Cannabis & Wellness Advisory Committee Members

Alyssa is a Colorado native with the passion in life of creating fun atmospheres, unique experiences, meaningful relationships, and a sense of community through cannabis events. She is the founder of the cannabis event planning company, Kaya Event Designs, and is an activist for social consumption in Colorado. She spends every spare moment of her time outdoors hiking, camping, snowboarding, skipping, and singing.

Exploring Rocky Mountain’s National and State parks, 4×4 wheeling, hiking, camping and climbing

A Tony nominated educator, avid traveler, and life-long learner, Jason is passionate about the intersection between the arts, education and social change. Throughout his career, he has been an advocate for the arts, bringing together students, teachers, artists and policy-makers alike to transform communities through the arts. Jason is currently the Education Director of Think 360 Arts for Learning, an arts nonprofit based in Denver. Originally from New York, Jason worked for over a decade as a theatre teacher in Queens and as an arts consultant for the NYC Department of Education. His professional experiences have afforded him the opportunity to teach diverse populations nationally and abroad including Brooklyn College and the Kigali Institute of Education in Rwanda.

What is something [people in your industry/niche] owners have to deal with that you want to fix?

The most troubling issue in education is the equity gap between the availability of arts instruction for students in more affluent schools compared to those in high-poverty schools. Economically-disadvantaged students do not have the same access to the diverse learning experiences – including arts –  of affluent students. I would like to see increased opportunities for under-served students, particularly students of color and students with disabilities to engage in high quality arts experiences.

Where’s your favorite place in the world?

New York City

What is your favorite thing to do in the wonderful city of Denver?

My favorite thing to do in Denver is to experience all of the wonderful independently owned restaurants and small businesses that make our city so unique – support local businesses!

What do you enjoy doing when you are not working? 

When I am not working I enjoy spending quality time with my partner Nikki and our two hounds Ringo and Mochi. On the weekend you can find us exploring all of the wonderful sites throughout our beautiful state.

I am a huge advocate for the cannabis plant and natural rights to medicate with alternative medicine. I have always loved marijuana. It has personally helped my life in so many ways. I’ve been working in the MJ industry since 2014, doing various jobs such as cultivating, extractions, MED data entry, budtender, and harvesting. Currently, I am dedicated to helping the community and sharing educational information about cannabis wellness. I have a passion for the plant! I believe that by educating others about it’s medicinal benefits can help our future generations by giving them the freedom to have alternative medical care, that’s why I started the Luna Gardens Foundation.

What is something people in your industry have to deal with that you want to fix?

I want the laws to change about Cannabis, it should be Federally legal! I want the MED to cut back on license set-up restrictions, and help it become more affordable for cannabis businesses to get set up and prosper. I want a bunch of small mom and pop companies to open up, stores or grows, etc., to help boost the economy and keep big corporations out of this industry. I wish anybody can get their cannabis medical products safely tested for potency and containment, without needing a MED license.

Where’s your favorite place in the world?

Away from everybody, like the mountains or the beach! HAHA, I enjoy being with and meeting new people, but sometimes the best place to be is just alone, to collect yourself, let go, and move on.

What is your favorite thing to do in the wonderful city of Denver?

Everything in Denver is awesome! I love how this city has so many things to do and people to meet and places to get together. You can always find something fun every weekend, like shows, new bars or restaurants, theater, or cool meet-ups. Even better is right outside the city of Denver, in the mountains, there’s hiking, zip lining, rafting, more breweries, small towns, adventure parks, rivers, RED ROCKS, and the National Forest. The views are amazing!

What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?

Spending time with my family, friends, and hobbies. I learn to enjoy each moment and appreciate everything in life!

As a Colorado native & Colorado State Rockwell College of Business graduate Nick Donaldson holds his BSBA.  With over 14 years of experience in the institutional & retail financial services realm, Nick holds a firm grasp of what it takes to maximize the myriad of financial products & services available in the market.  In 2015 Nick Co-Founded Ganja Capital Advisors, a firm dedicated to connecting cannabis & hemp businesses with the financial services supply chain.  In 2017 Nick Formed his own Registered Investment Advisory firm turned focus to helping companies raise debt & equity growth capital.  He has several years of experience assisting cannabis businesses with navigating the complexities of compliance, regulation and interaction with governmental agencies as well as financial institutions. In 2018 Nick was tapped by a hemp focused Private Equity fund to be Managing Director of a Hemp Commodities Clearinghouse.  Nick is an unabashed advocate & loud enthusiast when it comes to educating other about the limitless opportunities cannabis & hemp businesses present.

