PHOENIX – Thirty-four cannabis executives from Arizona and the Southwest were honored in late May at El Chorro Lodge in Paradise Valley, Arizona.
Public relations firm Proven Media hosted the invitation-only event in collaboration with RW Navis & Associates and CannaPac. The gathering was part of The Most Influential Executives of Cannabis (IEC), a national awards series recognizing leaders who have advanced the professionalization, stability, and long-term trajectory of the cannabis industry. During the intimate evening reception, each honoree was presented with a trophy and an award certificate to commemorate their contributions to industry excellence, integrity, and stewardship.
“The evening was about meaningful connection and recognizing the people who are building the infrastructure and integrity our industry needs to thrive long-term,” Prince said. “These honorees represent the gold standard of executive leadership in the Southwest.”
The Southwest region continues to serve as a critical anchor for the national cannabis landscape as the market matures. The awards were specifically designed to cut through the noise and recognize those moving the regional industry forward through future-focused leadership. A panel of business professionals selected the regional honorees based on their impact, operational performance, and industry involvement.
“The cannabis industry has moved into a sophisticated era where leadership and professional integrity are the primary drivers of success,” said Proven Media founder and Chief Executive Officer Kim Prince. “Many executive awards have become popularity contests, but we designed this recognition to be different. We are honoring the executives who stay focused, put their heads down, and quietly help build a stronger, more innovative and sustainable industry.”
All regional honorees will be considered for the national IEC awards, which are scheduled to be announced during MJBizCon in Las Vegas in December.
The 2026 Arizona and Southwest IEC honorees
Laura Bianchi
Laura Bianchi is a co-founding partner at cannabis law firm and business advisory Bianchi & Brandt. She has worked in the sector since Arizona voters approved medical cannabis in 2010, advising companies on corporate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, multistate expansion, and distressed assets. Her commentary has appeared in Forbes, Bloomberg, and Benzinga.
Justin Brandt
Justin Brandt is a co-founding partner at Bianchi & Brandt, where his practice includes alternative dispute resolution, commercial litigation, corporate transactions, and receiverships. Before co-founding the firm in 2019, he spent nearly a decade practicing business law. Brandt has spoken at SXSW and was named to the Phoenix Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” list.
Demitri Downing
Demitri Downing is founder and president of the Marijuana Industry Trade Association (MITA), an Arizona-based trade organization he established in 2016. A former prosecutor and registered lobbyist, Downing has worked on cannabis policy and business development in Arizona. He also co-founded the National Indian Cannabis Coalition.
Adelia Fakhri
Adelia Fakhri is co-founder and chief marketing officer of cannabis event-ticketing platform EventHi. Formerly known as Adelia Carrillo, she also co-founded Blunt Brunch, a professional network for women in cannabis. Her background includes marketing, consumer electronics, digital technology, and community building.
Barbara Garganta
Barbara Garganta is executive vice president of retail at Canopy USA, a role she assumed after Canopy acquired Wana Brands. She previously led retail operations at Wana and served as senior director of retail for Harvest House of Cannabis. Before entering cannabis, she held management roles with national retailers including Anthropologie.
Sara Gullickson
Sara Gullickson is founder and CEO of The Cannabis Business Advisors, a women-owned consulting firm focused on licensing, operations, expansion, and transactions. Gullickson entered the industry with Dispensary Permits and has experience as a consultant, entrepreneur, and cannabis license owner.
John Haugh
John Haugh is CEO of vertically integrated cannabis company Sunday Goods, where he has overseen retail and wholesale expansion. His background includes supply-chain management, retail growth, and commercial development in consumer-facing industries.
Ryan Hermansky
Ryan Hermansky is co-founder of Flagstaff, Arizona-based dispensary and cultivation company Noble Herb. He entered the cannabis sector in 2013 after more than a decade in medical sales and helped establish Greenhouse of Flagstaff, which later became Noble Herb. Hermansky also serves as president of the Arizona Dispensaries Association.
