Marijuana Venture is proud to announce its 40 Under 40 class of 2025, featuring leaders, innovators and influencers from the world of legal cannabis.
For the past 10 years, the editorial staff at Marijuana Venture has compiled the annual 40 Under 40 list, narrowing the list down from hundreds of worthy candidates to come up with a cross-section of personalities across the industry, from farmers to retailers, scientists to activists and every entrepreneurial venture in between. As the industry continues to evolve, these young professionals and their ambitions remind us of the promise of the cannabis industry and the thousands of individuals working to make it a reality. We are honored to share their stories.
The full profile for each honoree will be posted in the following month.
The 10th annual 40 Under 40 feature was published in the Summer 2025 issue of Marijuana Venture.
Alli Greenberg 34 | IMPRESSED | DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Alli Greenberg parlayed her former life in hockey into a successful cannabis career as the team-focused director of operations for Impressed.
Lex Corwin AGE: 32 | COMPANY: STONE ROAD | TITLE: CEO Stone Road CEO Lex Corwin has navigated his company through the highs and lows of California, while expanding into multiple new states.
Bri Delgado AGE: 25 | COMPANY: FLORETTE | TITLE: CO-FOUNDER Using her background in design and a boots-on-the-ground approach, Bri Delgado is making a splash in New York cannabis.
Gary Perry AGE: 36 | COMPANY: TERPBAE | TITLE: CEO Gary Perry, the CEO of TerpBae, is a culture-driven entrepreneur who is in tune with the cannabis community.
Jordan Mackenzie Whittaker AGE: 35 | COMPANY: THE WEEDAKER GROUP | TITLE: CEO Jordan Mackenzie Whittaker and her husband, Michael Whittaker, lead The Weedaker Group through the challenges and evolution of Massachusetts cannabis.
Michael Whittaker AGE: 35 | COMPANY: THE WEEDAKER GROUP | TITLE: CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Jordan Mackenzie Whittaker and her husband, Michael Whittaker, lead The Weedaker Group through the challenges and evolution of Massachusetts cannabis.
Jeremy Berke AGE: 32 | COMPANY: CULTIVATED MEDIA | TITLE: EDITOR IN CHIEF Jeremy Berke launched a leading cannabis media company while pursuing his MBA at Columbia University.
Chris Jones AGE: 34 | COMPANY: CANNABIS XPRESS | TITLE: PRESIDENT Chris Jones leads a profitable chain of 18 cannabis stores by focusing on Canada’s smaller communities rather than the oversaturated metropolitan hubs.
Noah Dotson AGE: 30 | COMPANY: NEW STANDARD LABS | TITLE: OWNER New Standard Labs owner Noah Dotson has built a successful processing company with an incredibly small team.
Aaron Nosbisch AGE: 31 | COMPANY: BRĒZ | TITLE: CEO Aaron Nosbisch founded the most popular infused beverage company in the world, generating $28 million in 2024 with sights set on doubling that revenue this year.
Laury Lucien AGE: 38 | COMPANY: CAMI FLOWER | TITLE: CEO Laury Lucien built an incredible resume of achievements for policy work, charity and advocacy before setting off to create her own cannabis production company.
Eric Latta AGE: 34 | COMPANY: KUSH21 | TITLE: EXECUTIVE PURCHASING MANAGER Eric Latta helped build the largest cannabis retail chain in Washington state and assists in its expansion into new markets.
Mallory Martinez AGE: 39 | COMPANY: ARTIZEN CANNABIS | TITLE: SALES MANAGER Mallory Martinez balances being a mother of four children with helping drive sales for one of Washington’s leading producers.
John Shute AGE: 34 | COMPANY: PUFCREATIV | TITLE: CEO Multi-award-winning marketing firm is propelled by CEO John Shute, who pursues philanthropy and showcases the positive impact of cannabis industry.
Jay Wright AGE: 34 | COMPANY: LITTLE BEACH HARVEST | TITLE: PRODUCT MARKETING MANAGER Jay Wright seeks to make Little Beach Harvest a cultural inspiration that helps destigmatize cannabis.
Derek Burton AGE: 30 | COMPANY: SWEETWATER FARMS | TITLE: OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Derek Burton worked his way up from entry-level trimmer to director of operations and part owner for an expanding Washington producer.
Shahar Yamay AGE: 38 | COMPANY: HEFESTUS USA | TITLE: CEO Shahar Yamay joined his father to create new branch of Israeli automation giant Hefestus in an effort to streamline cannabis production for U.S. operators.
Sean Boyd AGE: 32 | COMPANY: LITTLE BEACH HARVEST | TITLE: BRAND SPECIALIST Sean Boyd takes on dual roles in cannabis as brand manager for Little Beach Harvest while also launching his Bear Den Buds line of concentrates.
Michael Mejer AGE: 30 | COMPANY: GREEN LANE COMMUNICATION | TITLE: FOUNDER PR specialist Michael Mejer formed a highly focused marketing firm after witnessing the healing powers of cannabis firsthand.
Jessica Naissant AGE: 31 | COMPANY: RENAISSAÑT NYC | TITLE: CEO Jessica Naissant is the first Haitian-American to open a licensed dispensary in New York.
