Staff
1.) Mattio Communications
Launched in 2005 by Rosie Mattio, Mattio Communications (AKA: Rosie Mattio Public Relations or RMPR), is a full -service communications firm specializing in the cannabis industry, with clients spanning every sector of the trade, including, but not limited to, cultivation, manufacturing, finance, technology and ancillary services. Over the past four years, RMPR has represented some of the most recognized and well-respected brands in the cannabis industry, including: Canndescent, Headset, Papa & Barkley, Flowhub, LeafLink, Caliva, Navy Capital, Seed & Smith, Van der Pop and many more.
Since launching their cannabis-specific unit in 2014, Mattio has secured well over 1,000 media placements in print, digital and broadcast outlets for its clients. An industry favorite, Mattio Communications is recognized as the leading PR firm for cannabis brands and is directly responsible for cultivating the image for some of the most dominate names throughout the industry.
2.) ICR
Established in 1998, ICR partners with companies to execute strategic communications and advisory programs that achieve business goals, build awareness and credibility, and enhance long-term enterprise value. The firmâs highly-differentiated service model, which pairs capital markets veterans with senior communications professionals, brings deep sector knowledge and relationships to more than 650 clients in approximately 20 industries. ICRâs healthcare practice operates under the Westwicke brand (www.westwicke.com). Today, ICR is one of the largest and most experienced independent communications and advisory firms in North America, maintaining offices in New York, Norwalk, Boston, Baltimore, San Francisco, San Diego and Beijing. ICR also advises on capital markets transactions through ICR Capital, LLC. Learn more atwww.icrinc.com.
Some of the impressive multi-state operators, manufacturers and distribution companies that ICR stakes claim to are recognized as the largest companies in the industry. These names include Tilray, Aphria, TILT Holdings, CV Sciences, Flowr, Greenlane, Growpacker, and Hydrofarm.
3.) GVM Communications
GVM Communications, Inc. is a woman minority-owned public relations, branding and business development firm. Launched in 2012, led by Founder and CEO, Gia MorĂłn, the company’s client base ranges from small to mid-sized businesses, non-profits, entrepreneurs, authors and celebrity influencers across multi-disciplined industries. GVM Communications expanded into the cannabis space in 2015, and has since worked with clients such as Women Grow, Viridian Capital Advisors, Simply Pure, Tikun Olam, Ilera Healthcare and more. Overseeing the PR efforts for one of the longest running parades in the country the “New York City Cannabis Parade.” Gia and expert team – who have over 60 years of combined experience – have partnered with industry conferences to identify top talent to diversify speaker representation. The firm has been credited by its clients for its first-rate approach for crisis managment and was coined the “client whisper”. In addition, Gia and her team have work with higher education universities to bring cannabis business education events, worked closely with advocacy groups to leading groundbreaking industry events at state buildings to faith based organizations. GVM Communications represents many of the leading voices in the cannabis industry today. Currently the team is working on expanding its communications platform into publishing and multimedia. The team just signed with a small group focused on CBD products and sports fitness.
The powerful list of current leading clients include Women Grow, Ilera Healthcare, National Holistic, Simply Pure/Cannabis Global Initiative and Viola Brands. Clients that GVM has worked with in the past include CWCBE, Yale School of Business on Business of Legal Cannabis 2018, Viridian Capital Advisors, and the Emmanuel Baptist Church, The Business of Cannabis Summit 2019.
4.) KCSA Strategic Communications
KCSA is a fully integrated, partner-owned, communications agency specializing in public relations, shareholder communications and social media, with expertise in cannabis, financial and professional services, technology, healthcare, digital media and energy. Since 1969, the firm has demonstrated strategic thinking and program execution that drives results for its clients in the ever-changing communications and digital landscape. The company was recently included in the â2018 CBE Ancillary Business 155â list by Cannabis Business Executive, an integrated business to business media company serving the cannabis and hemp industries. KCSAâs cannabis practice has been representing companies in the cannabis industry for more than five years. Clients span the entire supply chain from companies that grow the plant, process it and dispense it, to companies that provide consulting services, financial services and even ancillary products such as lighting, nutrients and packaging
In 2017, KCSA launched The Green Rush, a podcast about cannabis, the capital markets and culture. On a weekly basis hosts Lewis Goldberg and Anne Donohoe from KCSA Strategic Communications, speak with the CEOs, Regulators, Legislators and Cultural Icons pushing the cannabis industry forward.
To date we have interviewed some of the most powerful people in the business including:
⢠Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)
⢠Bruce Linton, CEO of Canopy Growth
⢠Ziggy Marley, Grammy award winner
⢠Ricki Lake, actress, activist and documentarian
⢠George Allen, President of Acreage Holdings
⢠Tim Seymour, CNBC
⢠Marvin Washington, former NFL player and cannabis investor
In 2018 KCSA acquired the leading cannabis and hemp PR firm Salar Media Group. KCSA is responsible for one of the largest PR campaign efforts surrounding the 2019 Super Bowl with Acreage Holdings. Some of their clients include KushCo Holdings, Acreage Holdings, Terra Tech, iAnthus, Aurora Cannabis and MJ Freeway. In the past the have represented such brands as The Emerald Cup, Vangst and Curaleaf.
