Market Spotlight: California
Market Spotlight: California
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IgniteIt Presents

Market Spotlight: California

October 8th, 2025

After two SOLD OUT Spotlights in 2024, IgniteIt is hosting its third California event in Anaheim!

This targeted, one-day event offers a rare opportunity to talk to, learn from, and network with the most important players in the California cannabis market.

This October is the perfect time to gather in SoCal to reconnect with industry pros and discuss the market’s new outlook.

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What's The Big Deal?
  1. This exclusive event, centered on strategic networking, provides an opportunity to forge lasting business connections...all in a single day.
     
  2. Hear directly from leading industry professionals through high-impact education to help navigate the intricacies and obstacles of California. 
     
  3. Acquire Insider insights on the impact Federal Rescheduling will have on the California market.
     
  4. Leave empowered with a actionable roadmap to grow your business, fueled by the knowledge and connections you’ve made.
Don't take it from us, listen to the experts:

"IgniteIt events are the most valuable networking experiences I’ve encountered in cannabis. I’ve engaged in a number of strategic partnerships as a result of the connections I’ve made, and the educational discussions provide actionable insights from other operators."  - Lauren Carpenter, CEO, Embarc

"It’s not a finance show, it's a community. A room full of people who’ve been through it, sharing what they know. And that’s what makes this event matter." - Dee Sidhu, CMO, Humboldt Family Farms

"The relationships that I formed at the conference have led to valuable partnerships with people I may not otherwise have met. The combination of a decision-maker–rich audience and high-quality content makes this an essential event."  - Wes Hein, Co-Founder, Mammoth Distribution

Wednesday, October 8

Delta Hotels By Marriott
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Who should attend?
Are you ready to cultivate growth in the cannabis industry? Join us!

This event is the ultimate gathering for entrepreneurs, investors, and professionals looking to thrive in the cannabis market.
  • Dispensary Owners & Buyers

  • Cannabis Brand Executives

  • Regulatory & Operations Experts

  • Investors & Financial Institutions

Gallery
Experience previous Market Spotlight events in New Jersey and California.
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2025 Speakers
Our list of speakers, sponsors and attendees is growing every day. Take a look at some of our confirmed speakers.
Fiona Ma
Fiona Ma
State Treasurer
State of California
Nicole Elliott
Nicole Elliott
Director
California Department of Cannabis Control
Lauren Carpenter
Lauren Carpenter
Co-Founder & CEO
Embarc
Josh Kesselman
Josh Kesselman
Founder
RAW
Seth Yakatan
Seth Yakatan
Co-Founder
Katan Associates
Angela Pih
Angela Pih
Founder
Point Brand
Laurie Parfitt
Laurie Parfitt
Founder & CEO
LKP Impact Consulting
Chris Ball
Chris Ball
CEO
Ball Family Farms
Nathan Davit
Nathan Davit
Founder
Made
Dana Cisneros
Dana Cisneros
Founder
Cisneros Law Firm
Los Arias
Los Arias
CEO
Green Horizons
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Darren Lampert
CEO
GrowGeneration
Rachel Wright
Rachel Wright
Founder & CEO
Verdant Strategies
Thomas "Dope As Yola" Araujo
Thomas "Dope As Yola" Araujo
Founder
Push Trees
Micah Anderson
Micah Anderson
CEO
Leef Holdings
avatar
Lance H
Owner Operator
First Smoke Of The Day
Wesley Hein
Wesley Hein
Head of Global Brand Initiatives & Public Policy
Mammoth Distribution
Lunar Loussia
Lunar Loussia
Founder
Wellgreens
Tom Sheridan
Tom Sheridan
CEO
Perfect Union
Casey Ly
Casey Ly
Co-CEO & Co-Founder
Bloom Brands
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Matt Rakow
CFO
NUG
Lisa Weser
Lisa Weser
Founder and CEO
Trailblaze
Jun Lee
Jun Lee
Co-CEO & Founder
Nabis
Azam Khan
Azam Khan
COO
Distru
Matt Stang
Matt Stang
Partner
High Times
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AnnaRae Grabstein
CEO & Founder
Wolf Meyer
avatar
Josh Lewis
Manager
California Cannabis Operators Association
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Meilad Rafiei
CEO
WeCann
Joe Lustberg
Joe Lustberg
CEO
Upwise Capital
Kyle Jaeger
Kyle Jaeger
Managing Editor
Marijuana Moment
Chelsea Mulligan
Chelsea Mulligan
CEO
Meraki Enterprise
Kieran Ringgenberg
Kieran Ringgenberg
Partner
Feurstein Kulick
avatar
Amy Larson
SVP
RX Green
Brad Lim-Senesac
Brad Lim-Senesac
Chief Marketing Officer
Genuine Marketing Group
Tiffany Richardson
Tiffany Richardson
Partner
Crowe
Lance Lambert
Lance Lambert
CMO
Grove Bags
Hirsh Jain
Hirsh Jain
Founder
Ananda Strategy
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Dawne Morris
CEO & Co-Founder
Proteus420
avatar
Nadav Eyal
CEO
Eybna
Genine Coleman
Genine Coleman
Executive Director
Origins Council
Jake Kuczeruk
Jake Kuczeruk
Head of Community Grow Program
ILGM
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Bryan Gerber
CEO
HARA Supply
Dennis O’Malley
Dennis O’Malley
Founder and Principal
Echtrai Corp
Steve Podell
Steve Podell
CEO & Co-Founder; Operating Partner
Hyroad; Cypress Ascendant Holdings
Gordon Sattro
Gordon Sattro
Managing Director of Nationwide Mergers & Acquisitions
Green Life Business Group
Annie Fleshman
Annie Fleshman
VP of Marketing
Flowhub
Ron Gershoni
Ron Gershoni
Chief Executive Officer
Jetty Extracts
Scott Vasterling
Scott Vasterling
Founder
Humboldt Family Farms
Elliot Lane
Elliot Lane
President & Co-Founder
IgniteIt
Patrick Lane
Patrick Lane
Co-Founder & CEO
IgniteIt
avatar
Steve Ernest
Director
Chicago Atlantic
Tak Soto
Tak Soto
President
Stiizy
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Tyler Wolf
Sr. Director Business Development
Surfside
October 8th Agenda
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
7:30 AM - 9:00 AM
REGISTRATION + NETWORKING
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8:55 AM - 9:00 AM
Opening Remarks
 
