ABOUT US | Cann Strategy

MEET THE TEAM

Cann Strategy, a cannabis business consulting service, equips businesses with the necessary tools and knowledge for success in a rapidly changing industry. Since 2016, we've been creating personalized solutions that confront challenges directly, drawing from our team of experts with extensive experience in licensing, operations, product sales, research, team building, and business development.

Our services are trusted by both new and growing companies in the cannabis industry. We provide comprehensive counsel and guidance through all stages of business, including pre-license planning, application writing, launch, expansion strategy, long-term growth tactics, operations, and employee training and retention. We're passionate about giving cannabis businesses the freedom and flexibility to thrive.

Strategic Design Lead

Nick B.

A seasoned brand and product designer, Nick Bembenek boasts an illustrious history as the creative director for over 25 startups across sectors including fashion, technology, and cannabis. At Cann Strategy, Nick serves as the linchpin for clients, ensuring that their brand vision is crisply defined, effectively communicated, and executed with uncompromising excellence. Whether aiding in initial development or brand revamping, he acts as a steadfast liaison between clients and their chosen branding firms, ensuring that their vision is fully defined accurately communicated and upholds the high standards Cann Strategy expects its clients to be suited with.

KC Thompson Cann Strategy Cannabis Sales and Training Consultant

Director of Business Advancement Strategy

Kristine T.

Since joining the cannabis industry in 2015, Kristine Thompson has proven herself a pivotal asset in the realm of sales and strategy. As Cann Strategy's Sales and Business Development Strategist, she combines her deep experience from cannabis retail, cultivation, and production to drive measurable results. Kristine's notable achievements include stellar sales leadership for top-tier brands like Dixie, Cresco, Herve, Manna, Baskin, and Two Roots. Her expertise lies in shaping potent sales strategies, assembling high-performing teams, and launching effective go-to-market plans. With a track record of exceeding revenue goals and enhancing market penetration, Kristine ensures Cann Strategy's clients consistently achieve and surpass their sales targets, build an unshakable reputation, and are equipped with teams that act as true contributors to the health of the P&L statements.

Director of Operational Excellence & Strategy

Geno V.

Drawing from his robust experience in Defense Aerospace and Cannabis, Geno stands out as a seasoned operations professional. He has held Director of Operational Excellence positions at one of the fastest growing Multi State vertically integrated cannabis companies in the country. With his degree from USC in Industrial Systems Engineering, and as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Geno is driven by a relentless pursuit of operational excellence for Cann Strategy's clients, spanning processing, cultivation, lounge, and retail sectors. Whether setting up efficient systems from the get-go or scrutinizing current operations for enhanced efficiencies, Geno's expertise invariably leads to higher outputs and substantial cost savings.

SUPPORT TEAMS

Small teams providing customized, project specific support.

Application Assistants

Application assistants are paralegals, editors, floor plan designers, and other individuals with the role of providing support during competitive licensing application processes to ensure completeness, accuracy, and maximized input.

financial plan graphs and charts on chalkboard

Financial Planners

Financial planners develop financial models of various types, depending on the project needs to support Cann Strategy client projects whether that be 3-5 year pro formas for new market entry or license applications, earnings increase projections for sales team development projects, or simple financials for startup business plans.

web of blocks woith avatars printed on them

Liaisons

All project types require ongoing communications with regulators, service providers, client representatives, community officials, and more. Assigned team liaisons make sure that communication is maintained and nothing falls through the cracks by managing the many emails and calls between various parties and ensuring that the Cann Strategy consultants and their clients stay fully up to date and responsive.

reaserching regulations and law on a computer

Researchers

Researchers constantly stay in the know of cannabis regulations, regulatory board ongoings, and business trends. They're on hand to stay in the know on a regular basis and to ensure Cann Strategy consultants can provide the quick updates and answers that our clients trust us for.

"If all you're trying to do is essentially the same thing as your rivals, then it's unlikely that you'll be very successful."

- Michael Porter

MEET THE FOUNDER

"If you want to succeed in the cannabis industry you have to have a defined vision, believe in rigorous standards of performance, create competitive advantages, and have an unwavering desire to win."

Juliana Whitney, the force behind Cann Strategy, is not just another cannabis business strategist and entrepreneur. With a Master's degree in Business Administration, specializing in New Venture Development, she has fiercely unlocked the potential of budding ventures in the cannabis industry since 2015.

Her journey in the industry began with a critical role in the pioneering team of the first medical marijuana dispensary in Las Vegas. Here, she honed her skills in customer relations, inventory management, sales, operating procedures, and training. She navigated the rough regulatory waters of operations, identified the gaps in industry performance, excelled in serving cannabis consumers, and fine-tuned operational efficiencies.

These experiences opened her eyes to the multifaceted challenges confronting new cannabis ventures. Fired up to make a bigger impact, Juliana ventured into cannabis business consulting in 2016. Since then, she has commanded teams of industry mavens to secure competitive licensing and foster industry-leading cannabis ventures. Among her notable achievements is launching the first ever dispensary owned by Deep Roots Harvest, now a vertically integrated operation with seven dispensary locations; developing the training program that Planet 13 Holdings - a multi-state publicly traded cannabis company with operations in Nevada, California, Illinois and Florida, and owner of the largest dispensary in the world - has used to train 500+ of its dispensary employees; and helping Southern Crop obtain the first ever medical cannabis business licenses in Mississippi.

As a recognized authority in the field, Juliana has graced numerous industry podcasts and news outlets. She's a sought-after speaker, having shared her insights on business success, marketing, and branding at platforms like the G4 Live Convention in Las Vegas, the Cleveland School of Cannabis, and Cannadelic Miami. Bold, assertive, and influential, Juliana Whitney is a force to reckon with in the cannabis industry.