The Sandspur Volume 124 Issue 5

Page 1

Issue 5 • Volume 124 Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017 www.thesandspur.org

@thesandspur facebook.com/ thesandspur

HIGH RISK HIGH REWARDS Business professor Allen Kupetz invests in a cannabis-infused beverage company after a Rollins student pitched him the idea.

By Alec Stanley

T

astanley@rollins.edu

his past summer, a venture fund managed by Rollins’ Entrepreneur-in-Residence Allen Kupetz invested $125,000 in Mountjoy Sparkling, a cannabis-infused beverage company one of his students is involved with. Luke Horan ’21 is the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) analyst and manager of Social Media and Design for Mountjoy Sparkling, a Northern California-based cannabis infused sparkling water company

that promises to “take the edge off without the hangover.” The sparkling water features the full spectrum of cannabis’ psychoactive compounds, including THC. Luke first got involved in Mountjoy Sparkling when family friend Alex Mountjoy visited his father, seeking a co-founder for the company. According to Horan, “My dad called me to see what I thought about it. I said go all in and I started talking to the CEO and he offered me a position with the company.” Later, Horan was taking Kupetz’s Global Entrepreneurship

Maymester class, which had an assignment to pitch a start-up company. Seeing a valuable opportunity, Horan met with Kupetz to ask if he could pitch Mountjoy in class. Kupetz gained an interest in Mountjoy and flew out to California to meet the founder. Three weeks after the pitch, Kupetz raised a new fund, the Anauj Investment Group, and invested $125,000. Anauj is a venture fund that makes early-stage investments in the growing cannabis sector. The fund derives its name from reversing the last five letters of

“marijuana.” According to Kupetz, “Anauj’s average first investment is $100k and if the business does well, Anauj will continue to invest to fund the company’s growth.” Kupetz and his investors do not plan to stop at Mountjoy. They also recently invested $75,000 in Defonce Chocolate, another California cannabis-infused business. Additionally, Anauj “expects to have invested over $1 million in 5-6 companies within 24 months,” according to Kupetz. Kupetz and Anauj’s inves-

tors understand the high-risk, high-reward nature of investing in a product which remains federally prohibited. “Early-stage investment always carries considerable risk; investing in the cannabis space increases the risk. It is important for potential investors to understand the traditional risk of this asset class and also those risks uniquely associated with this vertical market,” cautioned Kupetz.

‣See HIGH on Page 3

Waterski student suffers critical injury Josh Briant ‘18, an internationally-ranked trick waterskier, required immediate medical attention after a failed ramp jump. By Ellie Rushing

A

erushing@rollins.edu

member of the Rollins Waterski Team was critically injured in a jump accident at last week’s NCWSA Eastern Regional ski tournament in Groveland, Fla. Josh Briant ’18 was the final skier of the final event when he

attempted a jump, improperly hit the ramp, and crashed into the water. Upon impact, he suffered a dislocated knee, fractured tibia, and a collapsed lung. The seriousness of his injuries required helicopter transport to the Orlando Regional Medical Center. In a Facebook post from Briant’s sister Michale, he reportedly had surgery late Monday night, a chest tube in-

serted, and a temporary external fixation added to his knee due to extensive swelling. Briant, an Australian native, has been skiing since he was two years old. A few weeks ago, he competed in Paris, France where he earned silver, making him the second-best trick waterskier in the world. His hard work and determination as a watersports athlete earned him a sponsor-

ship from Nautique Boats. Miks Cinis ’18, a friend and teammate of Briant, said, “This kid is a machine, it has been a big part of his life, he has a big love for the sport, and I am sure that he will be counting down the days until he gets to be back on the water, and we will do anything to help him get there.” Briant is known for his jump event. Rafael De Osma ’20, also

a member of the Rollins waterski team, explained this event: “Basically, you hit a ramp as fast as you can to try to go as far as possible; sometimes you make mistakes that lead to crashes. Normally, crashes result in minor injuries, but Josh got quite unlucky with this one.”

‣ See SKI on Page 3


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
The Sandspur Volume 124 Issue 5 by The Sandspur - Issuu