Cannabis Conference (E2308030)

Justin presents at numerous professional conferences each year educating accountants on financial, regulatory, and market changes. Justin also served as an Associate Professor of Accounting at Ohio Wesleyan University and instructed courses in financial accounting & reporting, tax accounting, and auditing & assurance services. Prior to joining the faculty at OWU, Justin served as a faculty member at Lake Erie College where he taught courses relating to financial accounting, fraud & forensic accounting, auditing & assurance services, tax, and entrepreneurship. Additionally, he assisted in the creation of a fraud and forensic accounting concentration.

Prior to joining the world of academia, Justin had extensive professional work experience in public accounting, and still has a passion for helping individuals and organizations navigate through the world of accounting and related topics.

Attorney Tyson Daniel is a trial lawyer and founder of Virginia Hemp Lawyers™, where he provides legal counsel for cannabis business owners in business law matters and representation for cannabis-related criminal defense charges.

In addition to Virginia Hemp Lawyers™, Tyson is founder of The Daniel Law Firm PC, a full-service law firm in Roanoke, Virginia. In addition to his Cannabis and Hemp practice, Tyson’s work includes litigation on behalf of defendants in criminal cases and serious traffic offenses, as well as plaintiffs in personal injury matters. Other attorneys in the merging firm handle family law, bankruptcy, elder law and real estate matters.

He previously served as Senior Assistance Capital Defender with the Capital Defense Unit for the Western District of Virginia. During his time on this team, Tyson advocated for defendants in numerous capital murder cases at the Circuit Court [trial court] level. All cases involving the CDU were those where the death penalty was a possible sentence.

Charles Felix is the owner and publisher of South Florida Hospital News & Healthcare Report. Founded in 2004, South Florida Hospital News, a 48-page monthly newspaper quickly established itself as the premiere chronicle of the healthcare industry in South Florida. It now represents the only monthly healthcare publication available in South Florida. When medical cannabis became legal in the state of Florida, Cannabis News Florida was incorporated into the original newspaper and now focuses on local, state and national news from leading authorities about medical and business developments in the medical cannabis, CBD and hemp industries.

A certified public accountant, certified in financial forensics as well as a Chartered Global Management Accountant, Mr. Felix earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, with a concentration in public accounting, from Bernard Baruch College in New York City. Mr. Felix’s early career focused on commercial real estate management, specializing in multi-family construction and management in the Southeast.

Michelle Rutter Friberg is the Director of Government Relations for the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) and has been lobbying for the cannabis industry for nearly a decade. Prior to working for NCIA, Michelle was a research analyst at a government affairs firm in Washington, D.C., where she analyzed and tracked legislation on numerous issues. Michelle graduated from James Madison University in 2012, receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a minor in History. Michelle currently resides in Washington, D.C. with her husband, dog, and two cats.

Jeffrey Gittler is a Partner of the Firm who brings more than 40 years of accounting, auditing and tax experience to PKF O’Connor Davies, LLP. Jeff is the co-leader of the Firm’s Cannabis Practice and generally works in the Commercial Practice area.

Immediately prior to joining PKF O'Connor Davies, LLP Jeff served as a partner in a regional firm’s quality control and accounting and auditing department. Over the years, he also worked for national and international accounting firms rising from staff accountant to partner serving privately-held and publicly-registered clients.

He was also a technical manager at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Durham, NC, where he also chaired the Durham County Audit Committee. At the Institute, he oversaw peer reviews throughout the United States and was instrumental in converting the review process to a paperless environment.

Jeffrey has served his community and the profession ‒ and continues to do so ‒ through his active committee and board assignments.

Tracy LeMaire, CPA, MBA, is the Co-Founder of TAC CPAs LLC, where she provides accounting advisory services to both multi-state operators (MSOs) as well as start-ups in the cannabis industry. She is passionate about helping companies navigate the inherent complex accounting issues in the growing and evolving cannabis industry. Prior to her current role, LeMaire was a senior audit manager with a large regional CPA firm where she worked for the past 11 years and led the cannabis practice audit team.