Lori Hicks
Lori Hicks is owner and operations manager of vertically integrated Arizona Natural Concepts. Since joining the company in 2018, she has worked across retail, manufacturing, compliance, human resources, banking, and brand operations. Her previous work includes real estate and writing.
Susan Hwang
Susan Hwang is founder and CEO of Mesa, Arizona-based BEST Dispensary, which opened after the state approved adult-use cannabis in 2020. Hwang, who emigrated from South Korea at age 12, previously founded and managed several businesses and is involved with Women Grow’s Phoenix and Los Angeles chapters.
Ronnie Kassab
Ronnie Kassab is co-founder and president of JARS Cannabis, a multistate dispensary operator launched in Detroit in 2017. He has overseen the company’s expansion and development of systems for managing inventory across states. Kassab previously spent nearly two decades as a shareholder at LA Insurance Agency.
Josh Kesselman
Josh Kesselman is founder of rolling-paper brand RAW and HBI International, an importer and distributor of smoking accessories. Before establishing HBI in 1998, he operated smoke shops in Florida. Kesselman acquired High Times out of bankruptcy in 2025 and supports clean-water and environmental projects through RAW Giving.
Ryan Lagace
Ryan Lagace is co-founder and chief operating officer of Dispensify, which provides technology infrastructure and IT management for cannabis retailers. His background includes hardware procurement, vendor coordination, technology deployment, and compliance-focused software installations.
Andrew Meister
Andrew “Bud” Meister is owner and operator of Bud’s Glass Joint, a functional-glass gallery and lifestyle shop in Phoenix. His work encompasses retail operations, support for local glass artists, community events, and cannabis-policy advocacy.
Raul Molina
Raul Molina is co-founder and chief operating officer of vertically integrated multistate operator Mint Cannabis. He has helped oversee the company’s growth beyond Arizona and the development of its Guadalupe flagship, which includes drive-through service and a cannabis-infused kitchen.
Lauren Niehaus
Lauren Niehaus is executive director of government relations for Trulieve Cannabis Corp., where she works on legislative analysis, compliance, and government affairs. She previously served as director of government relations for Harvest Health & Recreation and spent a decade as deputy director of the Conference of Western Attorneys General.
Bran Noonan
Bran Noonan is CEO of multistate cannabis edibles brand OGeez!, which was founded by his late mother, Peggy Noonan. Since becoming CEO in 2021, he has led the company’s expansion beyond Arizona. Before joining OGeez!, Noonan practiced law for nearly two decades, including as a partner at Akerman LLP.
Michael O’Brien
Michael O’Brien is co-founder, CEO, and general counsel of vertically integrated cannabis company Sonoran Roots, which operates dispensaries and the Canamo Concentrates extraction business. A former mergers-and-acquisitions attorney at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, O’Brien later served as operations counsel for Clear Channel Outdoor and general counsel for AZ Crown Investments. He also served as the Arizona Dispensaries Association’s 2025–2026 board president.
Sara Presler
Sara Presler is general counsel for multistate cannabis operator Mohave Cannabis Co. Her career includes work as a public defender, adjunct law instructor, CEO of the Arizona Foundation for Women, and chair of the Arizona Dispensaries Association’s Compliance Committee. Presler also served two terms as mayor of Flagstaff, Arizona, becoming the city’s youngest mayor and the first woman elected to the office.
Parisa Rad
Parisa Rad is co-founder of Blunt Brunch, a professional network for women in cannabis, and a commercial risk consultant. Known in the industry as “The Marijuana Momma,” she previously served as communications director for Women Grow Phoenix and president of Fourtwenty Collections. Rad holds a degree in agricultural business and marketing from New Mexico State University.
Caroline Riggs
Caroline Riggs is executive vice president of retail and marketing at Copperstate Farms, where she oversees retail operations and brand strategy for the company’s Sol Flower dispensaries. Her previous cannabis roles include Southwest executive director of retail for Trulieve and chief operating officer for Good Day Farm. Before entering the industry, Riggs held management positions with Starbucks and Pier 1 Imports.
