ADVISORY COUNCIL

Deepak Anand is a recognized thought leader and subject-matter expert who has experience with senior government officials, policymakers, investors and global cannabis producers.

He is the principal at ASDA Consultancy Services in Surrey, British Columbia.

Anand was executive director for the Canadian National Medical Marijuana Association and was the founder and CEO of various Canadian and international cannabis processing, manufacturing and distribution businesses.

He also has served on the boards of various cannabis companies and pharmaceutical associations across Canada, the United States and Europe.

Anand earned an MBA from Vancouver Island University and serves on boards for not-for-profit, advocacy and patient-driven organizations.

Tyler Beuerlein is the chief strategic business development officer at SHF, formerly Safe Harbor Financial.

Beuerlein leverages experience building brands, managing relationships and strategic partnerships to work with financial institutions, government officials, regulatory bodies and the state-legal cannabis industry.

He was selected as chair of the National Cannabis Industry Association’s Banking and Financial Services Committee and appointed to the ATACH Cannabis Beverage Council.

Before joining SHF, Beuerlein founded and managed a large beverage company and was a professional athlete in the New York Mets organization.

Ryan Cook has built a diverse career in the regulated cannabis sector, engaging in cultivation, distribution, processing, compliance and other areas.

In 2014, Cook was one of 10 operators licensed by the state of Colorado to sell adult-use cannabis. He served as founder and chief operating officer of The Clinic, The Lab, The Bank and The Clinic Consulting, where he advised application teams in multiple states.

When Jushi Holdings Acquired The Clinic Consulting in 2019, Cook took over as executive vice president of operations, leading Jushi’s team of cannabis industry experts in developing and operating cultivation, production and retail facilities.

Denise De Nardi is the chief sales officer for Native Roots Cannabis Co., a retail chain where she develops strategies and oversees performance for multiple revenue channels.

Under De Nardi’s leadership, the vertically integrated company increased its top-line revenue, implemented an internal sales structure, and embraced a culture that champions experimentation to drive growth, elevates the brand and enhances customer engagement.

With decades of experience in corporate marketing, sales and retail management, De Nardi has led Native Roots’ retail growth and continued expansion in Colorado.

Tahir Johnson is the CEO of Simply Pure Trenton, an adult-use cannabis store in New Jersey.

He has held leadership roles at The Marijuana Policy Project, U.S. Cannabis Council and National Cannabis Industry Association guiding efforts around social equity, diversity and inclusion at the state and national level.

His hosts a podcast, The Cannabis Diversity Report, and has been featured in outlets such as NBC News Now, Forbes, Rolling Stone, NY Times, and BET.

Before cannabis, Johnson worked in wealth management at firms such as Morgan Stanley, where he served on the Diversity Council. He attended Howard University.

Chanda Macias, Ph.D., is the CEO of Ilera Holistic Healthcare, the medical marijuana cultivator and processor for the state of Louisiana.

Her dispensary, National Holistic Healing Center (NHHC) in Washington DC, educates patients on aligning medical marijuana strains with specific ailments.

Macias educates women entrepreneurs and patients as chair of the board of managers and CEO of cannabis trade association Women Grow; she also is vice chair of the National Cannabis Roundtable Board.

Macias earned a Ph.D. in cellular biology from Howard University and worked as a research scientist to prevent cancer and other diseases. She also earned an MBA from Rutgers University.

Roz McCarthy is the founder and CEO of Black Buddha Cannabis, a social impact-driven lifestyle and wellness brand, and Minorities for Medical Marijuana, a national nonprofit group focused on social justice, social equity and public policy.

She is responsible for day-to-day operations and is the chief strategist developing advocacy, education and marketing campaigns.

Prior to entering the cannabis industry, Roz spent more than 30 years in the health care industry working as a branding and business development executive for powerhouse Fortune 500 companies such as Bristol Myers & Squibb, VITAS Corp., Maxim Healthcare, and Phoenix House.

Kim Sanchez Rael is the CEO and co-founder of Azuca, an ingredients brand for cannabis-infused products. She is an active community leader, start-up veteran and long-time investor in innovation.

Sanchez Rael has extensive experience as an operating executive in both startup and Fortune 50 environments and as a venture capitalist. As an investor and board member, she has worked closely with entrepreneurs advancing innovations in culinary technology, infrastructure, energy and water. Currently, she serves as vice chair of the Board of Regents of the University of New Mexico.

She earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard and an MBA from Stanford.

Tahira Rehmatullah is co-founder and CEO of Commons, a partner at Highlands Venture Partners and a member of the board of directors at the Last Prisoner Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to cannabis criminal justice reform.

Rehmatullah is an investor and adviser to numerous cannabis businesses and entrepreneurs and is dedicated to empowering female and BIPOC leadership in the industry.

She previously held positions at MTech Acquisition Corp., Hypur Ventures, Marley Natural, Privateer Holdings, City First Enterprises, Perry Capital and Ernst & Young.

Rehmatullah earned an MBA from the Yale School of Management.