Talent in Cannabis is the FlowerHire podcast featuring candid conversations with leaders and professionals shaping the cannabis industry. Each episode goes beyond job titles to humanize executive careers—exploring real journeys, lessons learned, and what it truly takes to build and lead in cannabis.
Frank Perullo, Co-founder and President of Ascend Wellness Holdings, entered cannabis in 2012, during the Green Rush. Capital was flowing in, companies were trying to expand at any cost, and simply getting a license could provide an opportunity. Since the Green Rush, companies have had to become sharper, leaner, and much more intentional about how they operate. That’s exactly what Ascend Wellness did. And it got them from a single-state vertically integrated business to a seven-state MSO with...
22 Sept 2026
Drew Duval of Cresco Labs
Drew Duval and his wife, Karen, started FloraCal Farms from a VW bus in Sonoma County in 2014. After 4 acquisitions and a decade later, Drew is now President of Operations at Cresco Labs, leading over 1,300 employees. In this episode of the Talent in Cannabis Podcast, Drew joins David Belsky to share how his small family business led to Cresco Labs. He dives into what it takes to manage wholesale operations across multiple state markets, including cultivation, manufacturing, product developme...
16 Sept 2026
From the Vault: Lulu Tsui of On The Revel
Originally published August 27, 2025 as part of FlowerHire’s Sunset Sessions. What does it take to build a real community around cannabis? In this From the Vault conversation, FlowerHire CEO David Belsky sits down with Lulu Tsui, co-founder and Chief Experience Officer of On The Revel, to talk about building community in New York’s evolving cannabis market. Lulu shares how On The Revel got its start in 2016, creating more accessible and diverse spaces for cannabis professionals, enthusiasts, ...
8 Sept 2026
Mike Khemmoro of Mango Cannabis
Shortly after high school, Mike Khemmoro started cultivating cannabis as a caregiver in Michigan. Today, he’s the co-founder of Mango Cannabis, a retail operator with 14 dispensaries across Oklahoma, Michigan, New York, and New Mexico. And they have more stores underway in Minnesota and Kentucky. In this episode of the Talent in Cannabis Podcast, Mike Khemmoro, COO of Mango Cannabis, joins David Belsky to share how missing out on a Michigan license led Mango Cannabis to Oklahoma. Oklahoma had...
25 Aug 2026
Jared Maloof of Standard Wellness
Jared Maloof joined Standard Wellness as CFO. A month later, he was CEO. Since then, he’s helped lead the company through regulatory battles, financial pressure, shifting markets, and expansion across multiple states. In this episode of the Talent Cannabis Podcast, Jared joins David Belsky to share what he’s learned about building a sustainable cannabis company, hiring the right people, and making smarter decisions as the industry evolves. They discuss: Why financial discipline helped Standar...
19 Aug 2026
From the Vault: Caleb Counts of Connected Cannabis
Originally published October 8, 2024 as part of FlowerHire's Sunset Sessions. Before the Talent in Cannabis Podcast, there was Sunset Sessions. From the Vault brings some of our favorite conversations from that series back to the podcast feed. In this conversation, David Belsky sits down with Caleb Counts, Founder and CEO of Connected Cannabis, to talk about his journey from the legacy market to building one of the most recognized cannabis brands in the country. Caleb shares how his early exp...
11 Aug 2026
Sarah Strickler of Grown Rogue
In this episode of the Talent in Cannabis Podcast, David Belsky speaks with Sarah Strickler, co-founder and Head of Community Relations at Grown Rogue. Sarah reflects on the values that have shaped Grown Rogue, including trust, discipline, internal growth, community, and creating an environment where employees feel supported. 🔸 How Sarah’s background as an athlete influenced her approach to teamwork and leadership 🔸 The early beginnings of Grown Rogue in Oregon’s medical cannabis market 🔸 E...
