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Thursday, May 24th, 2018

The California Cannabis Entertainment and Technology Forum

4 PM - 4:45 PM - Herscher Hall - Guerin B

The Wizards of Weed - Superstars of Cannabis

Dennis O'Malley, President, Caliva

Jackie Sponseller, Eplieptic Activist, Cannabis Entrepreneur, Researcher, International TV/Online personality

Charlo Greene, Weed Activist and Host, “The Weed Show”

Tim Blake, Founder and Producer, TheEmeraldCup.com

Christopher Gavigan, Co-Founder, Hempia

Kassim Osgood, retired All-Pro Football Player, actor, and entrepreneur

Moderator - David Bienenstock, Weed Guru, Author, Journalist, co-host of Great Moments in Weed History with Abdullah and Bean

 

Dennis O’Malley, President, Caliva: Dennis O’Malley is President of Caliva, the largest vertically integrated cannabis company in California. Driven by a passion for enabling people to choose their own health and wellness options, Dennis has launched Caliva into a rapid growth phase, racing to become the #1 trusted brand in cannabis. Dennis has over a 20 year track record of leadership roles in fast growing companies in emerging markets as well as successfully raising capital from institutional investors and in addition holds multiple technology patents. Most recently Dennis co-founded and lead a venture backed software company that enabled brands like Red Bull, Nike, Adidas, The North Face, and Reebok to scale their revenue through ambassador marketing programs. The company was sold in 2016 for a 10x revenue multiple.

Jackie Sponseller is a 29 year old, Epileptic patient, Cannabis Entrepreneur, 3rd generation-Cannabis Grower, Activist and Video-Journalist. She lives in both the United States and Israel, with years abroad conducting cannabis research, consulting for pharmaceutical companies, providing cannabis/endo-cannabinoid education to doctors and medical schools, and opening cannabis companies in now, 6 countries. Sponseller's companies include a Kosher edible line in Israel (Kaya Kosher Edibles), a cannabis line exclusively for women in the United States (Queendom Canna), an international consulting firm (Canna-Projects), an online cannabis media site (Daily Dab TV), several grow facilities, including one in Colombia (CARTA), a cannabis genetic seed company based out of Holland, with import/export licenses with three countries, including Israel, Romania and Colombia (Kaya Global Seeds), and is currently developing an cannabis-friendly, Bed and Breakfast in Ensenada, Mexico. Jackie Sponseller is extremely passionate about cannabis and it's therapeutic properties, and ensuring that all people have safe and affordable access. She started a cannabis charity in 2017, (Weed the Homeless, Weed the Need) which organizes events where hundreds of homeless and sick are given cannabis, food and necessities, free of charge. She's dedicated her life to cannabis and the mission of spreading the message and educating as many as possible, as it has saved her life, and countless others.

 

Charlo Greene, Weed Activist and Host, “The Weed Show”: Referred to as the "the face of marijuana legalization", Charlo Greene is a cannabis activist, media and culture expert. Charlo Greene became a leader in cannabis activism in September 2014 when she publicly left her career as a news anchor to dedicate her life to fighting for cannabis reform with the famous "f*** it, I quit" resignation heard around the world. Since leaving journalism, Charlo successfully launched the Alaska Cannabis Club, Alaska's first and only legal marijuana resource, acting as CEO. The Club is the only safe access point for patients in Alaska and serves as the example for other prospective businesses in the region and the go-to source of accurate information for area policy makers and law enforcement. Charlo's 10 years of experience, working with media, law makers and cannabis experts throughout the nation spurred her to create Weed Elite PR, a boutique public relations firm dedicated to servicing the cannabis community's most elite. Weed Elite PR is the first and only company of its kind at the forefront of bridging pot culture with pop culture in all areas of media relations, entertainment marketing, celebrity endorsements, product placement integration and sponsorships. Through her accomplishments and uncompromising pursuit of cannabis reform, Charlo has been named as one of the most influential, or potent, women in the cannabis reform movement by international media. Charlo has been featured in hundreds of television programs, newspapers, websites and magazines, including but not limited to: ABC News, CNN, HLN, Fox News, NBC News, TMZ, HBO's VICE, Huffington Post, New York Times, Washington Post, Reuters, NPR, Bill Maher, Wendy Williams Show, Conan, Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, High Times, Elle, Ebony, Vibe and more. Charlo Greene is a woman on a mission to inspire.

 

Kassim Osgood is a retired All-Pro Football Player, actor, and entrepreneur. Kassim strives to make his community the best it can be. This never-ending need to help the community is why his teammates and friends nicknamed him “The Mayor of San Diego.” Kassim was born in Boston Massachusetts. He moved to California as a young child. He grew up in the small town of Salinas. He graduated from North Salinas High School with a 4.17 GPA. As a scholar-athlete, he accepted a scholarship to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to play football. He was an All American as a sophomore, posting a single game record of 376 receiving yards in one game. After three years there, he transferred to San Diego State. There, he and teammate JR Tolver set an NCAA record for most receiving yards and catches by a tandem in one season. In 2003, Kassim signed with the San Diego Chargers as an Undrafted Free Agent. He was a three-time Pro Bowl selection for his Outstanding Performance on Special Teams. He was also named to the All-Pro team. Kassim also played two years with Jacksonville, one year in Detroit, and finished his career with two years in San Francisco. After football ended, Kassim reignited his acting career. He landed a role in the just-released movie, Beyond Skyline. He is also an entrepreneur. Kassim is part owner of a couple restaurants, and a brewery in San Diego called Resident Brewing Company. In his downtime, Kassim enjoys spending quality time with his wife and daughters. He also enjoys giving back to the community through various nonprofit affiliations.

