Cannabis Capital

Learning from nature, delivering through chemistry.   The end of cannabis prohibition has made cannabis research possible which has generated a wave of cannabis biotech start-ups.  Caitlyn Krebs the co-founder and CEO of Nalu Bio joins Ross O'Brien and Maggie Kelly from Bonaventure Equity to talk about the challenges and opportunities of being at the intersection of biotech and cannabis.   As an entrepreneur with many successful exits under her belt she also shares advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.Produced by PodConX Cannabis Capital - https://podconx.com/podcasts/cannabis-capitalRoss O'Brien -  https://podconx.com/guests/ross-obrienMaggie Kelly - https://podconx.com/guests/maggie-kellyBonaventure Equity - https://www.bvequity.com/Caitlyn Krebs - https://podconx.com/guests/caitlyn-krebsNalu Bio - https://www.nalubio.com/

Cannabis beverages, A new category of high Imagine a cup of coffee without the jitters, an edible without the sugar or a joint without the smoke TJ Stouder believes that the future of cannabis will be in beverages.    As the Founder of HoliSTIK Wellness and Myhi he joins Ross O'Brien and Maggie Kelly to explain why the opportunities for cannabis beverages are so great.   He also advises aspiring cannabis entrepreneurs to adhere to business basics and not fall victim to the "green-rush" hype.  Produced by PodConX Cannabis Capital - https://podconx.com/podcasts/cannabis-capitalRoss O'Brien -  https://podconx.com/guests/ross-obrienMaggie Kelly - https://podconx.com/guests/maggie-kellyBonaventure Equity - https://www.bvequity.com/TJ Stouder - https://podconx.com/guests/tj-stouderHoliSTIK Wellness - http://www.holistikwellness.com MyHi - www.getmyhi.com

Towels that are better for you and the planet   While transitioning from a career as a sustainability expert for large corporations, Brianna Kilcullen identified a need for a better towel.   Realizing that hemp fiber is more durable, more absorbent and more odor resistant than cotton she founded Anact  to create a hemp towel.   She joins Ross O'Brien and Maggie Kelly from Bonaventure Equity. to talk about why it is important to design products to be reused and why we should stop purchasing products that are designed to be discarded.Produced by PodConX Cannabis Capital - https://podconx.com/podcasts/cannabis-capitalRoss O'Brien -  https://podconx.com/guests/ross-obrienMaggie Kelly - https://podconx.com/guests/maggie-kellyBonaventure Equity - https://www.bvequity.com/Anact - https://www.anact.com/Brianna Kilcullen - https://podconx.com/guests/brinana-kilcullen

"The cannabis industry is its own best friend and worst enemy."How does a state start from scratch with a new cannabis or hemp program?  Where does one even begin?  There is enormous pressure to get it right and to create rules that not only align with the law and are implementable, but also make sense for the growers and founders who put these policies and rules into action.  Florida has the potential to grow into one of the largest cannabis micro-economies in the U.S., and the Florida Department of Agriculture is laying the foundation.  Holly Bell, Cannabis Director for the Florida Department of Agriculture is responsible for this huge undertaking and she joins Ross O'Brien and Maggie Kelly from Bonaventure Equity to provide insight into the rule-making process and shares thoughtful advice for entrepreneurs entering the cannabis and hemp spaces.Produced by PodConX Cannabis Capital - https://podconx.com/podcasts/cannabis-capitalRoss O'Brien -  https://podconx.com/guests/ross-obrienMaggie Kelly - https://podconx.com/guests/maggie-kellyBonaventure Equity - https://www.bvequity.com/Holly Bell - https://podconx.com/guests/holly-bellFlorida Department of Agriculture - https://www.fdacs.gov/

Know the plants that go into your products  Eleanor Kuntz the Co-Founder of LeafWorks, a genetics business specializing in plant DNA testing for the Natural Products industry joins Ross O'Brien and Maggie Kelly from Bonaventure Equity.  She explains why cannabis agronomy and genetic science is not up to pace with market needs or demands.  They discuss how DNA-based solutions can help to improve brand security and build consumer confidence in plant-based products.Produced by PodConX Cannabis Capital - https://podconx.com/podcasts/cannabis-capitalRoss O'Brien -  https://podconx.com/guests/ross-obrienMaggie Kelly - https://podconx.com/guests/maggie-kellyBonaventure Equity - https://www.bvequity.com/Eleanor Kuntz - https://podconx.com/guests/eleanor-kuntzLeafWorks - https://leafworks.com/

"Greatness is slow-cooked."Most of the traits found in successful athletes can also be found in successful entrepreneurs.  Rachael Rapinoe, former professional soccer star, trainer and health scientist, and the co-founder of Mendi,  joins co-hosts  Ross O'Brien and Maggie Kelly from Bonaventure Equity to talk about CBD and why a "better recovery means a better you".   As Rachael succinctly explains it, "CBD is not an MVP, but it's a great teammate" and is most effective when used with other recovery methods.  This interview also reveals how Mendi is doing the work to build a more diverse company and that includes making their cap table reflective of their values, great advice for any founders out there.      Episode sponsored by Jesse Grillo MarketingProduced by PodConX Cannabis Capital - https://podconx.com/podcasts/cannabis-capitalRoss O'Brien -  https://podconx.com/guests/ross-obrienMaggie Kelly - https://podconx.com/guests/maggie-kellyBonaventure Equity - https://www.bvequity.com/Mendi - https://themendico.com/Rachael Rapinoe - https://podconx.com/guests/rachael-rapinoe