Thomas Rimbach
Thomas Rimbach is co-founder and CEO of cannabis edibles company Baked Bros, which he established in 2014. A military veteran, Rimbach has focused his cannabis career on manufacturing, product testing, food safety, and formulation.
Arvin Saloum
Arvin Saloum is owner and chief operating officer of family-owned, vertically integrated cannabis company GreenPharms. His background includes banking, logistics, retail operations, and multisite inventory management. He has overseen the company’s Arizona retail operations and its responses to changing compliance and payment requirements.
Marie Saloum
Marie Saloum is founder and CEO of family-owned cannabis companies GreenPharms and Marijuana Doctor. She launched the businesses after her husband used cannabis during his recovery from a serious automobile accident. Saloum oversees the company’s retail, product, training, and community-outreach efforts.
Kathy Senseman
Kathy Senseman is a partner at Policy Development Group and a lobbyist for the Arizona Dispensaries Association. Her work spans government affairs, public utilities, grassroots advocacy, and cannabis policy. She also has served as president of the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools.
Eivan Shahara
Eivan Shahara is co-founder and CEO of vertically integrated multistate operator Mint Cannabis. He has led the company’s growth since its establishment under parent company Brightroot in 2016. Mint’s Arizona flagship includes drive-through service, 24-hour operations, and the Mint Café cannabis kitchen.
Revan Shahara
Revan Shahara is co-founder and managing member of Mint Cannabis. His work includes finance, asset procurement, risk management, and administrative operations. He helped establish the company’s original facility in Guadalupe, Arizona, and has supported its expansion into additional markets.
Steve Shapiro
Steve Shapiro is founder and CEO of The Superior Dispensary, a vertically integrated cannabis retailer and cultivator in Phoenix. His work has focused on extraction, product safety, and alternative delivery formats, including vegan live-resin soft gels sold under the Life Is Chill brand.
George Thimsen
George Thimsen is partner and chief revenue officer at multistate cannabis vaporizer brand Timeless, where he oversees sales, market development, and brand collaborations. Before joining Timeless, he spent more than 11 years at Red Bull. He served as tournament chairman for the 2024 WM Phoenix Open.
Ann Torrez
Ann Torrez is executive director of the Arizona Dispensaries Association, which represents licensed cannabis operators in the state. She previously worked in receivership and distressed-asset management and held operations roles with AT&T Wireless and US West. Torrez holds a marketing degree from the University of New Mexico’s Anderson School of Management.
Vernell Varnado
Vernell Varnado, also known as Poppa Snoop, is a brand ambassador, actor, veterans advocate, and the father of entertainer Snoop Dogg. A U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War, Varnado received three Purple Hearts and later worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 25 years. His cannabis-industry work includes speaking engagements, networking events, and support for veterans initiatives.
Jason Vedadi
Jason Vedadi is founder and CEO of Story Cannabis, a multistate operator with retail and cultivation assets. He previously founded Modern Flower and served as executive chairman of Harvest Health & Recreation before its acquisition by Trulieve. Vedadi also led Oasis Cannabis before its sale to Ayr Wellness.
Brian Warde
Brian Warde is co-founder and CEO of Zanzibar Prime Management and DMC Services, which manage The Prime Leaf and Rainbow Collective dispensaries. He previously served as chief operating officer for a national Department of Justice legal technical-assistance provider and spent 14 years in retail operations and human resources. Warde also has served on the boards of MITA and the Arizona Dispensaries Association.
Sarah Warraich
Sarah Warraich is co-owner and chief operating officer of multistate retailer Nirvana Cannabis, also known as Nirvana Center. She entered Arizona’s medical cannabis market as a co-owner of Yavapai Herbal Services and has experience in licensing, compliance, supply-chain management, inventory, and multistate retail operations.
