Bio - Mike Golden is an entrepreneur and cannabis advocate with over 15 years of sales and marketing experience. Co - Founder and CEO of the lifestyle brand The Higher Calling - THC out of Syracuse, NY whose mission is to break the drug, race, and neighborhood stigmas around cannabis through fashion. As well as promoting economic empowerment through an inclusive and equitable cannabis industry, and its many ancillary business services with community outreach events like their "Stop The Stigma" Rally. As a real estate agent Mike was Co - Chair of the Social Equity Task Force, and currently sits on the Social Equity board of The Cannabis Association of New York. And Voted most compelling people of 2021 by syracuse.com and The Post Standard.

Lance White is a Mohawk cannabis entrepreneur from the territory of Akwesasne. White is the founder and president of Turtle Island Corporation and recently obtained a “first of its kind” Four Tier license from the tribal government in the New York portion of Akwesasne, which allows cultivation, extraction, retail sales and consumption under one roof.

Shawn Kassner is the Laboratory Director of Kaycha Labs in Albany, NY. Shawn has been working in the cannabis industry for six years, employed as an ISO 17025 auditor and consultant, developing sampling protocols and best practice laboratory quality guidance documents. He was previously an Internal Compliance Auditor with Pace Analytical Service Laboratories and has been part of the environmental analytical, proficiency testing, and reference material producer community since 1988. Shawn remains active in internal auditing and developing consensus and accreditation standards for environmental, cannabis, and life sciences communities. Shawn is currently an active member of The NELAC Institute (TNI) and serves on the Chemistry Expert Committee.

When not working, he enjoys improving his photography, cycling and hiking skills and trying to not fall down while skiing with his family.

Aaron Leentjes is the co-founder and owner of UNIFI Cannabis, a family owned, and operated cultivator located in Central New York.

Originally from a small farm in the historic Leatherstocking region of NY with a focus on organic and sustainable practices Aaron relocated to the Central New York area to pursue both undergraduate and graduate studies in Syracuse. After completing his studies, he felt drawn to return to his agricultural roots and in 2020 was licensed by NYS Dept Ag and Markets to Cultivate Industrial Hemp.

After cultivating craft cannabinoid hemp for two years, UNIFI Cannabis was in the first batch of conditional cultivator licenses issued by the Office of Cannabis management this year and is currently cultivating at their canopy cap.

Dave Myers, CPP® is Vice-President of Security at Cannaspire and manages all security related planning and services for cannabis business clients. While at Cannaspire, Dave provides security consulting to clients in numerous states, as well as oversees development of security plans and security system design for cannabis businesses of all types.

Prior to joining Cannaspire, Dave had a distinguished 26-year law enforcement career with the Pennsylvania State Police. As a supervisor of the Governor’s Executive Security Detail, Dave managed an elite security team charged with executive protection of the Governor of Pennsylvania and other dignitaries. During his career, Dave participated in the planning and execution of numerous security missions nationally and internationally. Dave has extensive experience and has received highly skilled training in personal and asset protection, security of high-level facilities, protection of sensitive information, crisis management, leadership, and investigations. He also developed and conducted highly sought-after security training to law enforcement professionals from around the country.

Dave is a Certified Protection Professional (CPP®), Board Certified in Security Management by ASIS International. In addition, Dave received certification in Infrastructure Protection through the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) and is certified by the American Crime Prevention Institute (ACPI) as a Law Enforcement Security Assessment Specialist. Dave also holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Administration of Justice from the Pennsylvania State University.

Katharine Neer assists clients on New York state regulatory and legislative issues. Katie primarily focuses on regulatory compliance issues for heavily regulated industries, including cannabis, gaming, and financial services.

Prior to private practice, Katie served as Assistant Secretary for General Government and Financial Services in the New York State Governor’s Office. At the Governor’s office, Katie was a member of the state operations team overseeing policy and operations for six agencies: the Department of Financial Services (DFS); the State Insurance Fund; the Department of State; the Department of Tax and Finance; the Office of General Services; and the Gaming Commission. During her time in the Governor’s Office, Katie was responsible for negotiating and overseeing the implementation of several key policy initiatives, including Paid Family Leave, Ride-Share, and the DFS’s cybersecurity regulations.

Katie also gained in-house experience in the cannabis industry, working as the Director of Government Affairs for a multi-state-operator and Chair of the New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association. In those roles, she gained a specialized understanding of the challenges facing cannabis operators in several states, including New York, where policymakers recently enacted legislation to legalize and regulate cannabis for adult-use.

Katie was listed as an attorney on The Best Lawyers in America, “Ones to Watch,” List for Administrative and Regulatory law in 2021. In 2018, she was profiled as an Albany 40 Under 40 Rising Star. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood.

A member of the New York State Bar, she received her J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law, her M.P.A. from Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, and her B.A. in political science from SUNY Albany, where she earned the 2009 SUNY Chancellor’s Award of Excellence and played Division I Lacrosse.

Cecilia Walsh is a member of the Cannabis Employment and Education Development team (CEED) at the New York State Department of Labor. CEED's mission is to empower and prepare the workforce and businesses to support an equitable, diverse, and inclusive cannabis industry, resulting in economic opportunity and growth for traditionally underserved people, and positioning New York State to be a leading model for the nation. Brought on in early 2022, the team is highlighting opportunities in the emerging adult-use market by assisting job seekers with cannabis employment, training, and up-skilling opportunities. In addition to supporting New York’s businesses by helping them find qualified workers and keeping them informed about tools and incentives to make their businesses thrive, the team is tracking cannabis education and training programs and providing information about NYSDOL labor standards and best practices. Prior to working at NYSDOL, Ms. Walsh served as Director of Communications for the Albany County District Attorney’s Office where she was able to track the decriminalization and regulation of cannabis in New York’s laws while serving as an advocate in the criminal justice community. Ms. Walsh received her BA at Russell Sage College in Troy, NY and is an MPA Candidate at Marist College.