Elliot Lane, IgniteIt
Patrick Lane, IgniteIt
Josh Lewis, California Cannabis Operators Association
Opening Remarks
Opening Remarks
 
 
 
 
9:00 AM - 9:10 AM
Origins Council: A Community Driven Study
 
Genine Coleman, Origins Council
Origins Council: A Community Driven Study
 
 
 
 
 
9:10 AM - 9:35 AM
Profit by the Pallet: How You Can Build a Smarter, Leaner Cannabis Supply Chain With the Right Data Tools

In a market where margins are shrinking and inefficiencies are costly, data isn’t just a tool — it’s a profit center. This panel explores how cannabis operators are using real-time supply chain insights to reduce waste, optimize inventory, and increase throughput at every stage from production to retail. Learn how to turn operational blind spots into bottom-line gains with the right data strategy.

Laurie Parfitt, LKP Impact Consulting
AnnaRae Grabstein, Wolf Meyer
Azam Khan, Distru
Profit by the Pallet: How You Can Build a Smarter, Leaner Cannabis Supply Chain With the Right Data Tools
 
 
 
 
 
9:35 AM - 10:05 AM
Tech Stack, Trimmed: How You Can Optimize E-Commerce Costs Without Sacrificing Customer Experience

With rising acquisition costs and shrinking margins, success in California cannabis e-commerce is no longer about having more tools — it’s about using them smarter. This panel explores how California operators can optimize their existing tech stack to deliver a seamless, engaging customer experience.

Jason Hutcheson, Culture Cannabis Club
Tyler Wolf, Surfside
Matthew Shterenberg, Deeproots Partners
John Oram, Nug
Tech Stack, Trimmed: How You Can Optimize E-Commerce Costs Without Sacrificing Customer Experience
 
 
 
 
 
10:05 AM - 10:35 AM
The New Math: Adjusting Your Pricing, Strategy & Spend in a 19% World

With California’s cannabis excise tax rising to 19% on July 1, operators are facing tough decisions—this panel breaks down how to recalibrate pricing, streamline operations, and protect your margins in a tighter-than-ever market.

Lauren Carpenter, Embarc
Lunar Loussia, Wellgreens
Matt Rakow, NUG
Tom Sheridan, Perfect Union
Annie Fleshman, Flowhub
The New Math: Adjusting Your Pricing, Strategy & Spend in a 19% World
The New Math: Adjusting Your Pricing, Strategy & Spend in a 19% World
The New Math: Adjusting Your Pricing, Strategy & Spend in a 19% World
 
 
 
10:35 AM - 10:55 AM
Exclusive Fireside Discussion: Department of California Cannabis Control
 
Nicole Elliott, California Department of Cannabis Control
Matt Stang, High Times
Exclusive Fireside Discussion: Department of California Cannabis Control
Exclusive Fireside Discussion: Department of California Cannabis Control
 
 
 
 
10:55 AM - 11:35 AM
Quiet Momentum: Can Standouts Reignite Investor Confidence in California?

