About CWCBExpo
About Us / Meet the Team
The Cannabis World Congress & Business Exposition (CWCBExpo) is the premier business-to-business trade show event for the legalized cannabis industry. It is the leading forum for dispensary owners, growers, suppliers, investors, medical professionals, government regulators, legal counsel and entrepreneurs looking to achieve business success and identify new areas of growth in this dynamic industry.
Exhibitors and sponsors bring cutting-edge solutions to owners and managers of businesses, and a wealth of opportunity and knowledge to those looking to enter the market with potential partners and investors.
CWCBExpo is proud that we have helped shape the cannabis industry from the early days when it emerged as a new economic layer across the business world through many phases of stigma, volatility and legalization. We are equally proud to have an experienced, brave, courageous and committed advisory committee team standing with us, helping to build the industry and marketplace for legalized cannabis.
Advisory Council Members
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Byrnes, Kymberly, “KymB”
Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer, TribeTokes; Podcast Host, “The Highest: In the Room” -
Crosson, Kelley
Horticulturist, Designer, Consultant -
Mehta, Sumit
Founder, Former CEO, MAZAKALI -
Morón, Gia
Founder and CEO, GVM Communications -
Prince, Kim
Founder, CEO Proven Media -
Santos, Nichelle
Founder and CEO, CannaCoverage -
Tantalo, Britni
Co-Founder and President, New York Cannabis Retail Association; Co-Founder and President of Flower City Dispensary -
Weinberg, Ken, MD
Founder, CEO, Cannabis Doctors of New York
Byrnes, Kymberly, “KymB”
Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer, TribeTokes; Podcast Host, “The Highest: In the Room”
Kymberly Byrnes, “KymB”
Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer, TribeTokes;
Podcast Host, “Highest: In the Room”
At TribeTokes, Kim Byrnes drives all the brand’s social and marketing strategy. She blends traditional marketing efforts, modern colloquialisms, and digital social culture to subliminally target customers and break into new markets in ways that many cannabis brands have yet to tap. Today Kym works with some of the most forward-thinking minds in the New York City cannabis scene: Kym sits on the Advisory Committee for the Cannabis World Congress & Business Expo, a business-to-business trade show event for the legalized cannabis industry. She volunteers and is on the committee for the NYC Cannabis Parade and Rally, one of the longest running cannabis events in the world. Kym is the NYC Ambassador for Women Grow, and frequently serves as a High Times Cannabis Cup Judge. KymB is also the host of a cannabis podast, “Highest: In the Room.”
As a Certified Pilates Instructor and Lululemon Legacy Ambassador, Kym merges her passion for health and cannabis through her “Plant-Based Pilates” CBD fitness platform. On the patient advocacy side, Kym works with Nugg MD to help New Yorkers get their medical marijuana cards. Kym is passionate about the future of cannabis and the potential impact of cannabis for women, health applications and the growth of the industry. When she’s not educating the world on cannabis, you can find Kym working out, exploring and traveling and of course consuming some of the best cannabis and CBD in the world.
Crosson, Kelley
Horticulturist, Designer, Consultant
Kelley Crosson
Horticulturist, Designer, Consultant
Kelley Crosson is a horticulturist, designer, and cannabis advocate. She owns KC, Inc., a consulting company based in Manhattan. From 2009-2018 she worked with major donors for the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP.) MPP played the leading role in drafting, funding, and staffing the historic 2012 Amendment 64 initiative in Colorado – which made CO the first place in history to legalize marijuana for adults and regulate it like alcohol. MPP also led the coalitions that passed measures to legalize and regulate marijuana in Alaska, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada in 2014 and 2016, and led medical marijuana and decriminalization reform efforts in multiple states. Kelley also served as Vice President of the Board of Trustees for the New Jersey Cannabis Industry Association (NJCIA) from 2017-2019, as strategic advisor to Etain Health from 2018-2022, and created the class “Growing Cannabis” at the New York Botanical Garden. She has served as an advisor to the CWCBE since 2017.
Mehta, Sumit
Founder, Former CEO, MAZAKALI
Sumit Mehta
Founder, former CEO, MAZAKALI
Sumit is a CEO, CFO, Board Director, Consulting Advisor and Public Speaker with tangible impact on business expansion and EBITDA growth. An EXECUTIVE with tenacity and empathy who inspires teams to exceed objectives, Sumit is also an ENTREPRENEUR who built 1) MAZAKALI, a San-Francisco based Investment Advisory and Banking practice, and launched 2) Empirical Brewery, a craft beer pioneer in Chicago.