 

Tim Blake, Founder and Producer, TheEmeraldCup.com: Tim Blake earned his real estate license at the age of nineteen. He was one of the founders and the CEO of several productions companies in the 1980’s. This included an audio/video production company, a music label, an original children’s program called “Eco, You, and Simon too”, and a line of “New Age” video releases. Tim is blessed to have three daughters, six grandkids, and one great granddaughter. He has owned property in Mendocino County since the early eighties. In 1998 he bought an old campground ten miles north of Laytonville on highway 101 and renamed it “ Area 101”. Tim created The Emerald Cup, the worlds largest outdoor cannabis competition thirteen years ago. Tim sponsored and helped produce the first gathering of law enforcement and cannabis farmers to openly discuss how they would work together. This helped lead to the creation of the original 9.31 program, whereby cannabis farmers could grow up to ninety nine plants legally with a permit from the county. Tim was one of the first cannabis farmers to join the program. He was the co-founder of the Mendocino Farmers Collective and also Healing Harvest Farms, both local cannabis dispensaries designed to help facilitate getting outdoor cannabis into the dispensaries across the state. He was a founding member of California Cannabis Reform Policy (CCPR), which evolved in CA Reform, and was also a founding member of the Mendocino Cannabis Policy Council ( MCPC). Tim was on the steering committee for the Heritage Initiative ( Measure AF), which was on the Mendocino County ballot in November, and is on the board of directors of The Mendocino Cannabis Industry Association ( MCIA). Tims personal goal is to help the world integrate spirituality, cannabis, organic food and living into a holistic lifestyle.

 

Christopher Gavigan is Co-Founder and Chief Purpose Officer of The Honest Company, which was launched in 2012 with a mission to inspire and empower people to live a happy and healthy life. He is also a champion for children’s health, acclaimed author and speaker, and social entrepreneur. Honest now provides 300+ safe, non-toxic, and effective products across a wide range of consumer categories, including baby, personal care, beauty, home care, and vitamins & supplements, to a passionate community of consumers united by values and style.   Honest products are available across the U.S. via honest.com and honestbeauty.com and at more than 15,000 retail locations across North America. The Honest Company is privately held and headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Christopher’s commitment and consciousness have been instrumental in   spreading   awareness about children’s environmental health and providing actionable information to millions of homes worldwide. As the CEO of Healthy Child Healthy World, a national nonprofit that empowers and educates parents to protect children from toxic risks, he advocated for legislative reforms of the domestic chemical regulatory system, championing new standards and safe options for families in the consumer marketplace. Christopher translated his passion into a best-selling book, Healthy Child Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home, with leading contributions from Dr. Philip Landrigan, Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, First Lady Michelle Obama, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sheryl Crow, Dr.  Alan Greene, and Dr.  Harvey Karp. He has authored numerous pieces on environmental health, sustainability, and the non-toxic marketplace for national publications, including People Magazine, Huffington Post, The New York Times, USA Today, CNN, Fast Company, Elle, In Style, Parenting, Cookie, Treehugger, Discovery, and Fit Pregnancy.  He has been featured as a speaker and expert at national conferences, including Sustainable Brands, Ad Week, LOHAS, and Green Biz, and has been featured on many national and international radio, podcast, and television programming. Christopher sits on the Board of Directors of Mount Sinai Hospital’s Children Environmental Health Center (CEHC) alongside Dr. Philip Landrigan and Dr. Robert Wright and is a Chief Advisor to the Green Product Innovation Institute alongside Bill McDonough. He is also on the advisory boards of Healthy Child Healthy World, Baby2Baby, SAIL Venture Partners, and UCLA’s Environmental Health Sciences Department. Christopher has received the numerous recognitions: NY Times Bestseller List - 2009, Mt. Sinai Champion of Leadership Award - 2018 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year / 2015, ACG Award for Social Responsibility - 2013, WebMD’s Health Hero Award – 2010, Men’s Fitness Game-changer Award - 2014, and Elle Magazine’s Green Award - 2007. Christopher is a father of four children, Luke, Evie, Poppy and Josephine and lives with his wife, Jessica, in Pacific Palisades, California.

 

David Bienenstock is the author of How to Smoke Pot (Properly): A Highbrow Guide to Getting High (Penguin / Random House - 2016), and co-creator of the podcast Great Moments in Weed History w/ Abdullah and Bean. Previously, he served as Head of Content at HIGH TIMES and was a columnist, frequent contributor, and video host/producer at VICE Media, where he co-produced the series Bong Appetit, including viral episodes like A Gourmet Weed Dinner at Hunter S. Thompson's House and Marijuana Nonna. A contributor to VICE, GQ, Motherboard, Salon, Munchies, the Guardian, and other publications, he has been profiled by The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, The Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, LA Weekly, Food & Wine, Slate, and elsewhere, while making frequent media appearances, including on CNN, NPR, MSNBC, HBO and Fox News.