weed Pool Cannabis Cooperative, is no exception. Brett first entered the industry in... View More
Chris Crosbie
COO, Atlantic Cultivation
Cultivation
Chris Crosbie's journey in the commercial cannabis industry commenced in 2008 while pursuing his education and residing in California during the Proposition 215 era, a pivotal period for medical cannabis... View More
Chris Mayerson
CEO, Black Rock Cannabis Company Ltd.
Cultivation
A passionate cultivator since the late 1900's Chris was one of the original founders of Aurora Cannabis and is back at it with Black Rock Cannabis, a small independent craft... View More
Christina Michael
Founder & CEO, Marigolds Cannabis/The Entourage Collective
Consultant
With 30+ years of experience, founder, visionary, and serial entrepreneur Christina Michael has spent her career committed to collaborating and co-creating purpose driven business. In 2016 Christina began her journey... View More
Darwin Douglas
CEO & Co-Founder, All Nation
Cultivation
Darwin is responsible for strategic oversight, management and operation of All Nations. As former, long-standing council member for the Cheam First Nation and director of Cheam Enterprises Inc., Darwin is... View More
Dave Paterson
President - Canada, Canopy Growth
Cultivation
As Canopy Growth’s President for the Canadian region, Dave Paterson oversees all commercial, operational, and go-to-market capabilities within Canada. This includes leading the Company’s recreational cannabis activities under leading brands... View More
David Hyde
CEO, Hyde Advisory and Investments / CannaNavigators
Consultant
David Hyde, M.Sc., CPC has worked in the cannabis industry since 2013, when he consulted for a majority of Canada’s first medical cannabis companies. Over the past 11 years, David... View More
David Brown
Founder, StratCann
Media
David Brown is the founder of StratCann, a cannabis industry publication with a special focus on micros and nurseries. Prior to founding StratCann, David was a Senior Policy Advisor to... View More
Dr. Sherry Boodram
CEO & Co-Founder, CannDelta Inc.
Consultant
Dr. Sherry Boodram is the CEO and Co-Founder of CannDelta Inc., a leading regulatory and scientific cannabis and psychedelics consulting firm that specializes in licensing, compliance, and operational support across Canada,... View More
Dustan McLean
, Big League Genetics
Cultivation
With 30 years of cannabis cultivation experience, Dustan has dedicated a good portion of his life to cannabis. He was a founding partner and Head of Cultivation/Master Grower for Parkland Flower Inc.... View More
François Deguire
Founder and President, BioFloral Inc
Supplier
François Deguire stands at the helm of BioFloral Inc. as its Founder and President, also serving as the Chairman of the Board for Groupe BioFloral Inc. Since its inception in... View More
George Smitherman
President & CEO, Cannabis Council of Canada
Consultant
George Smitherman brings cannabis sector expertise alongside four decades of political and governmental service at the local, provincial and national level including roles as Chief of Staff to the Mayor... View More
Jackie Bieman
Co-Founder, Sheesh Sodas
Brand
Jackie Bieman (formerly McAskill) is a product strategy leader and champion for start-ups and industry innovation in the beverage and controlled substance markets. Prior to co-founding Sheesh Soda’s, Jackie was... View More
Jamie Blundell
Chief Executive Officer, Segra International Corp.
Genetics
Jamie Blundell is the CEO of Segra International, an ag tech company serving the global cannabis industry. He has over 30 years of experience in senior leadership roles including a... View More
Jay Schwartz
Chief Operating Officer, Mendo Medical
Medical
Jay Schwartz, the Chief Operating Officer of Mendo Medical, is a key figure in revolutionizing the cannabis landscape in Canada. His visionary leadership at Mendo Medical, a division of Médicibis,... View More
Joel Darichuk
CEO/GM, CannaGreen Packaging
Supplier
Proudly supporting and promoting Canadian Manufacturing for over 20 years of regulatory packaging experience focused on Cannabis and specialized packaging solutions and manufacturing. CannaGreen designs, manufactures and distributes 100% recyclable... View More
John Slaughter
Founder & CEO, High North, Inc.
Services
John is the founder of HIGH NORTH and developer of the proprietary HIGH NORTH score. With over 10 years of CPG product marketing & sales experience in companies like Johnson... View More
Katie Pringle
CEO & Co-Founder, Marigold PR
Services
Katie Pringle is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Marigold PR, an award-winning public relations agency serving North American cannabis brands. In 2021, Katie co-founded Tether, a Canadian Budtender... View More
Katy Perry
Owner, Toke Cannabis
Retail
While the name “Katy Perry” may be synonymous with music and popular culture to some, to Canada’s cannabis scene, there is only one Katy Perry, and she is the owner... View More
Kieley Beaudry
Cannabis M&A Specialist , Hyde Advisory
Consultant
Passionate about all things cannabis. Kieley co-founded a micro cultivation and processor in 2018 and founded the Alberta Cannabis Micro Licence Association (ACMLA) in 2019. Kieley spent the early part... View More
Kirk Tousaw
CEO, Great Gardener Farms, Ltd.