Founders must have a "Failure is not an option" mindset.    "Entrepreneurship is hard,  entrepreneurship in the cannabis industry is even harder, you better be ready". Veteran entrepreneur Peichen Chang, CEO and Founder of TCheck joins Ross O'Brien and Maggie Kelly to talk about his entrepreneurial journey.  He shares the unexpected  conversation he had with a friend suffering from  Parkinson  disease that inspired him to launch his company.   In addition to the TCheck story they also discuss some misconceptions about entrepreneurship and Ross tackles this week's Cannabis Economy Challenge - consumer / kitchen products.Produced by PodConX Cannabis Capital - https://podconx.com/podcasts/cannabis-capitalRoss O'Brien -  https://podconx.com/guests/ross-obrienMaggie Kelly - https://podconx.com/guests/maggie-kellyBonaventure Equity - https://www.bvequity.com/Peichen Chang - https://podconx.com/guests/peichen-changTCheck - https://tcheck.me/

"40,000 people are  in prison for doing the same thing that we are doing every day".   For most of the country, cannabis legalization is creating enormous opportunities.   Unfortunately, many of the people responsible for creating this opportunity can not capitalize on it because they are in prison.  Industry veteran and co-founder of The Last Prisoner Project, Andrew DeAngelo joins co-hosts  Ross O'Brien and Maggie Kelly from Bonaventure Equity to explain how they're addressing the inequities caused by the war on drugs.      Episode sponsored by Jesse Grillo MarketingProduced by PodConX Cannabis Capital - https://podconx.com/podcasts/cannabis-capitalRoss O'Brien -  https://podconx.com/guests/ross-obrienMaggie Kelly - https://podconx.com/guests/maggie-kellyBonaventure Equity - https://www.bvequity.com/Andrew DeAngelo - https://podconx.com/guests/andrew-deangeloLast Prisoner Project - https://www.lastprisonerproject.orgCannabis Consulting - https://www.andrewdeangelo.comJesse Grill Marketing - https://jessegrillo.com/   

"We are in the service of entrepreneurship."In this episode of Cannabis Capital: The Podcast, hosts, Ross O'Brien  and Maggie Kelly take a pause to discuss Ross's recent journal article, "How We VC," and publicly share their firm, Bonaventure Equity's, views on venture capital and the 10 core foundations to which their firm adheres.Produced by PodConXCannabis Capital - https://podconx.com/podcasts/cannabis-capitalRoss O'Brien -  https://podconx.com/guests/ross-obrienMaggie Kelly - https://podconx.com/guests/maggie-kellyBonaventure Equity - https://www.bvequity.com/www.cannabiscapitalpodcast.com/resourceswww.rossobrienvc.com/journal/howwevc

"No one knows what will happen in the next five years." As the senior reporter at Business Insider where he focuses on the emerging cannabis economy, Jeremy Berke has an opportunity to view the space through an objective lens.  He joins co-hosts  Ross O'Brien and Maggie Kelly from Bonaventure Equity to share some honest cannabis sector observations and to provide valuable insights for both investors and founders.Produced by PodConX Cannabis Capital - https://podconx.com/podcasts/cannabis-capitalRoss O'Brien -  https://podconx.com/guests/ross-obrienMaggie Kelly - https://podconx.com/guests/maggie-kellyBonaventure Equity - https://www.bvequity.com/Jeremy Berke - https://podconx.com/guests/jeremy-berkeBusiness Insider - https://www.businessinsider.com/author/jeremy-berke

"The MSO's have won is my blunt truth"  Compliance, it's the business that everyone in cannabis is in, whether they know it or not.  Tyler Beuerlein of Hypur Inc. joins co-hosts  Ross O'Brien and Maggie Kelly from Bonaventure Equity to reveal some very blunt truths about the cannabis economy, multi-state operators (MSO's), the limited license market, and what the SAFE Banking Act really means to cannabis operators.Produced by PodConX Cannabis Capital - https://podconx.com/podcasts/cannabis-capitalRoss O'Brien -  https://podconx.com/guests/ross-obrienMaggie Kelly - https://podconx.com/guests/maggie-kellyBonaventure Equity - https://www.bvequity.com/Tyler Beuerlein - https://podconx.com/guests/tyler-beuerleinHypur - https://www.hypur.com/

