Appature, a premier provider of cannabis operator data analytics solutions, is proud to announce its participation in the first-ever Cannabis Innovation Lab 2023 hosted by 1871. This strategic program, anchored by Grown In and partnered with Cresco Labs, brings together startups, growth scalers, corporates, investors, and operators in the cannabis industry to tackle the industry’s most pressing problems through collaboration and innovation.
Eldon Brown, CEO of Appature, comments on the exciting opportunity, “We are thrilled to be a part of this incredible initiative, bringing together the best and brightest in the cannabis industry. Our team at Appature is dedicated to driving innovation and solving problems in the cannabis space, and the Cannabis Innovation Lab 2023 provides us with the perfect platform to do just that.”
The 42 tech and operator companies selected for the program will have access to industry programming, leadership panels, and group problem-solving strategy sessions to collaborate and solve leading problems in the cannabis industry through technology.
“At Appature, we are constantly looking for ways to drive change and improve the industry. Joining the Cannabis Innovation Lab 2023 allows us to do just that, working with like-minded individuals to tackle the industry’s biggest challenges and drive growth,” adds Brown.
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Tech Cohort Members Include:
Abide Assay | Chad Carpenter, CEO
Abide allows budtenders and patients to select cannabis products based on active ingredients and research, instead of strain name and potency.
Acute on Chronic | Rebecca Abraham, CEO
Acute on Chronic provides accurate evidence-based education and guidance to support patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals nationwide. Our compassionate team of nurses and doctors makes it easy to eliminate symptoms safely using cannabis.
Appature | Eldon Brown, CEO
Appature is a software platform that leverages your data to take the guesswork out of managing the operations of your cannabis business and drive increased revenue.
Avid | Fredrik Lindseth, CEO
Avid’s fully automated grow system makes home cultivation of high quality cannabis effortless by controlling the most difficult parts of growing and coaching customers through the fun parts.
Beuhi | Paloma Camper, Founder; David Martin, Founder; Richard Martin, Founder
Beuhi is a beautifully designed home confectionary appliance that provides cannabis/CBD consumers with an elevated non-smoking experience. Through the appliance and the secure app, consumers have a reliable, consistent, secure and discreet method where they control all the ingredient inputs and choices.
CannaTrac Financial Corp | Edwin Sochacki, CMO
The Future of Compliant, Legal Cannabis Payments – CannaCard®️
CannMenus | Vibhav Gupta, CEO; David Adams, Co-Founder; Jonny Carlyon, CTO
CannMenus is a data and analytics tech startup specializing in real-time market insights, customized sales enablement tools, and universal product search offerings to serve both consumers and businesses within the cannabis industry.
Dapsocially | Dwayne Perry, President
Dapsocially provides TV broadcasting and digital signage for businesses and events.
Distru | Azam Khan, COO
Cannabis ERP software for cultivators, manufacturers and distributors
EZAF.eth | Joshua Hernandez
EZAF.ETH aims to create decentralized tools and marketplaces for craft cannabis growers. Our mission: Establish a new cannabis category: decorative hemp.
Flourish Software | Colton Griffin, CEO
Flourish is a leading seed to sale supply tracking and chain management platform built specifically for the cannabis, CBD, and hemp industries. Companies who cultivate, extract, manufacture, distribute, or retail cannabis, CBD, or hemp use Flourish’s software to drive their supply chain operations, manage costs, and stay compliant.
Human Elements Consulting, Inc. | Sam Tanios, Founder & CEO
Human Elements Consulting was born out of a desperate need for “real” HR solutions for small businesses. Real, proactive solutions that provide the tools, talent, and strategy to support and elevate small businesses in ways never seen before.
Natuur Brands | Alexander Choi, Founder & CEO; Steven Bruening, Co-Founder & COO
Natuur is a Chicago-based cannabis processing technology company developing revolutionary cannabis nanoemulsions for infusion. Natuur Nano is the only flavorless & chemical-free nanoemulsion, your all-in-one solution for better cannabis edibles, beverages & more.
Niwa | Zachary Damato, COO
Niwa’s goal is to make indoor growing easier by offering software and hardware that is plug-n-play and affordable.
Notiphy | Bob Wise, CEO
Notiphy is easy-to-use cloud-based software that replaces paper and spreadsheets in manufactures, cannabis cultivators and manufacturers and warehouse/distribution. It makes labor accountable, efficient, productive, and safer while generating financial savings and operational data that management teams never previously had.
ProCanna | Dede Perkins, CEO; Tony Perkins, Co-Founder & General Counsel
ProCanna is a simple, scalable operational and compliance software solution specially designed for the cannabis industry. It enables cannabis operators to achieve their operational goals faster, with consistency and with fewer operational and regulatory mishaps.
Progress Retail | Raymond Riley, CEO
A single platform for retail operations, underpinned by dynamic learning, smart retail task execution, and analytics that drive associate and store performance.
Run Transportation Solutions | Jesse McCurty, CEO
Professional reliable conveying people and products our business is to deliver yours.
Sa Wea Luxury | Julia Fofanah, Founder
Sa Wea Luxury is the premier cannabis accessories marketplace, with a unique brand and vision.
Tetragram | Otha Smith III, Founder & CEO
Tetragram, an award winning, innovative technology company helps not only consumers, but the entire cannabis industry understand the effects of cannabis use, both positive and negative.
TRUSTT | Mike Sikorski, Co-Founder & CEO
TRUSTT is on the mission to make cannabis safer for patients, consumers and less risky for businesses through a development of blockchain and AI enabled cannabis tracking and quality verification platform.
VapeNprop | Kirsten Velasco, CEO
VapeNprop produces a unique accessory that protects devices and vapes, while keeping them in the upright position for peak performance. VapeNprop is ideal as promo merch to provide customer engagement incentives and relationship-building opportunities.