What is something people in your industry have to deal with that you want to fix?

Stigma. I wear a three-piece suit with a golden cannabis leaf on the lapel. I’m in one of the most highly regulated, scrutinized and arguably conservative minded industries around, and I’m working with one of the newest, most highly regulated industries around. I’ve had a lot of interesting conversations over the years. My mission to this day is to educate away the ignorance.

Where’s your favorite place in the world?

Outdoors with my dog, Sir Lancelot. Mountains & beaches mostly.

What is your favorite thing to do in the wonderful city of Denver?

Hang out on one of the many rooftop bars with epic views, how lucky are we?

What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?

Camping, snowboarding, enjoying one of our many local craft breweries or dispensaries finest offerings.

Currently the event and project manager at Stillwater Brands, Nikki is very passionate about the cannabis industry and the power of the plant. Stillwater Brands is a lifestyle cannabis company that creates Ripple Dissolvables and a beverage and gummy line made with Ripple. Prior to joining Stillwater Brands, Nikki spent 5 years in food media production working as a producer for a food studio in NYC. Prior to that, she worked at the Food Network. 

What is something people in your industry have to deal with that you want to fix?

Education about cannabis and dosing.

Where’s your favorite place in the world?

Being home with my family.

What is your favorite thing to do in the wonderful city of Denver?

Visiting different restaurants and breweries.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?

Hiking! Running. Camping. Being outdoors.

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Ebony Miller’s passions include serving as an advocate for people of color and women that have been disadvantaged and marginalized in the cannabis industry. She has been actively engaged in community work for 5 years in the Denver Metro area. Ebony has been in the healthcare industry for 14 years, working in and with non-profits, for-profits, community organizations, and the state/federal government. As a healthcare professional Ebony does not smoke, but her passion for cannabis as medicine is strong. After researching the plant’s medicinal benefits, she became a true believer and has been advocating for patient’s rights ever since. She is currently pursuing a Master’s of Science in Health Service Administration and is working on how to incorporate cannabis studies into her degree plan. Her overall goal is to work with other medical professionals to encompass cannabis as medicine for wellness into patient’s everyday living. She is a part of numerous cannabis organizations and boards such as NORML Denver, Minorities for Medical Marijuana, Minority Cannabis Business Association, Society of Cannabis Clinicians, Colorado Cannabis Clinicians, American Academy of Cannabinoid Medicine, etc. all while holding various cannabis certifications and continuing education credits. She is currently working as a Research Assistant with CCC on a CBD pilot research study for ex-pro athletes in Miami and the Denver Metro area. Ebony believes that access to cannabis as medicine is a necessity and that no one should be denied regardless of race, religion, merit, or creed.

What is something people in your industry have to deal with that you want to fix?

People of color in the cannabis industry still have to deal with social injustice and inequity. 

Where’s your favorite place in the world?

My favorite place in the world so far is Dubai, UAE. 

What is your favorite thing to do in the wonderful city of Denver?

I like to go to yoga classes.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not working? 

I enjoy traveling when I’m not working. 

Jake moved to Colorado eight years ago from Berkshire County, Massachusetts and received his Bachelors degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Northern Colorado. He then continued his education by attaining a Master’s degree in Environmental Management with an emphasis in Sustainable and Resilient Communities from Western State Colorado University. After doing municipal and industrial sustainability consulting for a few years, Jake moved on to start Sustainabis and dedicate his sustainability knowledge to cannabis.

Utilizing years of experience working with both cannabis and the environment, Jake is combining his expertise to help create a more sustainable and resilient cannabis industry.

What is something people in your industry have to deal with that you want to fix?

I am trying to create holistic sustainability solutions for companies in the cannabis space in order to fix an ever-growing environmental impact.

Where’s your favorite place in the world?

Colorado of course!

What is your favorite thing to do in the wonderful city of Denver?

Just exploring and meeting new people! Or some live music.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not working? 

You’ll find me in the mountains or on the slopes!

