NEW YORK — The Business of Cannabis: New York Summit returns Wednesday, November 6. Now in its fifth year, the summit will take place at the boutique Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg. With 75% of access strictly by invitation, the day-long event is designed for senior executives, investors, regulators, and policymakers who are actively defining the trajectory of the industry.
This year’s Summit debuts a new format. Gone are the agendas and panels. Rather, guests will experience curated 1-on-1 executive exchanges, confidential roundtables, and strategic, curated networking sessions designed to accelerate partnerships, funding, and policy alignment.
This year’s lineup will once again spotlight those moving the needle, from retailers and regulators to investors and innovators, including:
- Fab 5 Freddy (Fred Brathwaite), a central figure in the emergence of hip-hop from an art form born in The Bronx to a global phenomenon.
- L. Simone Washington, Chief Equity Officer of the New York Office of Cannabis Management.
- Joanne Wilson, CEO of Gotham.
- Seth Yakatan, Co-founder of Katan Associates.
- David E. Vautrin, CEO of FLUENT.
- Amy Deneson, Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Cannabis Media Council.
New York is at a critical moment. With over $2 billion in legal cannabis sales since the adult-use market launched nearly three years ago, the state is fast becoming a global focal point, offering a rare combination of regulatory evolution, cultural capital, and capital investment opportunities. Yet, major challenges persist such as inconsistent regulation, inversion, a delayed track-and-trace system, and licensing bottlenecks.
The Summit agenda will tackle these head-on, with focused discussions on:
- Regulatory uncertainty and public perception.
- Market saturation and retail evolution.
- Growth of the medical market.
- Funding trends and investment strategy.
This year’s experience is built around impact-first design:
- Executive Exchanges: No big panels, just candid, on-stage dialogues between regulators, CEOs, and investors to really get under the skin of issues & opportunities.
- Strategic Matchmaking and Roundtables: Tables curated through confidential attendee insights.
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