Rebecca Conti Koar

Rebecca Conti Koar has become a key member of one of the industry’s fastest growing multi-state operators. After nearly a decade working in corporate development for companies like Conduent and Verizon, Koar jumped into the cannabis industry and became the senior vice president of investor relations for Ascend Wellness in June 2021.

“I saw it as an incredible opportunity to join an emerging growth industry and I was really, really impressed with the team,” Koar says.

Ascend Wellness currently has 21 retail stores and 213,000 square feet of cultivation space in Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey and Ohio. The company expects to be operating a total of 34 stores and expanding into New York and Pennsylvania by the end of 2023.

As part of handling investor relations, Koar is also heavily involved in the company’s ESG initiatives, including the adoption of biodegradable packaging, supporting expungement clinics and establishing “Women in Leadership” and “LGBTQIA+” employee resource groups. ESG, shorthand for environmental, social and corporate governance, refers to the approach that a company’s value extends beyond its bottom line and includes sustainability and social justice components.

“I was really impressed by what Ascend was already doing on the social aspect of things,” Koar says. “So I saw an opportunity to shed light on that as well.”