Keeping it moving because "unlike fine wine, deals don't get better with age" In each episode of the EduPod Series host Ross O'Brien and Maggie Kelly from Bonaventure Equity  take deeper dives into the business and finance fundamentals discussed in their weekly interviews.   In Part 2 they offer a high-level walk through of the pitch and diligence process.    They discuss a number of related topics including researching and sourcing the right investor, identifying the gatekeeper and building a rapport, understanding the demands of the diligence process and the importance of the founder/investor (long-term) relationship.  Visit www.cannabiscapitalpodcast.com for episode highlights and the readiness assessment worksheet.   Hello@cannabiscapitalpodcast.comProduced by PodConXCannabis Capital - https://podconx.com/podcasts/cannabis-capitalRoss O'Brien -  https://podconx.com/guests/ross-obrienMaggie Kelly - https://podconx.com/guests/maggie-kellyBonaventure Equity - https://www.bvequity.com/Cannabis Capital Resources - www.cannabiscapitalpodcast.com

Ever wonder “how to raise capital” or “what is EBITDA?” The EduPod Series take a deeper dive into the business and finance fundamentals discussed in their weekly interviews.  On today's episode host Ross O'Brien and Maggie Kelly from Bonaventure Equity  provides a beginners guide with five key important takeaways including: assessing your readiness to raise capital, understanding the time commitment involved, managing expectations, assessing your investor market, and the importance of presenting yourself as a Founder who is both knowledgeable and coachable.  Visit www.cannabiscapitalpodcast.com/resources for episode highlights and the readiness assessment worksheet.Produced by PodConXCannabis Capital - https://podconx.com/podcasts/cannabis-capitalRoss O'Brien -  https://podconx.com/guests/ross-obrienMaggie Kelly - https://podconx.com/guests/maggie-kellyBonaventure Equity - https://www.bvequity.com/Cannabis Capital Resources - www.cannabiscapitalpodcast.com/resources

Learning from nature, delivering through chemistry.   The end of cannabis prohibition has made cannabis research possible which has generated a wave of cannabis biotech start-ups.  Caitlyn Krebs the co-founder and CEO of Nalu Bio joins Ross O'Brien and Maggie Kelly from Bonaventure Equity to talk about the challenges and opportunities of being at the intersection of biotech and cannabis.   As an entrepreneur with many successful exits under her belt she also shares advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.Produced by PodConX Cannabis Capital - https://podconx.com/podcasts/cannabis-capitalRoss O'Brien -  https://podconx.com/guests/ross-obrienMaggie Kelly - https://podconx.com/guests/maggie-kellyBonaventure Equity - https://www.bvequity.com/Caitlyn Krebs - https://podconx.com/guests/caitlyn-krebsNalu Bio - https://www.nalubio.com/

What cannabis entrepreneurs need to know about public relations While both advertising campaigns and public relations campaigns can improve brand awareness there is a difference how and when they should be used.   Unfortunately, many start-ups do not understand the difference and frequently fail to achieve the results that they desire.  Mike Sanchez from Emergent Layer joins Ross O'Brien and Maggie Kelly from Bonaventure Equity to explain some important public relations dos and don't to help businesses improve their brand's exposure.Produced by PodConX Cannabis Capital - https://podconx.com/podcasts/cannabis-capitalRoss O'Brien -  https://podconx.com/guests/ross-obrienMaggie Kelly - https://podconx.com/guests/maggie-kellyBonaventure Equity - https://www.bvequity.com/Mike Sanchez - https://podconx.com/guests/mike-sanchezEmergent Layer - https://emergentlayer.com/

Cannabis beverages, A new category of high Imagine a cup of coffee without the jitters, an edible without the sugar or a joint without the smoke TJ Stouder believes that the future of cannabis will be in beverages.    As the Founder of HoliSTIK Wellness and Myhi he joins Ross O'Brien and Maggie Kelly to explain why the opportunities for cannabis beverages are so great.   He also advises aspiring cannabis entrepreneurs to adhere to business basics and not fall victim to the "green-rush" hype.  Produced by PodConX Cannabis Capital - https://podconx.com/podcasts/cannabis-capitalRoss O'Brien -  https://podconx.com/guests/ross-obrienMaggie Kelly - https://podconx.com/guests/maggie-kellyBonaventure Equity - https://www.bvequity.com/TJ Stouder - https://podconx.com/guests/tj-stouderHoliSTIK Wellness - http://www.holistikwellness.com MyHi - www.getmyhi.com

Founders must have a "Failure is not an option" mindset.    "Entrepreneurship is hard,  entrepreneurship in the cannabis industry is even harder, you better be ready". Veteran entrepreneur Peichan Chang, CEO and Founder of TCheck joins Ross O'Brien and Maggie Kelly to talk about his entrepreneurial journey.  He shares the unexpected  conversation he had with a friend suffering from  Parkinson  disease that inspired him to launch his company.   In addition to the TCheck story they also discuss some misconceptions about entrepreneurship and Ross tackles this week's Cannabis Economy Challenge - consumer / kitchen products.Produced by PodConX Cannabis Capital - https://podconx.com/podcasts/cannabis-capitalRoss O'Brien -  https://podconx.com/guests/ross-obrienMaggie Kelly - https://podconx.com/guests/maggie-kellyBonaventure Equity - https://www.bvequity.com/Peichan Chang - https://podconx.com/guests/peichen-changTCheck - https://tcheck.me/

Preview Cannabis Capital