Investor Hot Seat Presenting Companies
for January 28, 2021
Investor Pitch Competition
Moderator
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Moderator
Dr. David Cunic, CEO, UCS Advisors
David M. Cunic is an entrepreneur who specializes in Investor Relations Advisory services. "Dr. David", as most people know him as, has raised capital, expanded several companies, and has employed over 300+ people. He has been in the medical field for 18+ years, has been a business owner for 19+ years, and has been in the cannabis industry for 10+ years. Some people have called him the "triple headed dragon" due to his diversity and experience. Over the past 16 years, Dr. David has started over 10+ companies, in both the public and private sector, and has successfully sold many of them. His efforts in business operations and human resources won him the prestigious Alfred Sloan Award for Workplace Programs and Flexibility. David has assisted many companies in securing millions of dollars for his clients ranging from the cannabis, hemp, energy, medical, water, and the beverage industry. He has served on numerous boards as an advisor and trusted source of information. Dr. David also performs presentations and speaks at conferences on a variety of topics in both the medical sector and cannabis industry.
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Presenting Companies
David Drutz, CEO, GroBright
Mr. Drutz has specialized in building and re-branding companies in various verticals for the past 30 years. Mr. Drutz has extensive knowledge and experience in marketing, strategic planning, growth and acquisition, negotiation and corporate development. In the 1990s David got his start in international marketing at Lifestyles International. As the Director of Product Development and Manufacturing (1991-1994) Mr. Drutz led the development of a new product, becoming company’s number one product with over $70M in sales per annum. He then became Executive Vice President (1994-2000) where he spearheaded the company’s Asian and European expansion. This expansion resulted in the company operating in 18 countries by 1999. As President of the company (2000-2007) Mr. Drutz increased total sales revenue by over 100% to just over $100 million between the years of 2000 and 2004. David also expanded the company’s operation to 29 different markets worldwide while travelling extensively around the world to build strong relationships with sales leaders and distributors. During his time as President, Mr. Drutz held motivational speaking engagements worldwide to groups as large as 4000 people. Mr. Drutz then shifted his focus to safety when he purchased Kiddie Proofers (2007) and built it to become the largest child safety company in Canada, increasing sales by triple digits. David then saw opportunity in the commercial and industrial sectors, and started First Comes Safety (2012). Most recently, Mr. Drutz has ventured into the Biotech industry where he focuses on the genetics of various commoditized plants. As the President and CEO of Lineage Grow Company (2017-2018) Mr. Drutz was instrumental in taking the company public by developing and implementing the public offering. In addition to leading the acquisition of two subsidiary companies Mr. Drutz, along with his team, designed and implemented indoor grows in Washington State and Colorado as well as purchased dispensaries in Oregon and California. Mr. Drutz is a founding partner of Grobright Biotech Inc., which has recently purchased 20 acres of land which will become the Crowley County Hemp Campus. David has spent 18 months building a team of industry experts and successful executives and secured a genetics partnership with one of the leading genetics companies in North America. Mr. Drutz has gained an in-depth knowledge of all areas of growing hemp including but not limited to genetics, harvesting, processing, and extraction.
About Grobright Grobright Biotech Incorporated is a CBD company with patentable TFE (Tetrafluoroethane Extraction) technology that delivers high quality product, at scale. We are focused on Processing, Extracting, and BioMass repurposing. Grobright is setting a new standard of quality within the CBD industry while maintaining multiple revenue streams. Our business model completely eliminates the risk of farming and allows us to set up extraction and processing labs at any location with minimal investment and infrastructure required. Our toll processor business focuses on a modular and scalable business model as the business grows with low capex and high return. Every line of business is market needs based, there is either shortage of the service or it is not available. In terms of TFE, there is no existing equipment that can process high volumes efficiently. By purchasing our processor clients will be able to do higher volumes of business and produce a much better end product.
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Greg Rovner, CEO, Heally
Greg Rovner is the CEO of Heally, a B2B Telehealth Platform for Alternative Medicine clinics. Greg is a serial entreprener that has spent the past 20 years of his life, building and scaling businesses from the ground up.
About Heally Heally is a B2B Telehealth platform that brings Alternative medicine clinics online. It’s very similar to what shopify does for retail.
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John Coppolino, CEO, Tygrus
John Copplino has over 30 years of experience in sales, marketing, operations, distribution, restructuring, and finance working with both middle market and Fortune 500 companies.
About Tygrus Tygrus is a technology, manufacturing, and licensing company that has developed new, patented chemistries. Tygrus’ vision is to Better Everything by replacing hazardous chemistries with safer, less toxic alternatives across a wide variety of applications in multiple vertical markets. Tygrus, with corporate offices in Detroit, Michigan, was formed in 2012 as a Delaware limited liability company in partnership with the original inventors of the technology. Name of Company: Tygrus LLC
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Max Koby, CEO & Co-founder, Abstrax
Max’s interest in the cannabis industry began when he had a heart attack at a young age. It was then that he discovered its holistic benefits, and he became involved in the industry in a limited capacity. In 2010, Max and Jack founded a non-profit collective that cultivated high quality cannabis for its patients. In the process, the partners traveled extensively to identify sought after genetics and worked to develop complex terpene profiles.
