Membership Spotlight

Sarah is the lab director, educator, and compliance officer for Hemplucid, a leader in the Hemp CBD Market providing certified organic CBD products throughout the United States and various countries. Sarah received a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology and Psychology from the University of Colorado, is ServSafe Manager Certified, OSHA General Industry Certified, and is training in Hazardous Waste Regulations for both Utah and Colorado. Sarah started out as a pre-med major but began working in the commercial cannabis industry before going to medical school and never looked back.

Philip is a former commercial cannabis regulator and Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) compliance officer for financial institutions and FinTech’s who is currently serving as the Chief Compliance Officer and Director – Professional Services for NatureTrak, Inc. NatureTrak is an enterprise software firm that provides an automated system of BSA internal controls designed to provide full lifecycle compliance and risk management tools to financial institutions that want to safely serve cannabis businesses while maintaining a sound and effective BSA program. His work focuses on increasing the availability of financial services for commercial cannabis businesses by developing a software solution that reduces a financial institution’s risk, while streamlining banking activities for the commercial cannabis business. Philip earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Richmond, the American International University in London, has been a Certified Anti Money-Laundering Specialist (CAMS) since 2016, and a Certified Commercial Cannabis Expert (CCCE) since 2020.

Alexis started noticing the cannabis industry by living in Canada and seeing U.S states legalizing cannabis one by one. As he realized how fast the industry was growing and how much innovation was involved, he knew he had to be a part of it. When Canada legalized cannabis, Alexis started looking into how he could get involved with the industry. Once he found that LaCité Collégial offered a cannabis production program, he signed up to work toward his dream of being a qualified industry professional. Alexis believes that ACCCE’s risk management principals and best practices give him the knowledge necessary to identify and address risks and opportunities in the commercial cannabis industry.

Bill Raffety is the founder of Wyatt Group Global Assurance, which brings extensive experience in farm, sustainability, and traceability audits to the cannabis industry. Bill attended Thunderbird School of International Management at Arizona State where he received an international MBA. He also received a BA in International Studies from Rhodes College.

The key to any association is the people that make up the network. From lawyers and banking professionals, to commercial cannabis business owners and all who fall in between, we are proud of the diverse and expanding network of professionals and experts who are our...

Eric Schneider is VP at AlphaRoot, a full service insurance brokerage that focuses on building customized risk management solutions for the commercial cannabis Industry through a streamlined digital platform. Though AlphaRoot is a tech-enabled brokerage, their clients work with real humans to get their company covered. Eric attended Johns Hopkins University where he received a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree in marketing, and an MBA. Go Jays!

Aaron is a risk advisor and insurance broker with a specialty in cannabis, CBD, and hemp, and is the California industry practice leader at IOA Insurance Services. He works with industry operators and ancillary service providers taking a multi-faceted approach to risk management. Aaron is a graduate of University of California, Santa Barbara where he studied architecture.

Leif is a cannabis and hemp advisor as the managing partner and CMO for Catalyst BC. This Colorado-based global cannabis consulting and advisement firm specializes in guiding entrepreneurs, investors, and existing businesses in their entry into and successful navigation of the ever-evolving commercial cannabis industry. Leif is ServSafe certified and has over a decade of owner-operator experience working with plant-touching and ancillary businesses in both the public and private sector. He has a Bachelor of Science in marketing from Clemson University, and was the 52nd badged operator under the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division in 2010.

Alysa is currently a compliance manager for a cannabis distribution company where she develops the necessary compliance expertise to build and oversee compliance programs for several well-known companies within the commercial cannabis industry. Alysa studied Business Administration and Hospitality Administration at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. [Editor’s note: I went to Georgia Southern University and we like to say #SouthernNotState].

Sharon is a risk management professional who has worked in healthcare and financial services, two highly regulated industries, and is currently a director of compliance for a consulting firm. Sharon has an undergraduate degree in economics from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, MA, an MBA-Finance from Western New England University in Springfield, MA, and currently holds the following certifications: CPA, CIA, CRCM, CAMS.