Zentrela | Israel Gasperin, Founder & CEO
Zentrela is a research company that specializes in studying the effects of cannabis using proprietary neurotechnology (EEG, neuroscience, and AI). We help cannabis producers reliably and objectively validate the efficacy of their products/formulations to create intended effects and guarantee their success in the market.
ZKsciences | Matt Kuznicki, Co-Founder & CEO
ZKsciences provides plant growth enhancers that increase yields for indoor and greenhouse cultivators. Our growing media additive technology boosts plant growth and yields for container grown cannabis without requiring any additional changes to the growing process.
Operator Cohort Members
Bridge City Collective Illinois | Shelli Hayes, Co-Founder & Co-Owner
Bridge City Collective has a coast-to-coast fellowship of cannabis operators, educators, activists, and innovators. With decades of combined experience across every branch of the cannabis trade, we strive to be model citizens of this industry.
Buckbee Weed Co. | John Murray, CEO
Buckbee Weed Co. offers premium cannabis and hemp products. Our famous fresh baked goods are sold at Mrs. Buckbee’s Wake N Bakery in Rockford.
Catalyst Cannabis | Robert T. Brown Jr., Director of Security
We set the standard for a customer-focused dispensary experience by providing superior customer service that is coupled with our incredible menu at the best prices.
Drecisco Farms | Alisa Brill, CFO & COO
Drecisco Farms, LLC is a social equity craft grower with a facility in Marengo, IL. We will be focusing on producing high quality edibles and plan to go to market mid-2023.
Excelleaf | Maria Davis, CEO; Crystal Anderson, CFO; Brian Garner, CSO
We are a 100% minority owned, majority female, veteran owned company. We are here to bring creativity, variety and education to this emerging industry.
Hemp Heals Body Shop Inc. | Tiffany Joi, Founder & Owner
Hemp Heals Body Shop is a solo woman minority-owned business that provides premium and luxurious CBD infused products that’ll help our customers live a pain & stress free life!
Herban Gardens | Bobby Burns, Founding CEO
Herban Garden is an 83% Black-owned independent Craft Grower with the ability to cultivate 5,000 s.f of canopy space, with 3,000 s.f. added yearly for an eventual 14,000 s.f.. We plan to produce flower, and extracted/infused products for conscious consumers seeking physical and mental well-being.
Holy Vana | KJ Saffold, Owner
Holy Vana is a premium dispensary that offers a wide variety of high-quality organic cannabis products, including flower, edibles, concentrates, and topicals, to help customers find the perfect product for their needs. We pride ourselves on providing exceptional customer service, a comfortable shopping experience, and competitive prices.
HT23 Growers | Reese Xavier, CEO
HT23 vision is to serve as Illinois’ premier cannabis cultivation operation. As a 100% African-American owned business, we are committed to community revitalization and providing residents with the opportunity to fuel the economic development and growth within their community.
Lighthouse Dispensing Company | Marlan Hicks, Owner’s Representative
Lighthouse Dispensing Company creates a top tier dispensary experience through selling a variety of high-quality cannabis products and top-shelf smoking accessories. Bolstered by the dedication of its founders, Lighthouse aims to provide safe, reliable, and destigmatized access to quality cannabis products
MKPG LLC. | Moira Corcoran, CFO
MKPG LLC is an IL retail license holder in the Chicago BLS region. Women(and sister)owned!
NOBO | Lori DeCarlo, Regional Director West
NOBO IL is a retailer, an educator and on a mission to create a movement that encourages a more progressive understanding of the cannabis industry.
Seven Point | Brad Zerman, CEO
Seven Point was formed in 2014 in order to provide safe and secure access to medical cannabis for IL patients.
Star Buds | Ahmad Joudeh, COO
Fully Vertical integrated Company with a dispensary craft grow and transportation.
The 1937 Group | Ambrose Jackson, CEO
The 1937 Group is a leading minority-owned cannabis operator based in Chicago, IL. As a vertically-integrated company, The 1937 Group is in the process of launching multiple cultivation and retail dispensary establishments across Illinois and New Jersey.
The Culinary Cannabis Company | Kate Nadolski, Owner & CEO
The Culinary Cannabis Company (CCC) makes convenient cannabis-infused pantry staples that let the home cook make her own culinary creations with confidence. Mary Jane Infusible’s are the house of the brand’s flagship portfolio.
UMI Farms | Akele Parnell, CEO
UMI Farms is a craft cannabis and retail brand based in Chicago.
Village Court Holdings | William Laws, CEO; Amber Laws, CMO
Village Court Holdings is a family-owned company based in Chicago that looks forward to opening its first dispensary in 2023. The company’s mission is to advance social equity by not only increasing diversity and inclusion but also by positively impacting communities harmed by the war on drugs.
Growth-Scale Cohort Members
TECVINE helps businesses select and implement the best enterprise technology solutions for operations, while solving existing issues. We provide turnkey services to our clients, by offering unbiased advising, negotiating contracts, and overseeing implementation of best-in-class solutions for mobility, networking, and cloud computing.
The name nuEra highlights the fact that legalization in Illinois didn’t just change the laws on the books – it unleashed a whole new era of cannabis. An era in which cannabis is safer, higher quality and available in a greater variety than ever before. Canna-consumers have more methods of consumption, more strains, more precise dosage labeling, and better information about the effects of each of our products than any generation before them.
Aeropay is a financial technology company that helps people move money with bank-to-bank (ACH) transfers. We enable businesses to accept compliant, cashless and contactless payments, giving customers the freedom to spend. Leaving cash and cards behind and paying with a personal mobile device promotes safety, convenience and a modern lifestyle.
