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Arun Gopalakrishnan, Smokey Mirrors

My name is Arun Gopalakrishnan and I’m originally from Birmingham,…

Ben Kovacs, Smokey Mirrors

Chef Cherrie Moreault

I put a spin on traditional cuisine and layer flavors using…

Chef Gillian

Gillian has always loved her time in the kitchen and has a lifelong…

Chef Kim Sutherland

Food is my love language and the kitchen is my church. I have…

Christina Wong

Christina spent over a decade in the food & restaurant industry…

Civilized Staff

The Civilized team is focused on providing quality content that…

David Bell

Hello there! I’m David. You may or may not remember me from that…

Dawn Friedman

Dawn is a Senior Business and Legal Affairs Executive and…

El Planteo

El Planteo — Información madura para un mundo verdeEl Planteo -…

Javier Hasse

Javier Hasse is a cannabis writer and book author; CEO of El…

Sarah Harf

Sarah Harf started building MoonCloth Designs in 2018 as a vision…

Arun Gopalakrishnan, Smokey Mirrors

My name is Arun Gopalakrishnan and I’m originally from Birmingham, Alabama. Growing up in a small neighborhood, I got to know the local business owners really well and I loved learning about how they operated their shops. 

That passion stuck with me and I began pursuing opportunities for me to learn more about how businesses are operated and run. After graduating from the University of Texas with a Finance degree, I worked at a variety of different roles including the Goldman Sachs Special Situations Group where I invested in companies, Deloitte Consulting where I advised companies, and most recently, strategy at a major hospital consolidator where I crafted and implemented plans to grow the business.

I spend most of my time now focused on growth projects in the cannabis space (my favorite sector) and trading stock & options. I also love playing basketball and tennis so hit me up for some 1 on 1.


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Ben Kovacs, Smokey Mirrors

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El Planteo

El Planteo is a media outlet focused on green and young issues such as cannabis, hemp, psychedelics, music, ecology, cryptocurrencies, gender and sexuality issues, and more. Our content has frequent economic or financial angles.

El Planteo is funded by Benzinga, a dynamic and innovative Detroit-based financial media outlet that provides investors with unique, high-quality content coveted by top Wall Street traders.

El Planteo es un medio de comunicación enfocado en temáticas verdes y jóvenes como el cannabis, el cáñamo, los psicodélicos, la música, la ecología, las criptodivisas, las cuestiones de género y sexualidad, y más. Nuestro contenido tiene frecuente ángulo económico o financiero.

El Planteo es financiado por Benzinga, un dinámico e innovador medio de comunicación financiera con base en Detroit, que ofrece a los inversores contenidos únicos y de alta calidad, codiciados por los principales comerciantes de Wall Street.

Más sobre El Planteo aquí.

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Javier Hasse

Javier Hasse is a cannabis, hemp, CBD and psychedelics-focused reporter, currently serving as Managing Director for Benzinga Cannabis, and CEO of Spanish language news site El Planteo, a company he co-founded. His book, ​“Start Your Own Cannabis Business,” was published by Entrepreneur Media in 2018 and hit the #1 Best-Seller spot on Amazon.

He’s also a Senior Contributor at Forbes.

As an award-winning reporter and editor, Javier’s had roughly 5,000 unique articles in multiple languages published across numerous mass media outlets including CNN, Forbes, MSN, Chicago Tribune, CNBC, Yahoo Finance, Entrepreneur Magazine, MarketWatch, Houston Chronicle, The Street, Nasdaq, Morningstar, Playboy, Benzinga, MERRY JANE, High Times, and many others.

Beyond cannabis, Javier is a published photographer and Billboard-charting rapper, featured on hip-hop albums that also included Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA and Inspectah Deck, Twista, Lil Windex, Riff Raff, Cyhi The Prynce, Yung Bleu, DJ Whoo Kid, Jonathan Hay, and others.

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Chef Cherrie Moreault

I grew up in Thompson, a small northern Manitoba mining town and during the summer my dad would take me on amazing adventures that involved food. We dined (I wish I wined) at unique restaurants and ate whatever I wanted on the menu. My inner foodie was born!

My most memorable food service experience was landing a sweet gig at Via Rail, working as a cook in the dining car kitchen where I mentored with some of the railway’s finest chefs. I cherish those moments and the folks I met along the way are near and dear to my heart! The coolest is being mentioned in a couple of chapters of the book ​“The Last Train to Toronto.”

Fast forward to 2020, I joined Team ChefTorial as a virtual cooking personality in its early stages and never looked back! I enjoy entertaining guests from all over and showcasing some of my favorite recipes. 

I put a spin on traditional cuisine and layer flavors using traditional techniques infused with bold spices in my recipes. Styling plates is so much fun for me and I specialize in creating canapes and tapas, however I do it all from breakfast to midnight snacks! I also own a personalized catering company, The Little Olive Tree.

It would be my pleasure to take you on a unique 90-minute culinary adventure of drinks, food, and lots of laughs!


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Chef Kim Sutherland

Canadian born Kim Sutherland has been in the Food and Beverage Industry for over 20 years. She has helped plan and execute culinary creations for events such as: The World Figure Skating, The Memorial Cup, and the MLS All Star Soccer Game. Kim has had the honor of cooking alongside many celebrities in her career, from Gordon Ramsey to The Chef at Home, Michael Smith. In her career, she has been Personal Chef to members of Pearl Jam and caterer for The Tragically Hip, Neil Diamond, Prince and a variety of NHL and other athletes. 

Kim is a certified Cicerone Beer professional and enjoys pairing beer varieties with food. She is also a certified yoga teacher and Mindful Eating Practitioner. When it comes to food and loving life, there is no stopping her excitement or wealth of knowledge.

