Start-up Stories
Canada’s cannabis sector is innovative, high tech and ready to compete globally. Here are a few of the visionaries.
Leaf Forward Alex Blumenstein
Tell us about Leaf Forward. What do you do? Leaf Forward is a global launch pad for cannabis entrepreneurs — we’re working to build a nationwide ecosystem that supports the growth of cannabis startups. Our Cannabis Startup Bootcamps provide intensive training for early stage companies and our programming includes monthly speaker and networking events in Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver. Our 12-week accelerator program is focused on ancillary and downstream products. At the beginning of the program, we invest $50,000 each into a cohort of companies who participate
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in intensive training, networking and mentoring. Our team, along with our network of mentors, help the start-ups hit key traction points in a short period of time. The program culminates with a chance for the founders to show off what they’ve accomplished with a demo day for industry and investors. Tell us your start-up story: when and how did you get into the cannabis sector? Before moving into cannabis full-time, I ran a small public affairs agency with clients that included airlines, tobacco, land use, ground transportation and a small cannabis project. This is where I caught the itch for the industry. Along