Eric Sellew AGE: 27 | COMPANY: ZZZ’S COLLECTIVE | TITLE: CEO Eric Sellew turned a “high idea” into a successful vehicle to promote emerging artists and their artwork.
Cristy Aranguiz AGE: 33 | COMPANY: CANNABIS & GLASS | TITLE: CEO Cristy Aranguiz built a cannabis empire without investors, starting with a humble single retail store she opened with her partner at 21 years old.
Samantha Seagaard AGE: 35 | COMPANY: FRESH CONNECTION | TITLE: CEO The sister-and-brother team of Samantha and Will Seagaard built Fresh Connection in Massachusetts through their respective backgrounds in West Coast cannabis and financial planning.
Will Seagaard AGE: 33 | COMPANY: FRESH CONNECTION | TITLE: CHIEF FINANCE OFFICER The sister-and-brother team of Samantha and Will Seagaard built Fresh Connection in Massachusetts through their respective backgrounds in West Coast cannabis and financial planning.
Max Vansluys AGE: 37 | COMPANY: DIALED IN GUMMIES | TITLE: PRESIDENT Max Vansluys helped scale Dialed in Gummies to multiple states after transitioning from the tech/social media industry.
Phillip “Randy” Gaines Jr. AGE: 37 | COMPANY: ARTIZEN CANNABIS | TITLE: SALES MANAGER Over the past decade, Randy Gaines has worked in nearly every possible role at Artizen, but he’s found his niche as a sales powerhouse.
Riley Kirk AGE: 30 | “REEFER WELLNESS” AUTHOR Dr. Riley Kirk is a natural product chemist with a half-million followers on TikTok, in addition to hosting a podcast, founding a nonprofit, teaching at multiple universities and authoring the book “Reefer Wellness.”
Ilya Shmidt AGE: 38 | COMPANY: THE FLOWERY | TITLE: VICE PRESIDENT OF RETAIL Ilya Shmidt seamlessly expanded The Flowery from Florida to New York, despite the two markets’ substantial differences.
Harrison Bard AGE: 33 | COMPANY: CUSTOM CONES | TITLE: CEO Harrison Bard and Fredrik Rading are the leading minds behind Custom Cones, which was built by the lessons they learned under the crushing expectations at Amazon.
Fredrik Rading AGE: 31 | COMPANY: CUSTOM CONES | TITLE: CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Harrison Bard and Fredrik Rading are the leading minds behind Custom Cones, which was built by the lessons they learned under the crushing expectations at Amazon.
Sabrina Aragon AGE: 32 | COMPANY: HIGH DESERT RELIEF | TITLE: CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Since joining High Desert Relief in 2013, Sabrina Aragon has helped pilot the company through New Mexico’s radical transition from restrictive medical program to flooded recreational market.
Wyatt Harms AGE: 31 | COMPANY: FLAMER | TITLE: CEO Wyatt Harms aims to build the most creative brand in cannabis, while positioning his company to reinvest in the queer community.
Jake Granger AGE: 37 | COMPANY: POTLAND | TITLE: OWNER Jake Granger found a loophole to help bring cannabis delivery to Oregon and hopes someday to expand into Germany with his hash brand.
Kevin Pattah AGE: 34 | COMPANY: MANGO CANNABIS | TITLE: CEO Kevin Pattah built Mango Cannabis from a single location in the highly competitive Oklahoma market into a thriving multi-state operation without the aid of investors.
Derek Ross AGE: 38 | COMPANY: NOVA FARMS | TITLE: CEO Derek Ross built the largest cannabis production company in the Northeast by focusing on outdoor cultivation, building the right leadership team and empowering the company’s managers.
Paul Parisi AGE: 39 | COMPANY: DOVE ROBOTICS | TITLE: HEAD OF SALES Paul Parisi is taking on the task of modernizing cannabis farms in the Northeast through the New York-based automation company Dove Robotics.
Corey Keller AGE: 34 | COMPANY: BONANZA CANNABIS | TITLE: OWNER Corey Keller invested heavily in R&D to launch Bonanza Cannabis, which now sells nearly 200,000 1-gram vape cartridges per month in Colorado.
Vibhav Gupta AGE: 34 | COMPANY: CANNMENUS | TITLE: CEO Vib Gupta founded a data and analytics company focused on real-time information to service cannabis businesses across the country.
Elizabeth Aguirre AGE: 32 | COMPANY: VELVET | TITLE: DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Elizabeth Aguirre has found a proven path to community engagement by focusing on customer experience at the California-based retail chain Velvet.
Ernst Rustenhoven AGE: 38 | COMPANY: I LOVE GROWING MARIJUANA | TITLE: CEO Ernst Rustenhoven seized the opportunity to reignite his passion for cultivation by launching an international tour to stoke fires of home-growing community.
Bryan Gerber AGE: 34 | COMPANY: HARA BRANDS | TITLE: CEO Bryan Gerber built a massive rolling paper business producing more than 100 million cones per month and earning a spot on the Inc. 5000 five times.