Contributes to RECIPES & DIY

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David Bell

Hello there! I’m David. You may or may not remember me from that one time I helped you stumble into an Uber after you temporarily forgot how door handles work.

Or from when you got emotional after your third Peach Bellini and asked for my hand in marriage.

Or from when I gave you that big high-five because you finally pronounced ​“Glenfiddich” correctly.

That’s right, I’m your bartender! And I am thrilled to be bringing our special relationship that even your therapist envies into the sanctity of your own home. My goal is to transfer to you the knowledge, skills, and joy of cocktail crafting whether you have slung drinks before or have never even tried.

If you have any questions about ingredients or finding the right tools or acquiring the right alcohol, just google it. Kidding. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly.

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Christina Wong

Christina spent over a decade in the food & restaurant industry working with well-known chefs and restaurants in Los Angeles. A creator, baker, recipe developer and creative consultant, her work won a Clio Cannabis Award in 2020. She bakes beautiful and elevated culinary cannabis creations at Baking With Chickens, and hosts a culinary cannabis cooking show ​“BAKED With Chickens” on YouTube. Christina has worked with well-known brands in the industry including Papa & Barkley, Raw Garden, Levo, and is a contributing writer to MedMen’s EMBER.

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Civilized Staff

The Civilized team is focused on providing quality content that builds awareness, educates, informs and entertains while authentically representing the cannabis, hemp and CBD communities.

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Sarah Harf

Sarah Harf started building MoonCloth Designs in 2018 as a vision to bring more sustainable, eco conscious wellness products and interior design textile products to the market. Her passion to create healthy environments that are nurturing for our bodies without harming our planet was always the main goal. Industrial hemp was the best plant to work with because of so many different applications opportunities, while having a strong positive impact on our environment. It became obvious that many people didn’t know all the applications of this amazing plant and how it can truly change our homes, bodies, spaces to be fully eco conscious and work in harmony with nature.

Sarah and her team have worked hard over the years to build up a USA supply chain and design manufacturing for hemp textile products and wellness products. They believe it’s important to create elevated beautiful products to change the stigma behind hemp inorder to bring it to the forefront as a climate change regenerative crop solution. Industrial hemp has been scientifically proven to absorb more CO2 per acre than any forest or commercial crop and is therefore the ideal carbon sink. In addition, the CO2 is permanently bonded within the hemp fiber that is used for applications: hemp textiles, hemp paper, hemp bioplastic, and hemp building materials.

All of MoonCloth’s design collaborations, hospitality partnerships and their in-house wellness brand ​‘MOMENT’ reflect the founders ethos of sustainability and elevated design. Some of their projects have been featured in: VOGUE, DWELL, FORBES, DEZEEN, GREEN ENTREPRENEUR, WALLPAPER, SURFACE, CONDE NAST TRAVELER, FORTUNE, COOL HUNTING, ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST, NYLON Magazine.

Sarah is working on a larger hospitality brand project and is excited to bring hemp into all aspects of it in order to truly create an immersive hemp regenerative experience. She is also supporting other larger brands and groups with private label product development and design using MoonCloth’s supply chain and knowledge. 

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Chef Gillian

Gillian has always loved her time in the kitchen and has a lifelong passion for bringing people together over memorable experiences. Her first dish was a salmon loaf at 7 years old, so it’s a good thing she’s come a long way from there.

While finishing her graduate diploma in Australia in 2008, she worked with a wine company and started hosting wine-pairing-style dinners from her home in Melbourne. As the guests continued to return, bring their friends, and ask for the recipes, Gillian was inspired to start her blog and now business where she’s better known as ​“One Blonde Chef”.

Gillian’s approach is to combine simple techniques that are inspired by international flavours. The goal is to create impressive, yet approachable dishes and put her own twist on recipes such as Ackee & Saltfish Phyllo Cups with a Roasted Tomato.

It’s truly her passion to bring people together over food and she looks forward to having you ​“Be a Guest at your Own Event!”

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Dawn Friedman

Dawn is a Senior Business and Legal Affairs Executive and Consultant in the entertainment industry. Her expertise and entrepreneurial background enable her to bring a unique and pragmatic approach to deal-making and problem solving and to devise creative and innovative solutions to accomplish her clients’ business objectives. Dawn’s practice focuses on the new media and television industries, with an emphasis on content-based websites and reality TV/​internet programming for both the traditional American market and the burgeoning Latino market. Most recently, she has been advising individuals and companies as they explore new business opportunities in the burgeoning cannabis industry (particularly with respect to all aspects of the marketing, distribution and exploitation of CBD products and brands).

Dawn’s client list includes both corporations and individuals in the cannabis/​hemp, television (scripted and reality), feature film and new media industries. Clients include cannabis/​hemp/​ancillary market brands and start-ups, producers and production companies, on-screen talent, writers/​content creators, internet and traditional startup companies and digital platforms. Her fluency in conversational Spanish has allowed her to expand her roster to include individuals and companies in the Latino marketplace.

Dawn’s services include working with her clients to develop and implement business strategies, including navigating the complicated maze of state and federal hemp/​cannabis laws and regulations; the monetization of content and the maximization of revenue from all revenue streams; negotiating and drafting branded campaign agreements (addendums, IOs, etc.),TV and digital development/​production related agreements, content licenses, influencer agreements, podcast agreements, sponsorship and product placement agreements, software and application licenses, website privacy policies and terms of use agreements; advising on day-to-day operating issues and functioning as the liaison between clients and their other outside counsel. Dawn also provides outside General Counsel and Business Affairs services for many of her clients.

Dawn is a proud member of the Executive Committee of the newly formed Cannabis Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association; is a student mentor for AMBITION, a non-profit entrepreneurial program for underprivileged youth, and is an active supporter of the American Cancer Society and various other charitable organizations.

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