Annelise Lewis is the AGM for North Country Cannabis with 9+ years of sales experience. She has been with North Country for 4+ years beginning as a Budtender and transitioning into management 3 years ago. She participates in planning and executing operational strategies that has helped the business to achieve constant sales growth annually. She has a very deep understanding of cannabis consumer trends and analytics. She wants to use her experience and firsthand knowledge to help break the stigma and pave the way for the changes that cannabis consumers & retailers are petitioning for.

BC *virtual speaker

Kaylz is the co-owner and operator of Amsterdam Cafe in Vancouver and the Founder of the Cannabis Hospitality Summit. With over a decade of experience across music, cannabis, and live event production, she has built a career at the intersection of culture, community, and hospitality.

She began her career at 18 studying Entertainment Business Management at Metalworks, earning the Jake Gold Special Achievement Award in 2012. She went on to manage Canadian multi-platinum recording artist Mia Martina and earned multiple Canadian Certified Gold Records while working with CP Music Group/XO.

Blending her passions for music and cannabis, Kaylz played a foundational role in launching O’Cannabiz and Grow Up—two of Canada’s earliest cannabis conferences—and is actively involved again with Grow Up for 2025/2026. She is a member of the Canadian Cannabis Tourism Alliance and participates in the BC Cannabis Task Force, contributing to the evolving conversation around cannabis hospitality and tourism in Canada.

Through her leadership at Amsterdam Cafe and the Cannabis Hospitality Summit, Kaylz is helping shape the future of cannabis-friendly spaces where tourism, entertainment, and community come together.
BC

Nadine Furnell is a cannabis tourism strategist and experiential hospitality innovator based in Prince George, British Columbia. As the founder of Mama Deen’s Kitchen & Mama Deen’s Enhanced Experiences, she is reimagining how cannabis integrates into Canada’s broader tourism economy — from compliant onsite consumption events to rural destination experiences and Indigenous tourism partnerships. With over 15 years of leadership experience in regulated industries, Nadine brings a policy-informed, operationally grounded perspective to advancing cannabis hospitality as a legitimate, revenue-generating sector. Her work focuses on bridging retailers, tourism operators, municipalities, and community stakeholders to position cannabis as a catalyst for economic development, cultural collaboration, and responsible destination growth across Western Canada.

BC *virtual speaker

Necole Hines is a cannabis educator, chef and advocate who’s passionate about celebrating plants through food and connection. She’s the founder of Faded Living where she brings cannabis into everyday life with low-THC cooking workshops, infused dining experiences, and cookbooks. Inspired by her Jamaican roots, Necole’s dishes are full of bold flavours and highlight the wellness benefits of cannabis in a way that’s approachable. Whether she’s hosting a workshop, writing a recipe, recording a podcast, or sharing a meal, Necole focuses on breaking down stigmas and creating meaningful moments. With plans to launch culinary and spiritual retreats and a 420-friendly Villa, she invites everyone to explore a “faded” lifestyle that’s grounded, creative, and community-focused”
BC

Stacey Duffy is the Head of Brand Engagement for All Nations, an Indigenous-owned craft cannabis company operating globally. She oversees national retailer partnerships, in-store and event activations, and experiential strategy, shaping how the brand is experienced from shelf to consumer.
With a focus on intentional brand presence and education, Stacey specializes in building meaningful retail relationships and creating impactful sampling and engagement opportunities that feel authentic rather than transactional. Her work bridges culture and commerce, ensuring that premium cannabis brands show up with integrity, clarity, and purpose in competitive markets.

BC

Tarah Rainville is an independent cannabis professional known for bringing people together and creating meaningful industry connections. As a contracted partner working across events, brands, and retail organizations, Tarah has helped shape networking experiences at major industry events including Grow Up and StratCann. A mom of three girls with a background in aesthetics, she brings a unique perspective rooted in customer experience, wellness, and hospitality. Focused on collaboration over competition, Tarah offers a real-world outlook on how connection, culture, and elevated experiences are shaping the next evolution of the cannabis industry.

ALBERTA

BC

Ted started the Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club in 1996 and has been at the forefront of the fight for medical access since. In the last 30 years Ted has been arrested, acquitted, convicted, fined, and evicted while trying to provide cannabis products to over 9,000 patients. After the club’ bakery was raided in 2009, he managed the trial with lawyer Kirk Tousaw towards a unanimous victory at the Supreme Court of Canada in 2015, which made extracts and edibles legal for patients. Over this time, he has also been an author, publisher, actor, writer, event organizer and public speaker.

Ted’s newest venture, POT BUST CRAWL, is giving walking tours of places he and his friends have been arrested in Victoria.

BC

Vikram Sachdeva is the Founder and CEO of Seed & Stone Cannabis, a British Columbia–based cannabis retail company committed to education, responsible consumption, and community engagement. Under his leadership, Seed & Stone has grown into a trusted retail brand focused on creating welcoming spaces that guide consumers on their cannabis journey.

Seed & Stone has developed a meaningful partnership with the Songhees Nation in Victoria, supporting local economic development and collaborative retail initiatives. The company operates retail locations in both Victoria and the Lower Mainland of British Columbia.

Seed & Stone has also participated in the Rifflandia Music Festival, supporting the development of regulated cannabis consumption experiences. Working alongside the BC Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) and community partners, the company advocates for safe, responsible cannabis delivery and the advancement of compliant cannabis consumption lounges in Victoria, British Columbia.

BC