Max is passionate about raising the standards of current manufacturing practices, developing/implementing systems, building solutions, and innovating new products in the cannabis industry that have applications in other markets around the world. About Abstrax Leveraging its proven background in cannabis research, ABSTRAX is the leader in the research, development, and production of botanically-derived and cannabis-inspired terpenes that create unforgettable sensorial experiences. Headquartered in California, the company owns and operates a state-of-the-art type 7 licensed research and manufacturing lab where it’s award-winning product developers and scientists leverage the most advanced strain analysis technology to extract and study aroma compounds via three-dimensional analysis, allowing for each and every compound within a plant to be named and studied. The company has partnered with many of the best cultivators in the industry to study their cannabis profiles and create the world's most advanced terpene formulations. As a result of its efforts, ABSTRAX offers the largest terpene catalogue of the most popular strains - botanically-derived terpene blends and isolates native to cannabis. These ingredients, also known as functional flavors and aromas, are used in vapes, concentrates, edibles, beer, essential oils, fragrances, cosmetics, topicals, tinctures, alcohol, food and beverage, personal care, and more. The company works with internationally recognized brands and provides unparalleled cannabis research, innovation, and custom formulations to create products that engage and thrill consumers. ABSTRAX also devotes significant resources to developing the highest terpene standards and best practices in the industry. The company has developed a robust quality management system including Gas Chromatography analysis and molecular distillation of natural ingredients to achieve the highest purity standards. Investigating and ensuring that ingredients used in its own products, and products within its industry, are safe for consumption. The terpene industry is a rapidly growing segment of the global flavor and fragrance market, which is expected to grow to $35 billion by 2024. This market segment includes the cannabis, CBD, skincare, cosmetics, health and wellness, food and beverage industries.
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Richard Ehrlich, COO, Iconic Wellness & Provisioning
Former founder of Dimension Advisors LLC. Hedge Fund Advisory. Founder of MultiDimension Fund L.P., Fund of Hedge Funds. Money Manager. Assets under Management have exceeded over $250 Million
About Iconic Wellness & Provisioning Iconic Wellness & Provisioning is a fully integrated Cannabis Company.
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Sergio Srour, CEO, BudBuds.us
Sergio Srour graduated from law school in São Paulo with a JD specializing in criminal law in 1995. Additional education and professional courses in Philosophy, Business Administration, Advertising, Marketing and HR. Professional background includes: - experience in supermarket, bars and restaurant management both in US and Brazil; - 15 years of Food & Beverage Foreign Trade, getting a unique know-how and expertise - Brand manager, responsible for twelve states on the east coast of the USA; CEO & Founder of BudBuds.us, a cutting-edge platform designed exclusively for Cannabis growers and consumers. Professional Grower with 5 years of experience of cultivation for complete cycles. Fluent in Portuguese, French, English and Spanish.
About BudBuds.us A Platform for growers to record and control their cultivation while improving the quality based on consumer’s feedback, as well as a tool consumers to record and share their consumption and experiences allowing us to empirically identify genotypes and phenotypes for certain ailments and conditions.
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Simon Liegel, Co-Founder, Driftless Extracts
Simon Liegel is the co-founder of Driftless Extracts a Seed to table USDA Certified Organic Hemp processor.
Simon is a life-long resident of Wisconsin and entered the financial services industry in 2007 after graduating from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Finance. Simon currently holds the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP) professional designations. He has built his practice through hard work, client interaction, and most of all, dedication to his clients. Simon is married and lives in rural Spring Green, Wisconsin with his wife Jessica, daughters Savannah and Ivy, and son Weston. In his free time, Simon enjoys hunting, fishing, camping, and spending time with his family. About Driftless Extracts Driftless Extracts is a hemp solutions provider located in the heart of the Driftless Region of Southern Wisconsin. Our vision is to revitalize local agriculture with hemp as a centerpiece to a renewable future. We continue to bring leading-edge technology to our facilities as we build services to support our grower network. Driftless Extracts is positioned in the marketplace for multiple renewable hemp products including extracts, powders, seed oils, packaging, and fiber composites. The leadership team intends to leverage this advanced position into a high value renewable industry in Wisconsin that will provide a market foundation for large scale agricultural hemp production.
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Willard McAndrew, CEO, Sentinel Asset Management Group
Willard McAndrew is a accomplished public company Chief Executive with over 40 years of experience leading publicly traded and private equity owned businesses. Vast experience in building operating teams, consolidating companies, creating operating efficiencies, maximizing shareholder returns and compiling capital sources. Mr. McAndrew, as CEO led the efforts to up-list a company to the NASDAQ Exchange. Mr. McAndrew was also appointed to OTCQX Issuer Advisory Council in 2019. Mr. McAndrew has acted as strategic consultant and was responsible for the structure, formation and marketing of partnerships and joint-venture financings. Mr. McAndrew is also a director for Sports Society for American Health. He has been involved in multiple start-ups and consolidation plays. He owned a registered Securities Broker Dealer with over 100 brokers and employees.
About Sentinel Asset Management Group Sentinel Asset Management Group, LLC (SAMG) is a private holding company run by public company executives that is a vertically integrated organization across the cannabis value chain from cultivation, processing and extraction, product development and wholesale/retail distribution. SAMG’s current consolidation focus is on the Oklahoma medical marijuana market, one of the fastest growing cannabis markets in the United States. SAMG currently has three Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority approved licensed producers under contract, through its subsidiary SAMG-OK LLC: Working under these three licenses, SAMG-OK LLC will encompass 3 verticals; (i) Grow Facility #1 and Grow Facility #2, licensed cultivation facilities, all regulated under the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority SQ78. These Stateof-art mixed-light greenhouses produce medicinal marijuana products at large scale that allows SAMG to have a broad product offering of superior quality therapies at affordable prices in quantities to SAMG dispensaries as well as other non-SAMG owned dispensaries that support Oklahoma's rapidly growing patient population
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