Knowing your audience is key to connecting to your ideal clients and growing your business. Since 2002, Kerri Moncrieff, M.A. has been educating and training for those seeking to take their communication and presentation skills to the next level. Kerri is the CEO of Hemp Lass, LLC a company that provides consumer education about the hemp industry, works with industry partners to elevate how they present their cannabis story, and empowers entrepreneurs to grow their businesses with better communication. As the cannabis industry takes center stage again, she is excited to be part of it. 

Elizabeth Roberts (Liz) has been an avid cannabis activist since high school.  With nearly 10 years of experience working in the cannabis industry, Ms. Roberts offer customized solutions to complex cannabis business problems. Graduating Colorado State University in 2000, Elizabeth Roberts started her career as a Cultural Resource Management Consultant (Corporate Archaeologist).  Working for several environmental engineering firms, and contracted by various government agencies; Ms. Roberts gained experience and knowledge in technical writing, government relations and compliance reporting.  She contributed to nearly 100 cultural management, environmental assessment and environmental impact reports for various oil and gas companies and worked as an embedded contractor for the General Services Administration (GSA) at the Denver Federal Center (DFC).  In 2006, Ms. Roberts earned a Masters’ Degree in Project Management and went on to a successful position working for one of the top international environmental engineering firms.

In 2012, seeing opportunity in the Colorado cannabis industry, she joined a medical marijuana cultivation and dispensary firm in an administrative position, managing compliance, inventory and record keeping. When Colorado legalized cannabis for adult use, the company expanded into the recreational sector. Ms. Roberts managed the transition and took on inventory management for the cultivation, in addition to her other responsibilities. With this wealth of knowledge,  she joined a consulting group in 2015 and honed her skills in technical writing, project management and regulatory understanding to successfully apply for licenses, create and implement standard operating procedures and provide training to staff and management.  Ms. Roberts’s cannabis consulting career matured over the following years and created multiple business plans, compliance documents, strategic plans, and business licensing applications for clients in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Alaska, Oregon, Arkansas, Florida, Hawaii, California and Ohio.

In 2018, Ms. Roberts launched 3 Little Birds Consulting, specializing in customized training and technical documents, compliance consulting, strategic planning and licensing.

What is something owners have to deal with that you want to fix? 

I would like owners to understand that if you prepare and plan, it saves money and time in the future.

Where’s your favorite place in the world? 

I am not sure I have been there yet…

What is your favorite thing to do in the wonderful city of Denver? 

There is so much to do in Denver, museums, music, food, art…. the botanic gardens.  My favorite event is the monthly Santa Fe Art Walk on First Friday, it’s an opportunity to combine all the things I love about Denver.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not working? 

Going on all sorts of adventures! Hiking, disc golf, camping, traveling, hot springs, yoga, and spending time with friends and family.

Kaitlin is a free environmental consultant for small businesses for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment in Denver, CO. She has 9 years of technical environmental experience and a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Colorado. In her role, Kaitlin rotates through industries to focus on providing proactive environmental assistance to and create lasting program resources for.

In 2017, Kaitlin spearheaded the creation of CDPHE’s Sustainable Breweries Assistance Program and helped numerous local craft brewers focus on reducing their environmental impacts. For 2018-2020, Kaitlin is focusing on providing proactive environmental assistance to the cannabis industry to help them in becoming more environmentally friendly. Kaitlin is also conducting cutting edge air quality research related to the growth of cannabis plants. Additionally she is project managing the build of a free online tool for the cannabis industry that will help track, trend, and bench mark environmental data and allow businesses to anonymously share and compare metrics. Kaitlin is the author of the air quality chapter of the current Cannabis Environmental BMP Guide in 2018 and was a speaker at the 2018 Cannabis Sustainability Symposium. For 2019, Kaitlin has been selected to chair the BMP and data subcommittee of the Denver Cannabis Sustainability Workgroup. Kaitlin was a speaker at the 2019 North American Cannabis Summit.

What is something [people in your industry/niche] owners have to deal with that you want to fix?

Over use of resources and policy hurdles that harm the environment

Where’s your favorite place in the world?

Exuma, Bahamas

What is your favorite thing to do in the wonderful city of Denver?

Comedy Shows

What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?

Enjoying the mountains (Snowboarding, ATVing, Camping)