California’s cannabis market isn’t roaring—but it’s not dead either. As a few operators show real traction, this panel asks whether quiet momentum is enough to bring investors back, and what it takes to turn isolated success into renewed confidence.

Joe Lustberg, Upwise Capital
Dennis O’Malley, Echtrai Corp
Rachel Wright, Verdant Strategies
Seth Yakatan, Katan Associates
Steve Ernest, Chicago Atlantic
Meilad Rafiei, WeCann
Quiet Momentum: Can Standouts Reignite Investor Confidence in California?
Quiet Momentum: Can Standouts Reignite Investor Confidence in California?
Quiet Momentum: Can Standouts Reignite Investor Confidence in California?
Quiet Momentum: Can Standouts Reignite Investor Confidence in California?
 
 
11:35 AM - 12:05 PM
Rooted and Rising: How You Can Expand Beyond California While Thriving at Home

California brands are breaking into new markets — but growth beyond state lines brings the challenge of staying true to your West Coast roots. This discussion explores how you can scale nationally without losing the authenticity that built your brand, while also navigating the realities of your home market’s evolving economics.

Angela Pih, Point Brand
Nathan Davit, Made
Casey Ly, Bloom Brands
Tak Soto, Stiizy
Ron Gershoni, Jetty Extracts
Rooted and Rising: How You Can Expand Beyond California While Thriving at Home
Rooted and Rising: How You Can Expand Beyond California While Thriving at Home
Rooted and Rising: How You Can Expand Beyond California While Thriving at Home
Rooted and Rising: How You Can Expand Beyond California While Thriving at Home
 
 
12:05 PM - 12:50 PM
Lunch
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
12:50 PM - 1:00 PM
Support Butch's Healing Journey
 
Los Arias, Green Horizons
Support Butch's Healing Journey
 
 
 
 
 
1:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Exclusive Fireside Discussion with Fiona Ma
 
Fiona Ma, State of California
Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment
Exclusive Fireside Discussion with Fiona Ma
 
 
 
 
 
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM
The Strategic Reset: How You Can Understand Market Shifts Through the Lens of Receiverships and Asset Realignment

Receiverships are reshaping the California cannabis landscape — but the real story is what comes next. This panel breaks down what operators, investors, and partners can expect as assets change hands, licenses move, and distressed businesses reset. Learn how these outcomes are influencing real estate, pricing, capital access, and the competitive map statewide.

Dana Cisneros, Cisneros Law Firm
Chelsea Mulligan, Meraki Enterprise
Tiffany Richardson, Crowe
Gordon Sattro, Green Life Business Group
Kieran Ringgenberg, Feurstein Kulick
The Strategic Reset: How You Can Understand Market Shifts Through the Lens of Receiverships and Asset Realignment
The Strategic Reset: How You Can Understand Market Shifts Through the Lens of Receiverships and Asset Realignment
The Strategic Reset: How You Can Understand Market Shifts Through the Lens of Receiverships and Asset Realignment
The Strategic Reset: How You Can Understand Market Shifts Through the Lens of Receiverships and Asset Realignment
 
 
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Compliance Theater? Rethinking Track-and-Trace in a "Complicated" System

Seed-to-sale tracking was built to ensure accountability—but as the industry scales, many are asking tough questions: Where are the blind spots? Are regulators using the data? And is the system evolving fast enough to keep up with reality on the ground?

Hirsh Jain, Ananda Strategy
Amy Larson, RX Green
Brad Lim-Senesac, Genuine Marketing Group
Scott Vasterling, Humboldt Family Farms
Chris Violas, Blaze
Compliance Theater? Rethinking Track-and-Trace in a "Complicated" System
Compliance Theater? Rethinking Track-and-Trace in a "Complicated" System
Compliance Theater? Rethinking Track-and-Trace in a "Complicated" System
 
 
 
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Beyond the Drop: How You Can Unlock Growth Through Strategic Distribution in a Changing California Market

California’s distribution landscape is evolving — and understanding those changes is critical to unlocking growth. This panel offers a candid look behind the curtain at how distributors are adapting, where value is being created, and how your brand or retail operation can align for maximum impact. From shelf placement and market coverage to marketing budgets and fulfillment strategy, learn how the most effective partnerships are formed, what distributors are really looking for, and how you can position yourself to thrive alongside them.