5.) Nison Co
NisonCo has a proven track record of successful political advocacy and policy change supporting the legalization of marijuana and other causes. With over 3,300 active media contacts at over 2,900 outlets, NisonCo is one of the best cannabis industry PR firms, with an unmatched network of relationships with mainstream media, industry specific media, product reviewers, and thought leaders from around the country.
Evan Nison, founder & chief executive officer of Nison Co. He is the youngest member of the board of NORML, and sits on the Board of Directors of Students for Sensible Drug Policy. In 2016 he helped launch Whoopi & Maya, a women-centric medical cannabis company with actress Whoopi Goldberg and edible maker Maya Elisabeth and currently acts as its chief financial officer.
Nison Co. agency has grown to well over 30 clients in cannabis, some of which include Bluebird Botanicals, Ardent, MoneyTrac, Brightfield Group, Headcount, Terra Tech, Nexien BioPharma and Civilized Media.
6.) Grasslands Agency
Grasslands is a full-service boutique agency working with clients in highly regulated industries. A nimble 10-person firm with offices in Denver and Los Angeles, Grasslands specializes in best-in-class Public Relations, Content Marketing, Social Media, Thought Leadership work, Newsletter Campaigns, Book Development and Event Execution for businesses and brands. Founder and CEO Ricardo Baca, a 20-year newspaper veteran, has built a seasoned team with more than six decades of top-level journalism experience at outlets including Menâs Health, The Denver Post, the Chicago Sun-Times, The Daily Beast and Wonketteâand PR experience with clients including IKEA North America, K12 Inc., REI, Dupage Medical Group, Fisher-Price and Emeril Lagasse (bam!). Grasslands has a deep bench of experience supporting clients through product launches, acquisitions and IPOs, crisis management and capital funding initiatives. Grasslands works with businesses in cannabis, hemp, traditional healthcare, technology and other highly regulated industries and is proud to count Willie’s Reserve, Cliintel Capital Management Group, Coda Signature, General Cannabis and others among its roster of clients. Find out more: mygrasslands.com
7.) The Rosen Group
After a stint in Washington, DC handling policy communications, Lori Rosen founded Rosen Group in New York City. For over three decades the agency has had success handling thought leadership campaigns for industry associations in alternative energy; embracing the tech boom with digital and tech launches and more recently establishing a budding cannabis practice, beginning in 2013 when Colorado became a legal market. Headquartered in New York City, with a 16-person team of media savvy professionals, Rosen Group has had offices in Denver, Los Angeles and Washington, DC over the years. Today, Rosen Group represents a number of cannabis clients including Nug in Oakland, CA; Azuca in New York, and HEALTH (HawaiĘťi Educational Association for Therapeutic Healthcare), for a campaign to allow out-of-state patients legal access to medical cannabis dispensaries while visiting the island.
8.) Maverick PR
Maverick Public Relationsâ mission is to provide big agency expertise with outstanding client service by a seasoned and knowledgeable communications expert. Maverick PR was established by Shawna Seldon McGregor in 2018 after two decades at communications agencies in New York City and Denver. McGregorâs cannabis and hemp experience are unparalleled, working from the inception of adult-use in Colorado to bring cannabis messaging to the national stage and working closely with national and trade reporters as well as infiltrating specific emerging markets to educate and convey critical narratives. She has represented the biggest brands in the industry, including Wana Brands, LâEagle Services, ebbu, Good Chemistry, Lâeela CBD Body Care, Fortis Law Partners, Elevate Hemp and Verra Wellness, among others.
Maverick PR has deep experience representing a multitude of sectors including the regulated cannabis industry, biotech, agribusiness, sustainable technologies, renewable energy, associations and media companies. Offerings include public relations, media training, investor relations, content development, thought leadership development, speaking engagements and response strategy/crisis management.
9.) Ingrid Marketing
Ingrid is a full service, award winning, PR firm deeply embedded in the cannabis industry. Founded in 2015, Ingrid creates brand recognition, and strategically guides and supports the people building the cannabis industryâs future. Clients include PLUS Products, PHILTER Labs, Kadin Academy and Cannabiz Connection.
Ingrid clients are covered by top-tier, mainstream-media outlets including ABC-TV, Businessweek, Entrepreneur, Forbes, Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, New York Times, Time Magazine, USAToday and The Wall Street Journal, and in target-right news outlets like Leafly, High Times, DOPE, Civilized, MSNBC.com, and TechCrunch.
10.) Cannabrand
Cannabrand is an award-winning, full-service marketing agency and the first to specialize in the cannabis industry. The team has played an integral role in helping cannabis businesses across the United States develop their brand identities, increase their marketshare, and appeal to emerging markets. They work with companies ranging from B2C dispensaries and mobile applications, to B2B cultivation facility operations and wholesale markets.
The agency has been featured in publications including The New York Times, Bloomberg Business, The Atlantic, Fortune, and Elle Magazine and has been praised by the American Marketing Association. PRWeek named co-founder Olivia Mannix the top 50 Public Relations Innovators of 2015. The agency brings their expertise in cannabis products, cconsumer insights, and the unique cannabis marketing laws and regulations to its clients on a national scale. Cannabrand has helped over 100 cannabis businesses intimately connect with their desired markets, and has been established as a leading voice in the normalization of cannabis. Some of the names that Cannabrand has worked with in the past include Women Grow, Mary Jane’s Medicinals, Caliva, Vangst Talent, Verde, and Gold Flora.
