Advisors

David Feldman is a lawyer, advisor and entrepreneur still deciding what to do when he grows up. He has been a leading out-of-the-box guide to hundreds of growing businesses in his over 30 years of experience. He’s the author of four books on finance and entrepreneurship, and is known as one of the leading cannabis finance attorneys in the U.S., having served most recently as Co-Lead of the 60-lawyer Cannabis Practice Group for an AmLaw 100 law firm. In April 2019 the global guide Chambers & Partners ranked David as a leading US attorney in cannabis law and one of only seven US lawyers in “band 1” for corporate and transactional work in the industry. In addition, in October 2018 the National Law Journal named him a “Cannabis Law Trailblazer” and in January 2019 Business Insider named him as a top lawyer in the cannabis industry. Recent win: he conceived financing innovations such as the SEC’s Regulation A+, a simplified and streamlined approach for going public in the US and Canada.

A Wharton graduate and former Chair of the school’s worldwide alumni, David is not just a lawyer – he’s a community builder. He’s run, built, bought, invested in, and sold businesses. He feels his clients’ pain but provides the objective outsider’s point of view that founders need. He’s our “Velvet Hammer”: a calm, clear, and firm guide and mentor, who is both practical and honest. His ‘no jerks’ policy in accepting clients, partners, and employees keeps morale, energy, and results ‘high on the list’ in Skip Intro Advisors company culture.

Siki Giunta is a seasoned executive with comprehensive knowledge of software, cloud, blockchain and analytics. She has led international operations and distribution with specialization in technology due diligence and acquisition.

She has led development teams, served as CEO of multiple companies, raised funding and consulted to businesses worldwide who are modernizing and growing. Her successes include developing and bringing to market revenue-generating solutions and providing advisory services to emerging and modern technology companies across sectors. Her passion is innovation and her magic comes from a deep understanding of what customers want to buy.

Jeanne Sullivan is passionate about delivering ideas – connections – and inspiration and is a fierce advocate for legalization and regulation of the Cannabis industry. Jeanne is a co-founder of a venture capital firm in NYC and held operating roles at AT&T and Bell Labs as part of an entrepreneurial team. Sullivan is a proud member of the Arcview team and is building investment platforms under the Arcview banner.

Jeanne served for several years as a member of the Women’s Leadership Board at the Harvard Kennedy School and is an Athena Entrepreneur Fellow for Barnard College. She is on the Global Board of Trustees of Astia, funding high-growth women entrepreneurs. Jeanne also serves on the Board of Trustees of the New York Hall of Science. Business Insider named Sullivan one of the “rising stars” in the cannabis industry.

Ron has unyielding passion for actionable research focused on cultivating relationships and opportunities. His background is steeped in corporate strategy and market research, where he brings a sense of unquenchable curiosity. For Ron, nothing releases more dopamine than digging deep and connecting unique, value-added and disparate concepts, professionals and organizations. Ron is enthralled by countless opportunities for new markets, innovations, and partnerships in cannabis, arguably the world’s fastest growing CPG industry.

Ron also brings a bird’s eye view to the team as Director of Strategic Partnerships at Vertosa, focusing on cannabinoid-infused food and beverage (a critical area for the ongoing evolution of the industry). Additionally, Ron has often been tasked with meeting the complex needs of top management – including as Chief of Staff to the President of UBS PaineWebber among other positions. He was also a trusted advisor to the Chairman of Centurion Holdings (family office/consulting firm). His efforts there were critical to exploiting new markets that transformed a key portfolio company from a failing business to a key player in its industry, resulting in a recent sale for $170 Million. He also gained invaluable experience at BofA Merrill Lynch, Long Term Capital Management and Coopers & Lybrand.

Born in Israel and raised in Queens, Ron is an avid New Yorker that loves his city and appreciates the immense impact it will have on the booming cannabis industry. He graduated early (cum laude) from New York University’s Undergraduate School of Business, began his career as a CPA, and is a CFA charter-holder.

Licensed to practice law in California and Colorado, Courtney Barnes specializes in advising clients on regulatory compliance, risk management, contract creation, and strategic operational matters as it relates to the production and distribution of hemp, cannabis, and other natural products in emerging industries. Her legal expertise includes providing bespoke DEA, FDA, and state regulatory compliance guidance, including licensing, distribution, and advertising strategy to consumer-packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers, retailers, and ancillary service providers. She specializes in complex legal analyses relating to the manufacture, marketing, and sale of a variety of stringently regulated compounds.

