Our events
What is the Cannapreneur Summit?
The Cannapreneur Summit is a seminar started by March For Equity Co-Founders, Brett and Shana Melius. It was launched as a way to assist those who have been affected by the War on Drugs. We are giving them an opportunity to take part in the fast growing cannabis industry. Our goal is to give individuals with criminal records due to drug-related offenses, such as minor marijuana charges, access and resources needed to become successful entrepreneurs in legal states.
Through our seminars, we provide business development classes and guidance from leading experts in the cannabis industry. At our summit events attendees will learn how they can build their own businesses within this lucrative field while also reducing social disparities related to drug policy violations.
Join March For Equity along with Neon Works for the Cannapreneur Summit -NYC and get started on your journey towards entrepreneurship and Cannabis education now! Sign up today on our website!
Moderators
Moderator – Funding
Todd Hughes
Todd Hughes, Project Manager- Todd Hughes, PMP is a graduate of Howard University’s school of computer science, architecture, and engineering, a serial entrepreneur, community organizer, and mechanical engineer from Pittsburgh, PA. He spent 10 years as a division director managing a $500 million research and development program for the National Nuclear Security Administration. Todd now focuses his energy on facilitating entrepreneurship through his company, EntreVation (Entrepreneurship + Innovation), a business accelerator and consultancy in Washington, DC. He has applied his engineering and analytical skills, as well as his project management expertise toward helping establish numerous businesses that practice corporate social responsibility and diversity in the cannabis industry.
Moderator – Farming
Brandon Wyatt, Esq.
Brandon L. Wyatt Esq., Corporate Strategy & Compliance – Mr. Wyatt is a Maryland attorney, decorated army combat paratrooper, & disabled veteran. He attended Howard University School of Law and the Executive Business Administration program at The George Washington University. Mr. Wyatt has crafted drug control & civil rights policies for US Customs & Border Protection, designed compliance tracking programs for federal & Maryland EEO regulations, and executed Congressional corrective after-action mandates. He has been counsel for multiple Fortune 500 entities, such as CSC. He served as prime labor advisor to agencies responsible for eliminating barriers to employment & distributing regulated public funding, including the US EEOC & DC Department of Employment Services.
Moderator – Cannapreneur
Tremaine Wright, Esq.
Tremaine S. Wright is a former member of the New York State Assembly who thereafter, served as the first Director of the DFS Statewide Office of Financial Inclusion and Empowerment. Ms.
Wright is an attorney, entrepreneur, small business owner and activist who is a second- generation Bedford Stuyvesant resident invested in preserving the rich legacy of her community and building a strong foundation for the future. She has dedicated her career to empowering and creating opportunities for her neighbors and her community.
Moderator – Legislative
Landon Dais, Esq.
Dais is a Government Affairs consultant with a specialty in Cannabis and Advanced Manufacturing Policy & Regulations. He is the former General Counsel and Chief Strategy Officer for Live PIF, a multi-state cannabis company that is POC owned. As CSO Dais is leading the charge for the groundbreaking cannabis company – Live PIF is only one of seven POC owned multi-state cannabis companies. As the CSO he is creating the strategy for Live PIF to gain market share and additionally licenses in the valuable cannabis industry. Before Live PIF, he was the National Director of Partnerships for MSO cannabis company MedMen. Before being promoted to Director, he was the Political Affairs Manager and Compliance Manager for MedMen’s operations in New York. MedMen is the largest marijuana company in the United States and premier company in the luxury marijuana industry. Dais managed MedMen’s New York legislative agenda, lobbying, and campaign strategy; and oversaw the New York compliance department. Before joining MedMen Dais was the Political Director for the Marijuana Policy Project of New York (“MPP of NY”). At MPP, Dais became known for his in-depth knowledge of marijuana policy, with a specialty in social equity programs. Recently, Dais was given the prestigious NAACP Roy Wilkins Award in recognition of his work in cannabis policy, law and advocacy.
Moderator – Union
Shana Melius, MBA, MA
Shana was born in Manhattan, New York, and raised in the Bronx, NY, and Winston- Salem, NC. Shana found out early that leadership was in her destiny, coming from an entrepreneurial background within her family, where both grandfathers owned their businesses. Shana began her career in the music industry at The Inc Records (formerly Murder Inc. Records) in 2001. She worked as one of the Grammy-winning artists, Ja Rule Manager’s assistants. She left The Inc Records in 2004 and started her publicity and photography firm, Mac-Melius Agency, Inc., with now-husband Brett Melius. The company has worked and represented politicians and celebrities such as Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr., Congressman Jamaal Bowman, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, NYC City Council Members , Mayor Ras Baraka, Former NFL player Thomas Jones and Edgerrin James, Artist Lil Kim, Casanova, Do It All, Kevin Hart, DJ Clue, Meagan Good, Boxer Roy Jones, Jr., to name a few. Brett’s work has been featured in NY Times, Daily News, Boston Herald and numerous publications. Mac-Melius Agency co-founders have also co-authored historical legislation called Jaden’s Law and developed a historical cord blood program through their 501 (c)(3) organization called Preserve Our Legacy, Inc. She is also Co- Founder of Power & Music Awards, an African American Music Month awards show. Shana has a BA in African-American Studies/Anthropology from Temple University. She also has an MBA in Media Management and a Master’s in Health & Wellness Therapy. She is currently working in politics.
Moderator – Celebrity
Shiest Bubz
Timothy Parson, better known as Shiest Bubz, is one of an elite handful of legacy cannabis operators, who strategically deployed art and culture to maintain legitimacy during the decades of criminalization. An innovator, entrepreneur and trendsetter, Parson has created well-known and profitable brands like Smokers Club Festival and recently entered the cannabis retail market with the launch of Purp Invaderz. With 30 years of expertise in cannabis cultivation, distribution and marketing, he sees the new legal cannabis market as attempting to build a highway overtop a thriving and resourceful underground of generational expertise––less than 10% of companies are owned by Black and Latino people. Parson is leveraging his legacy experience and cultural relevance to push for greater diversity within the industry and increased opportunity for self-determination within communities targeted by the War on Drugs.
