We believe cannabis has the opportunity to create political, social, and economic benefits for communities, showcasing this industry as an authentic community asset. We recognize those companies implementing community engagement programs, encouraging volunteer hours, and meeting community need in new and thoughtful ways.
Dante’s career mosaic has given him the skills to support CEO’s, start-ups, and nonprofits in being the best version of themselves while creating business success. He approaches every project with curiosity, excitement, and a social justice mindset.
As a digital nomad he is skilled at finding the best coffee and wifi anywhere, anyplace. When not working, Dante can often be found with a camera in hand - exploring nature, appreciating street art, making playlists, and visiting hot springs.
Nora Thomas-Dib is a visionary, entrepreneur and global storyteller who turned adversity into opportunity. After standing up for fair treatment in the workplace, refusing to sacrifice her values and put work before her mental wellbeing, she launched her own purpose-driven marketing and PR agency. Her journey has been one of empowerment and resilience, and she’s passionate about serving like-minded individuals in the wellness space by supporting small to mid size women-owned businesses who are the gems in their industry.
Embracing the digital nomad lifestyle, she thrives on the power of connection to explore unique ideas and cultivate meaningful relationships. When she’s not crafting strategies or jet-setting to the next adventure, she finds grounding in yoga, hiking, beach days, discovering new coffee shops, savoring a good beer, and immersing herself in podcasts to glean insights from diverse voices across the globe. She loves learning along the way while consistently seeking new experiences and knowledge to enhance her work and personal growth.
Nora is not just rewriting her story; she’s rewriting the narrative for those who deserve recognition and respect in every corner of the world. Her unique journey, Algerian cultural background and perspective position her as inspiration to others, helping them become thought leaders and making a lasting impact in their respective fields.
Brad is an activist, storyteller, entrepreneur, and a purpose-driven leader making an impact for good. With 19 years of experience as a marketing and corporate social responsibility leader, he has led teams from startups to publicly traded companies. From working with the UN Foundation on social initiatives to helping startups engage their employees in giving back, Brad chief ability is telling a company's story to drive positive change in the world.
Brad has helped launch over 15 startups directly as a founder, and countless others as an advisor and mentor. He also helped create and run Austin +Social Good, an organization built to help launch social impact startups. A+SG provided an accelerator class to over 30 startups in 4 years, 4 of which won seed round funding in a fast-pitch competition during Austin Startup Week. Throughout all of these experiences, Brad has helped companies tell their stories and make their impact known so they can achieve their goals, whether it be growth through PR and customer acquisition or through triple-bottom-line business strategy.
Lisa Buffo is an entrepreneur and marketer specializing in the cannabis and technology sectors. As the Founder & CEO of the Cannabis Marketing Association (CMA), she focuses on education and best practices to enhance the industry's global perception.
Buffo has been recognized as one of Marijuana Venture Magazine's 40 Under 40 Rising Stars in Cannabis and dubbed “The Marketing Guru” by Women & Weed magazine.
Since entering the cannabis industry in 2014, she has launched numerous startups and initiatives, including the Cannabis Marketing Summit and the CMA Sevens Awards. Buffo has contributed to various publications and has spoken at numerous industry conferences.
As a creative, seasoned marketing professional she elevates CDG’s ability to build impact stories for all partners and programs. Before her cannabis career, Buffo worked with technology business accelerators in Cleveland, Ohio, helping to launch over two dozen software startups.
Courtney Mathis, MNM, is the CEO and co-founder of Companies Doing Good (CDG) and co-founder of the Cannabis Impact Fund (CIF). She believes in the power of people and business to make extraordinary impact. Her businesses aim to build a purpose-driven economy, where people and planet are prioritized.
She has 15 years experience in social impact consulting where her primary focus has been to innovate on equitable and purposeful best business practices. She specializes in building social responsibility programs for businesses, elevating nonprofit programs, and creating innovative storytelling.
Courtney trains, speaks and advises on equitable policy initiatives across the US and Canada.
Her cup is the most full when outside, enjoying the Colorado outdoors with her family and friends.