Sumit’s ABILITY TO DRIVE REVENUE spans 20+ years with large Wall Street firms (UBS, Raymond James, JP Morgan, Susquehanna) as well as smaller Investment Advisers (Fiducient, NorthRock) and his own businesses (Emerald Ventures, MAZAKALI). Sumit has built and expanded multi-million dollar revenue streams several times over this time-span.
As a BOARD MEMBER and STRATEGIC CONSULTANT, Sumit combines his multi-national experience with practical, hands-on leadership gained via his entrepreneurial ventures. A former 1871 and Arcview Group mentor, Sumit has guided and coached multiple startups to profitability and expansion. A recognized PUBLIC SPEAKER, Sumit has keynoted 50+ conferences around the world with expertise in strategy, investment and entrepreneurship.
A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, Sumit has earned an MBA from the University of Michigan and a BA with Honors in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin. He holds investment banking, brokerage, M&A and investment advisory securities licenses as well as a Certificate in Financial Technology from Harvard University. Sumit enjoys motorcycles, yoga and the great outdoors.
Morón, Gia
Founder and CEO, GVM Communications
Gia Morón
Founder and CEO, GVM Communications
Gia Morón is a multi-industry veteran business & PR consultant with over 30 years’ experience in corporate communications, public relations, brand strategy and business development. She is the founder and CEO of GVM Communications, Inc. (GVM), which serves clients across business disciplines and scopes from around the globe, ranging from small businesses to publicly traded firms, non-profits, entrepreneurs, and more. Since 2015, when GVM expanded its coverage to the newly legal cannabis and hemp industry, the company has consistently been ranked as a top Cannabis Public Relations company in leading industry publications such as Forbes, and Green Market Report. According to Green Market Report, Morón is ranked one of the leading professionals in cannabis for her work and professional accomplishments and advocacy. Due to her company’s unique approach, expertise and business relationships, her company continues to be one of the most sought after firms with cannabis and hemp experience by some of the industry’s leaders and businesses.
From 2019-2023, Morón also served as President of Women Grow, the largest professional network for women in cannabis and hemp (she joined the company in 2016). During her tenure, her leadership helped Women Grow establish significant partnerships with leading cannabis MSOs (multi-state operators), and she worked closely with federal and state agencies, higher education institutions, community organizers and other high-profile stakeholders. These groundbreaking partnerships helped to create programs and resources to support female and minority entrepreneurs and professionals in the industry (e.g., under Morón’s leadership, Women Grow partnered with Emmanuel Baptist Church in New York City in 2019 for the world’s first “Business of Cannabis Summit” hosted by a faith-based organization New York State Resolution; event is now in its fourth year and will continue with Morón under GVM Communications partnership).
Morón’s previous experience includes fifteen years at the global banking powerhouse Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. where she managed media for the firm’s various business entities and organizational areas, and five years at The Fremantle Corporation, a global television distribution and production company.
Outside of her professional accomplishments, Morón continuously works with a number of non-profit organizations and mentors up-and-coming women in business. She is a founding member of Safe4Equity, a cannabis industry group formed to help create equitable access to capital and a path to social and economic justice through reform. She sits on the board of Minorities for Medical Marijuana and is an advisory board member of the National Cannabis Roundtable (NCR), Cannabis World Congress Business Expo (CWCBE), and Lift&Co., and is a member of the Cannabis Advisory Boards of Lehman College and Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC).
Morón has long been recognized as one of the leading women in cannabis for her advocacy in legalization and supporting women in the industry, including in such publications as, Newsweek, Vox, Benzinga, and others.
To connect with her via email gia@gvmcommsinc.com or follow on social media Instagram & Twitter X: @Gia_Vm; LinkedIn: Gia Moron and Facebook: Gia Vm.
Prince, Kim
Founder, CEO Proven Media
Kim Prince
Founder and CEO, Proven Media
Kim Prince is the founder of Proven Media, a communications agency serving B2B and B2C companies throughout North America.
The business was named one of the Top 5 Most Powerful Cannabis PR Firms by the Observer, a top PR firm by the Business Journal, and dubbed Star Makers by NV Magazine. Prince is the founder of Meet the Cannabis Press events and was named a 2023 Notable Leader by the Green Market Report. She specializes in strategic marketing communications for privately held and publicly traded companies and has a strong background in corporate messaging and public relations strategies for corporations, brands, and C-level executives. She has a passion for helping clients succeed.