In addition to her legal practice, Ms. Barnes is a passionate psychedelics and criminal justice policy reform advocate who has vast experience drafting and helping to implement state and local policy change relating to the regulation of cannabis and the decriminalization of psychedelics. Most notably, she assisted with the drafting of Denver’s cannabis social use ordinance in 2016, Denver’s psilocybin decriminalization initiative in 2018; Texas’ commercial hemp program in 2019 and numerous others. She is also State Policy Advisor for Decriminalize Nature, General Counsel of the Society for Psychedelic Outreach, Reform, and Education (SPORE), and is an Advisory Board Member of Heroic Hearts Project, Inc.

Courtney received her Juris Doctor from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of South Florida, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in mass communications with a concentration in journalism.

Kristin Jordan is a plugged-in and prominent industry leader and advocate, providing real estate brokerage and advisory services serving the cannabis industry. She is also an attorney, drug policy activist and thought leader. She was previously Director of Real Estate at Acreage Holdings, where she selected real estate sites for the company’s facilities, managed relationships and negotiated and administered leases. A frequent speaker on real estate, cannabis regulations, and social equity, Forbes declared her one of “Fifteen Powerful and Innovative Women in Cannabis Right Now.” She also is the CEO of Mannada, a cannabis professional event production company, as well as co-founder and former Executive Director of the Cannabis Cultural Association, a non-profit organization and the founder of the Asian Cannabis Roundtable, a professional networking organization. Kristin graduated from the State University at Albany with a BA degree and received her JD from the University of Richmond, T.C. Williams School of Law.

Jodi Green provides strategic business advice to help forward-thinking organizations grow, mitigate risks, and navigate complex regulatory environments by marrying exceptional attention to detail with an adept understanding of each client’s big-picture business concerns and goals. As the author of one of the only courses on insurance and risk-management for the cannabis industry, “Managing the Risks of Cannabis-Related Businesses” (ALM 2021), Jodi helps cannabis and psychedelics companies proactively manage risk and protect their bottom line. Jodi leverages over twelve years insurance coverage analysis to help clients identify coverage gaps and dispute wrongful insurance denials. Having recently completed a Certificate Program on Sustainable Capitalism and ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) from the University of California Berkeley School of Law, Jodi also advises on ESG strategy and best practices to transform businesses into a source for good.

Jodi is a proud member of the women’s executive group Chief; the LA County Bar Association, Cannabis Section Executive Committee; the Advisory Board of The Cannigma; the Advisory Board of the Women in Psychedelics Network; the Ketamine Task Force; and the Psychedelic Bar Association. An advocate for psychedelics legalization, Jodi also hosts intimate, “salon”-style events in Los Angeles to create community, provide education surrounding scientific research, foster intellectual debate, and ultimately end the stigma surrounding psychedelic compounds.

Annie Davis is a Clio award-winning marketing strategist and business developer with nearly 20 years of experience building lasting teams and brands for companies spanning consumer packaged goods, renewable energy, natural products and cannabis.

In 2018, she transitioned her career into the legal cannabis industry, where she’s led marketing functions for several of California’s largest operators, including Flow Kana, a pioneer of branded sungrown flower, and Care By Design, a leader in cannabinoid wellness. Through her strategy consultancy she has helped numerous cannabis clients across business development, marketing and sales strategy including Cresco Labs, Humble & Fume, Rebel Spirit and CannaCraft. As a Fund Advisor with West Creek Investments and Receptive Capital, Annie also advises and invests in early-stage cannabis companies. Annie supports underrepresented founders as a mentor through Our Academy, and as an Advisor to Garden Society and The High Confectionary.

She holds a BA in Political Science from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard Business School, where she co-founded the HBS Green Business Alumni Association.

Angie is an epilepsy warrior and advocate for others facing the challenging uphill battle against this debilitating disease. She started her career at Citigroup, and after her first grand mal seizure, her journey ahead unexpectedly pivoted. As an early consumer of medical cannabis in New York City, she found her passion to help others have access to an alternative approach for a positive healthcare outcome. While pursuing her MBA at NYU, Angie was the president of the school’s CannaBusiness Club and was named one of the Top 100 Best & Brightest MBA students by Poets & Quants. Her experience includes strategic planning at a large cannabis multi-state operator and assisting in a cannabis SPAC merger. Outside of cannabis, Angie co-founded a non-profit, Bridge To Cure, to fundraise for the Epilepsy Foundation of Connecticut. Angie received her MBA from NYU Stern School of Business and BA from Villanova University.