Services
Kirk Tousaw is an entreprenuer, barrister and cannabis advocate. He is now the CEO of Great Gardener Farms, Ltd., a micro-cultivator on Vancouver Island that specializes in the development of... View More
Lisa Campbell
CEO, Mercari Agency
Consultant
Lisa Campbell (she/her) is founder and CEO of Mercari Agency, helping cannabis companies come to market across Canada since the dawn of recreational legalization. She became a true cannabis expert... View More
Mandesh Dosanjh
President, Inspired Cannabis
Retail
Mandesh is the President of Inspired Cannabis. He is a prominent executive in the cannabis industry who brings a wealth of experience from Canadian retail operations and cannabis production. Most... View More
Margaret Brodie
CEO / Director, Rubicon Organics
Cultivation
Margaret Brodie has been with Rubicon Organics since its inception in 2015 as CFO and was appointed Interim CEO on January 1, 2023. Ms. Brodie has been instrumental in building... View More
Mario Naric
CEO, Founder, RP, Motif Labs
Extraction
Mario Naric is a smart, transparent, and youthful leader known for seeking optimal solutions in the cannabis industry. As the founder and CEO of Motif Labs, he combines his engineering... View More
Michael Forbes
Chief Executive Officer, Adastra
Processing
Mr. Forbes comes to Phyto Extractions Inc. with a background firmly rooted in medicine, cannabis production and entrepreneurship. Demonstrating his knowledge and experience in the cannabis industry, Mr. Forbes has... View More
Michael Perron
CEO, MTL Cannabis
Cultivation
Michael Perron brings more than 15 years of diverse experience to the leadership role at MTL Cannabis. Previously operating his own national advisory firm where he supported corporate development initiatives... View More
Myrna Gillis
Chief Executive Officer, Aqualitas Inc.
Cultivation
Myrna Gillis is the CEO and co-founder of Aqualitas, a vertically integrated multi-cannabis license holder, having the distinction of being the world's first organic cannabis company with EU-GMP and DEL... View More
Nathan Mison
President, Diplomat Consulting
Consultant
Nathan Mison is the co-founder and CEO of Diplomat Consulting. He is the former Vice President of Government and Stakeholder Relations at Fire & Flower, where he was one of... View More
Nicholas Sosiak
Chief Financial Officer, Cannara Biotech
Cultivation
Nicholas is a Chartered Professional Accountant with an entrepreneurial spirit and passion for the Cannabis industry. As Chief Financial Officer of Cannara, Nicholas is responsible for overseeing the company's finances... View More
Philip Campbell
CEO, Herbal Dispatch Inc.
Medical
Philip graduated from Simon Fraser University with a business degree in marketing. With ten years experience in the legal cannabis industry he has raised over $70M in debt and equity... View More
Raj Grover
CEO, High Tide Inc.
Retail
Since starting his first company at the age of 22, Raj has established himself as one of Canada’s foremost business strategists and deal-makers. He is the founder of High Tide... View More
Remo Colasanti
President, Remo Brands
Supplies
Remo has been growing Cannabis since 1988 and has been legally growing since 2001 as a patient. In 2003 he began making a series of educational Grow videos. 2006 he... View More
Robert Laurie
President, Barrister and Solicitor, Ad Lucem Law Corporation
Services
AD LUCEM LAW CORPORATION was founded in 2013 by Robert W.E. Laurie, an international lawyer qualified in England and called to the British Columbia Bar. Robert’s legal practice focuses on... View More
Steve Clark
CEO, Canadian Cannabis Exchange
Supplier
Steve Clark, a seasoned business professional, stands as a leader in the global cannabis industry, notably serving as the CEO of the Canadian Cannabis Exchange (CCX). Under his passionate leadership,... View More
Tanner Stewart
CEO, Stewart Farms
Cultivation
Tanner Stewart leads his namesake company, Stewart Farms, in its mission to replace opioids, benzodiazepines, and steroidal creams with safe, made-in-Canada cannabinoid-based wellness products. His passion for health, wellness, and... View More
Travis McIntyre
President/ CEO/ Co-Founder, Stigma Grow
Cultivation
Utilizing a unique capital allocation business model, our approach targets strategic acquisitions capable of driving future growth and state-of-the-art improvements in a variety of areas. Our strength will come from... View More
Velvet Kavanagh
Founder, Phenologic
Consultant
You deserve a cannabis business that doesn't make you feel overworked and overwhelmed. One that runs smoothly, is profitable, and shows the pride and passion of you and your team. ... View More