Wesley Hein, Mammoth Distribution
Jun Lee, Nabis
Dawne Morris, Proteus420
Steve Podell, Hyroad; Cypress Ascendant Holdings
Eric Kaufman, Fundcanna
Beyond the Drop: How You Can Unlock Growth Through Strategic Distribution in a Changing California Market
Beyond the Drop: How You Can Unlock Growth Through Strategic Distribution in a Changing California Market
 
 
 
 
3:00 PM - 3:40 PM
Efficiency Equals Survival: How You Can Increase Yield and Stay Lean in a Compressed Cannabis Economy

In California, efficiency is survival. Join leading cultivators as they explore how to boost yield, streamline operations, and build a compliant, cost-effective workforce to stay competitive in a high-pressure market.

Micah Anderson, Leef Holdings
Los Arias, Green Horizons
Darren Lampert, GrowGeneration
Chris Ball, Ball Family Farms
Chad Maxwell, Vertis
Efficiency Equals Survival: How You Can Increase Yield and Stay Lean in a Compressed Cannabis Economy
Efficiency Equals Survival: How You Can Increase Yield and Stay Lean in a Compressed Cannabis Economy
Efficiency Equals Survival: How You Can Increase Yield and Stay Lean in a Compressed Cannabis Economy
Efficiency Equals Survival: How You Can Increase Yield and Stay Lean in a Compressed Cannabis Economy
 
 
3:40 PM - 4:10 PM
Selling Your Product Without Selling Your Soul: Authenticity, Culture & Profit in Cannabis

In a market where consumer trust is everything, culture matters. This panel features creators and founders who’ve built brands rooted in authenticity—without compromising values. From viral storytelling to grassroots loyalty, they’ll break down how staying true to your voice can drive real revenue.

Thomas "Dope As Yola" Araujo, Push Trees
Lance H, First Smoke Of The Day
Josh Kesselman, RAW
Lance Lambert, Grove Bags
Selling Your Product Without Selling Your Soul: Authenticity, Culture & Profit in Cannabis
Selling Your Product Without Selling Your Soul: Authenticity, Culture & Profit in Cannabis
Selling Your Product Without Selling Your Soul: Authenticity, Culture & Profit in Cannabis
 
 
 
4:10 PM - 4:40 PM
Customer at the Core: How You Can Build Consumer-Led Cannabis Brands in a System Built for Everyone Else

In this panel, key service providers share how the most successful operators are staying consumer-focused while navigating inefficiencies, compliance hurdles, and pricing pressure. Learn how to apply proven strategies across the supply chain that keep the end customer in mind without sacrificing business performance.

Bryan Gerber, HARA Supply
Nadav Eyal, Eybna
Jake Kuczeruk, ILGM
Lisa Weser, Trailblaze
Customer at the Core: How You Can Build Consumer-Led Cannabis Brands in a System Built for Everyone Else
Customer at the Core: How You Can Build Consumer-Led Cannabis Brands in a System Built for Everyone Else
Customer at the Core: How You Can Build Consumer-Led Cannabis Brands in a System Built for Everyone Else
 
 
 
4:40 PM - 5:00 PM
Redefining Cannabis for the City of Los Angeles
 
Jazmin Aguiar, City of Los Angeles
Imelda Padilla, City of Los Angeles
 
 
 
 
 
 
5:00 PM - 5:05 PM
Closing Remarks
 
Elliot Lane, IgniteIt
Patrick Lane, IgniteIt
 
 
 
 
 
 
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Cocktail Reception
 
 
Cocktail Reception
 
 
 
 
 
The Venue

Delta Hotels Anaheim Garden Grove, CA

Delta Hotels Anaheim Garden Grove California, is a premier entertainment venue known for its vibrant atmosphere and rich history in the music and entertainment industry.

Located in the heart of Anaheim, this iconic venue has hosted a diverse array of events, from live concerts to corporate gatherings. Its mission is to create a welcoming space that fosters creativity, community, and unforgettable experiences, making it the perfect venue for an IgniteIt Cannabis Market Spotlight event.

Address: 12021 Harbor Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92840

Book Your stay
Directions
Parking

On-site parking is available.

Sponsors
Crowe
Dope SEO
Eybna
FK
Flowhub
GrowGeneration
HARA Supply
Leaflink
LEEF Brands
Perfect Union / MWG Holdings
PROTEUS420
RX Green Technologies
Surfside
Verdant Strategies
Trusted Partners
Beard Bros Pharms
California Cannabis Operators Association
California NORML
Cannabis Chamber of Commerce
Cannabis Distributors Association
Cannabiz Media
Ian Rassman
Katan Associates International
Latinas in Cannabis
MITA
Mota Glass
Origins Council
Storz & Bickel
The Canna Boss Babes
Women Grow

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