She has served as the director of public relations for the Marijuana Industry Trade Association-AZ (MITA-AZ), and as a former board member of the Arizona Cannabis Chamber of Commerce. Outside of the cannabis industry, she served non-profit board positions for the Foothills Community Foundation, the Foothills Caring Corps, Career Connectors, and the Carefree/Cave Creek Chamber of Commerce. She is the former membership chair of the Arizona Business Marketing Association and a graduate of Northern Arizona University.
She was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year and the Alliance All-Star Award from ASU West and the Phoenix Business Journal. She has been a panel moderator at professional conferences throughout the country and has been an invited speaker at marketing associations and colleges to teach others how to maximize their media exposure.
Santos, Nichelle
Founder and CEO, CannaCoverage
Nichelle Santos
Founder and CEO, CannaCoverage
Nichelle Santos is an entrepreneur, business development executive in the insurance industry, practicing risk mitigation from the CannaBusiness industry, to healthcare; environmental health and safety, public policy. She has practiced as a Safety Engineer & Risk Manager in the chemical/pharmaceutical industry, protecting employees and the surrounding community through Process Safety Management, Behavior Based Safety, hazardous waste remediation, and regulatory compliance.
As the CEO of CannaCoverage, Nichelle now brings her insurance and regulatory expertise to the CannaBusiness industry to create customized risk management consulting with insurance solutions, designed to protect businesses from failure. She believes with increased efficiencies and profitability of cannabusinesses, can build and cultivate sustainability for communities. Corporate Social Responsibility to maintain public safety & health; provide social justice in action; to impact the community and environment, is critical to the cannabis industry. CannaCoverage is licensed in 20+ states and scaling across the country.
Nichelle serves as a community leader and industry advocate, as the the M4MM State Director, NJ, to further her mission in Government Affairs for pro-cannabis policy, health and safety, GMPs, and industry standards; as well as to improve health outcomes with medical marijuana as an alternative treatment. She’s a member of the NJ CannaBusiness Association; National Cannabis Industry Association,serving the Risk Mgmt & Insurance Comm; and Board Member (BM) on the Coalition of Medical Marijuana of NJ; Greater Raritan Valley Workforce Development Board; the National Forum for Black Public Administrators; and National African American Insurance Association; and Founding BM of Elect Women NJ and Emerge NJ, to increase women as elected officials. Recognized as 2023 NY Cannabis Power Player; 2022 Insider NJ Cannabis Power List; 2023 & 2022 NJ Cannabis Insider – Minority Business of the Year, Woman Of The Year Honoree; Excellence in Consulting Honoree; Responsible 100, NY City & State.
Nichelle earned her B.S. at Rutgers University, Environmental Health and Occupational Safety, and has recently continued studies at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health and at the Harvard Kennedy School, in Healthcare, Evidence, Leadership and Public Policy.
Tantalo, Britni
Co-Founder and President, New York Cannabis Retail Association; Co-Founder and President of Flower City Dispensary
Britni Tantalo
Co-Founder and President, New York Cannabis Retail Association
Co-Founder and President, Flower City Dispensary
Britni Tantalo is a woman minority New York State CAURD and SEE applicant looking to obtain a retail dispensary license as Flower City Dispensary. She is also the co-founder and President of the New York Cannabis Retail Association, an organization that aims to create educational pathways in cannabis and ensure access to resources in order to create a sustainable, equitable, and inclusive cannabis industry.
Britni is also the co-founder of Flower City Hydroponics, a retail grow store located in Fairport, NY. Flower City Hydroponics provides all equipment and supplies needed for indoor and outdoor cannabis cultivation. Additionally, she is the co-founder of MetaVega Corporation, a manufacturer, wholesaler, and distributor of indoor growing equipment and cannabis extraction products. MetaVega Corporation services hydroponic retail stores and smoke shops throughout the country. Britni holds a bachelor’s degree from Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in finance and economics and an MBA from St. John Fisher University in accounting.
Weinberg, Ken, MD
Founder, CEO, Cannabis Doctors of New York
Ken Weinberg, MD
Founder, CEO, Cannabis Doctors of New York
Kenneth R. Weinberg, MD was one of the earliest adopters among practitioners when the Compassionate Care Act went into effect in 2016. He is the Founder and CEO of Cannabis Doctors of NewYork and has seen, treated and certified hundreds of patients since. He is an emerging thought leader who has spoken around the state at numerous events and conferences including last year’s Cannabis World Expo in NYC. He has been featured on television, radio and print – is soon to publish a book about doctor/patient relationships based on his over 35 years of experience on the front lines of medicine.