During his 20s, Ryan Smith had already started and sold two companies before he decided to break into cannabis in 2015 with the launch of B2B technology platform LeafLink. One year later, he made Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list highlighting software technology entrepreneurs, buttressing his wunderkind reputation. Seven years later, LeafLink operates in roughly 30 markets and has about 12,000 business customers.
In this episode of “Seed to CEO,” you’ll hear what Smith did to get this far, including:
- Spotting opportunity in the cannabis industry landscape.
- Conducting market research.
- Picking winning markets in which to operate.
- Keeping a fresh perspective.
Who is Ryan Smith?
Ryan Smith is the CEO and co-founder of LeafLink, a platform that caters to the wholesale cannabis supply chain for brands, distributors and retailers in 30 markets. In 2011, Smith founded his first business, a green office-supply company named EcoCampus. Then, in 2013 he founded Trupoly, an investor management-relationship software business. In 2015, Smith and his partner, Zach Silverman, founded LeafLink. Smith was listed on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list in 2016, and LeafLink was listed on Fast Company’s 2018 list of Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Enterprise. In 2021, LeafLink was chosen one of Inc. magazine’s Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies in America.