Steven Monacelli is a Tax Partner and Team Leader at Withum, with expertise in providing tax planning strategies and forward-thinking solutions to cannabis companies. He has provided accounting and consulting services to the U.S. cannabis industry since 2011. Steven helps clients nationwide implement growth and exit strategies that maximize their business value and personal wealth while ensuring compliance with complex tax laws.

Casey Myers is a Senior Accountant with Withum’s Cannabis Sector Services team. He is a certified public accountant specializing in cannabis assurance and accounting services. Casey is experienced with cannabis audit engagements and provides exceptional client service to distributors and retailers alike.

Ray Owens is an experienced Tax Manager with Withum, based in the Firm’s Whippany NJ office. With over 12 years of professional experience, he focuses on providing tax, accounting and consulting services to the cannabis industry. Ray has a deep knowledge and passion for the ever-growing cannabis marketplace and is a dedicated, trusted advisor to his clients.

Todd is a partner at Sax with more than 30 years of in-depth auditing and accounting experience. He has been tasked with kick-starting several new practice areas for the firm over the years from conception to long-term success. Currently, Todd leads the firm’s Cannabis, Transaction Advisory and Not-for-Profit Practices. As the leader of Sax’s Cannabis Practice, Todd understands the intricacies of the rapidly expanding and evolving industry, and provides advisory services to cultivators, dispensaries, extractors, investors and manufacturers to help structure entities and accounting practices. As Head of Sax’s Transaction Advisory Practice, Todd assists private equity companies by thoroughly analyzing and validating financial, operational and strategic measures that capture opportunities and minimize loss and liabilities through the transaction process. In addition, he has presented over 100 educational programs to professionals and to the public, and has lectured on various accounting and auditing matters. He is actively involved in the training and education of clients and staff on the new auditing standards put forth by the Auditing Standards Board. He is also the creator of the Smart Good podcast.

As the President of Opus Consulting, Jacques brings years of leadership experience in the entertainment, tourism, financial services and technology industries. His expertise lies within business strategy and management, new business ventures, due diligence, accounting, process improvement, financial systems, planning and analysis, and sales and marketing strategy.

Prior to founding Opus Consulting, Jacques began his career at Ernst & Young and Universal Pictures in Paris, France. Since moving to the US in 1999, Jacques has held several executive positions and engaged in an array of consulting assignments. In his free time, Jacques enjoys riding his motorcycle, skiing, traveling, and spending time with his wife and two daughters.

Jacques is a member of the board of directors for the Turnaround Management association’s (TMA) Northeast Chapter. Jacques holds a degree from EDHEC School of Management in Lille, France with a concentration in Finance.

Renata is the manager for the Cannabis Advisory Group at Citrin Cooperman. She serves as vice-chair of the cannabis committee of the NYS Society of CPAs, and a member of the Small Business Committee of the Institute of Management Accountants. Renata We provides a wide range of accounting, tax, valuation, consulting and litigation services in the cannabis space across all states within the US and abroad. She is the winner of the 2023 Green Market Report Women's Leadership Ancillary Award which honors women from the cannabis industry.

Mother, wife, attorney and cannabis entrepreneur. Sarah was born and raised in New Jersey and now advocate for expanded access for medical marijuana patients in the State and the creation of an equitable adult-use cannabis industry in the State.

Stacey is a director of Valuation and Litigation Services at HBK Valuation Group, which specializes in valuation, forensic accounting, economic damages and litigation support services. Her experience includes valuations of businesses and professional practices for purposes of estate and gift tax planning and compliance, divorce, business succession planning and mergers and acquisitions. Additionally, she has prepared damage study reports in connection with stockholder, insurance claims, and lost profits litigation, as well as reports in connection with bankruptcy proceedings utilized by the courts and trustees. Stacey also provides accounting and tax services for closely-held and family businesses including financial statement preparation, business and personal income tax planning and compliance, estate and business succession planning. She is a member of the AICPA, NJCPA, NACVA and New Jersey NACVA, and was previously the leader of the NJCPA Cannabis Interest Group.