ACG Boston | How Deals Get Done in Cannabis (Virtual)

G. Ryan Ansin is an entrepreneur, early-stage investor, and philanthropist focused on using the holistic combination to generate returns and positive impact for those in the targeted communities wherein he works. 

Today, Ansin splits his time between multiple entities. As an investor and advisor, Ansin has built a portfolio of industry-changing start-ups and growth stage companies in the tech, health tech, ethical fashion, and real estate.  As Co-Founder of Revolutionary Clinics and an advisor to many cannabis startups, Ansin currently spends most of his time aiding in the development of companies, products, technologies, and brands dedicated to advancing the cannabis industry. 

Within Revolutionary Clinics, Ansin leads strategy on the Board of Directors and is operationally the Chief Strategy Officer. Beyond Revolutionary, Ansin advises a debt fund dedicated to infrastructure for growth-stage cannabis funds and is a General Partner of a cannabis-dedicated Private Equity Fund based in Hong Kong. 

Prior to his activity in the cannabis industry, Ansin was President of Family Office Association, Co-Founder of Clarity Project – an ethical diamond mining project in Sierra Leone, Founder of EPHAS – a global photojournalism education nonprofit, and has been an active early-stage investor since 2012. 

Greg is a partner with CohnReznick Advisory’s Transactional Advisory Services Practice. Greg brings to this role nearly 30 years of experience in finance, auditing, and managing the transactional advisory services practices of national and global professional services firms. Greg built on his extensive experience in conducting financial due diligence engagements, including buy-side and sell-side transactions in the cannabis, technology, software, pharmaceutical, consumer product, retail, business services, and manufacturing industries. Greg is a member of CohnReznick’s national cannabis industry practice. He has performed due diligence on several dozen cannabis deals throughout the US on behalf of investors, leading multi-state operators, private equity funds and lenders. Greg has moderated and presented on cannabis investing and due diligence panels at local and national conferences.

Education

• Boston University: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Accounting Concentration
• Boston College: Master of Science in Finance

Community Involvement

• YMCA North Shore, Board of Trustees and Strategy Committee Chair
• Kawasaki Disease Foundation, Founder and President
• North Shore United Way, Past Board Member
• Shore Country Day School, Past Board Member
• Habitat for Humanity Boston, Past Board Member and Treasurer Professional

Affiliations

• Association of Corporate Growth, Boston Chapter, Board Member and Treasurer
• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Member

Connie DeBoever joined Merida Capital Holdings in July 2019 and is part of the investment team. Merida is a private equity firm focused on cannabis. Ms. DeBoever is responsible for deal sourcing, due diligence analysis and monitoring and analyzing portfolio companies. She is also responsible for overseeing the Merida i2 (Industry Inclusive) minority business accelerator program, which provided funding, mentorship and ongoing resources for minority-owned businesses in the cannabis and hemp industries. Finally, she is involved with Merida’s direct license operations in Virginia and Missouri.

Prior to joining Merida, Ms. DeBoever was an analyst at Mellon Asset Management (formerly The Boston Company). She was a part of the core research team, with primary coverage responsibility for insurance, credit card and exchange sectors in the US, Europe and developed Asia. She was also directly responsible for stock selections for the Large-Cap Growth fund, Global Research Fund and Diversified Equity Fund. Before Mellon, Ms. DeBoever worked as an equity research associate at Bear Stearns and Jefferies covering the telecommunications equipment sector.

She has a Bachelor of Science from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She is a CFA® Charterholder as well as a CPA in Maryland.

Erica Rice is a partner in the Business Department at Foley Hoag in Boston, where she serves as co-chair of the firm’s cannabis practice group. Erica’s practice is focused on representing buyers and sellers in mergers and acquisitions and other strategic transactions, as well as counseling early and mid-stage companies regarding entity formation, founder’s arrangements, financings, exit strategies and general corporate governance matters. Erica’s clients include both public and private companies as well as venture capital investors. In addition to her work in the cannabis industry, Erica has significant experience representing technology and life sciences companies.