28 Jul 2026
Nicolas Guarino of Jaunty
In this episode of the Talent in Cannabis Podcast, host David Belsky speaks with Nicolas Guarino, co-founder and CEO of Jaunty. Nicolas shares the company’s 9-year journey from New York’s hemp pilot program to becoming a vertically integrated cannabis brand. Nicolas grew up in a multigenerational farming family and entered hemp at 22, believing it could eventually create a path into legal cannabis. After raising millions of dollars and building a processing operation, he watched CBD ingredien...
14 Jul 2026
Laura Jaramillo Bernal of Botany Bay
In this episode of the Talent in Cannabis Podcast, host David Belsky speaks with Laura Jaramillo Bernal, COO of Botany Bay and COO of nuEra Cannabis, about building a cannabis company designed to last. Laura shares how nuEra grew from three medical dispensaries and fewer than 40 employees into a vertically integrated operator with approximately 300 employees, nine Illinois dispensaries, cultivation operations, in-house brands, and an expanding presence in Kentucky. They discuss why nuEr...
9 Jun 2026
Colton Griffon of Flourish Software
What does it actually take to run a cannabis operation? Colton Griffon has spent nearly a decade building the answer. On episode 6 of the Talent in Cannabis Podcast, David Belsky, CEO at FlowerHire, sits down with Colton Griffon, founder and CEO of Flourish Software. Flourish Software is the operating system powering cannabis cultivators, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers across the country. Before cannabis, Colton was deep in supply chain engineering for some of the most...
26 May 2026
Gibran Washington of Ethos Cannabis
In episode 5 of the Talent in Cannabis Podcast, David Belsky, CEO at FlowerHire, welcomes Gibran Washington, CEO of Ethos Cannabis, a vertically integrated multi-state cannabis operator in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Ohio. Gibran is a high-velocity venture builder and multi-industry expert who brings a rich, rare mix of operational expertise, a personal connection to the plant, and deep respect for cannabis culture. Before joining Ethos, he built his career across food and be...
7 Apr 2026
Rachel Roberts of the Kentucky Cannabis Industry Alliance
In episode 4 of the Talent in Cannabis Podcast, Rachel Roberts, Executive Director of the Kentucky Cannabis Industry Alliance, former state legislator, and 16-year yoga studio owner, joins David Belskey, CEO at FlowerHire. As someone who spent years championing the legislation that ultimately made medical cannabis legal in KY, Rachel is uniquely positioned to know what building an industry from zero really looks like. She dives into: The unexpected KY political dynamics that made medica...
16 Mar 2026
Joe Andreae of Culta
In this episode of the Talent Cannabis Podcast, host David Belsky interviews Joe Andreae, CEO of Culta, discussing his journey in the cannabis industry, the evolution of cannabis markets, and the challenges faced during the California cannabis bubble. Joe shares insights on building a strong team, the impact of COVID-19 on cannabis brands, and Culta's strategy in the Maryland market. He emphasizes the importance of collaboration within the industry and outlines his future goals for Culta.
4 Mar 2026
Matt Stang of High Times
High Times launched in 1974 — and didn’t just cover cannabis culture. It helped build it. After a short pause, the iconic brand is back. And Episode 2 of Talent in Cannabis goes straight to the source with Matt Stang, Partner and Chief Revenue Officer at High Times. Matt’s story is pure cannabis industry lore. In 2002, he reached out to High Times for a quote for his senior thesis. They were so impressed, they offered him an internship — kicking off a 25-year run at the center of cannabis med...
30 Jan 2026
Ryan Basore of Redemption Cannabis
In this conversation, David Belsky interviews Ryan Basore, the CEO of Redemption Cannabis, who shares his journey from being a caregiver in Michigan's cannabis market to founding a successful cannabis brand. Ryan discusses the challenges he faced, including a two-year prison sentence, and how these experiences shaped his commitment to the cannabis community. He highlights the mission of the Redemption Foundation, which supports social equity and provides grants for expungements and commissary...
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