Gold certified, award-winning dynamic and visionary professional with over a decade of experience at the intersection of music and marketing. Proven trailblazer, collaborating with influential artists, songwriters, record labels, and brands. Possesses a unique blend of creativity, strategic thinking, and action-oriented execution, driving success across diverse industries. Known for identifying and solving complex problems, spearheading transformative initiatives, and delivering game-changing solutions in cannabis, CPG, B2B SaaS and tech. Positions: Senior Brand Manager - Liquor Division at SNDL Inc. (2025 - Present), Creative Director, Artist, Songwriter at Music Industry (2010 - Present), Marketing Graphic Designer at Indiva/SNDL (2023 - 2025), Associate Director of Design (Laid Off) at Directive (2022 - 2023), Creative Director at Finlay Creative (2017 - 2023), Lead Creative Designer at Fire & Flower (2021 - 2022), Designer at Fire & Flower (2019 - 2021), Creative Strategist at SOS Media Corp (2017 - 2019) Skills: Retail Marketing, Pharmaceutics, Marketing Graphic Design, Retail, Cannabis, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Concept Art, Social Video, Presentation Skills, Creative Executions, Marketing Strategy, Branding & Identity, Brand Identity, Talent Management, Sales Presentations, Pop Culture, Organization Skills, Music History, Licensing, Brand Licensing, Content Creation, Marketing, Advertising, Design, Social Media, Live Events, Content Strategy, Creative Services, Creative Strategy, Music Technology, Team Leadership, Marketing Agencies, Digital Marketing, Music Industry, Songwriting, A&R, Recording, Music Production, Music, Music Licensing, Original Music, Music Publishing, Songs, Studio Recording, Vocal, Entertainment, Record Labels, Band, Rock Recent Posts: Just discovered SitePerceive — AI agents that audit your site’s UX, SEO, and performance. ⚡ No code. No plugins. No hassle. Just instant insights. SUPER helpful! 🤖 Robots Have Feelings 🤖 I was recently accepted into a consumer robotics testing group, and it’s had me thinking a lot about our future with robots. That inspiration led me to create Robots Have Feelings—a quirky mock brand for a fictional media company exploring the emotional side of tech. Just a fun little side project. Hope it makes you smile! 😇 🇨🇦 Canada’s Snap Election 🇨🇦 – Stay Informed, Not Misinformed! 🚨 Disinformation is about to flood your feed. Don’t fall for AI-generated images, misleading headlines, or viral social media posts designed to manipulate you. ✅ Only Trust Accredited News Sources CBC, CTV, Global News, The Globe & Mail 🔍 Fact-check Before Sharing: Snopes → snopes.com AP Fact Check → apnews.com/APFactCheck Reuters Fact Check → reuters.com/fact-check 🤖 Worried About AI-Generated Images? AI or Not → AIorNot.com Google Reverse Image Search → images.google.com 📢 A screenshot is NOT a source. Verify before you share. Canada’s democracy depends on an informed public. #CanadaElection #FactCheck #StayInformed #FightDisinformation I’m thrilled to share that I’ll be stepping into the role of Senior Brand Manager – Liquor Division at SNDL Inc. - Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to grow within the company, and I’m excited to bring my passion for branding, design, and strategy into this new space. A huge thank you to the incredible team at Indiva/SNDL for the support and collaboration along the way. Looking forward to what’s ahead! 🍾 I’m obsessed with finding ways to leverage AI to boost my efficiency. Today, I created a custom GPT tool to review and cross-reference print packaging with internal artwork revision forms to ensure everything is accurate. BAM! What used to take a chunk of time now happens in an instant. LOVE IT! 🤓 My first gold 🥇 💿 As we celebrate six years of cannabis legalization in Canada, I’m proud of the path I’ve taken in this industry. My time at Fire & Flower and Indiva has been filled with meaningful projects and creative growth. It’s been a rewarding journey working with talented teams, building brands, and bringing new ideas to life. Looking forward to what comes next! #Cannaversary Wake up and smell the sweet sweet taste of Americano Dream ☕ Coffee in a vape? Bet you didn't know you needed it, but we did. Sativa 1.2g 510 Cart ​1000mg THC ON SKU# 305192 This article is helpful with finessing ChatGPT 👍 📣 As I approach my one-year anniversary at Indiva, I find myself reflecting on the journey we’ve had. The past year has been filled with exciting milestones, from launching innovative products in the edibles and vape categories to seeing our core brands achieve significant growth in the Canadian edibles market. I’m incredibly proud to have been part of a team that consistently pushes the boundaries of quality and creativity in the cannabis industry. With SNDL’s acquisition of Indiva, I’m stepping into this new chapter with a mix of hope and uncertainty. Regardless of what the future holds, I’m thankful for the opportunities I’ve had to grow both personally and professionally here. A huge thank you to my amazing colleagues and the leadership team for their support and for making this journey memorable. 🤗 Indiva BLiPS THC Tablets🌿Delivers the highest legal potency per piece (10mg) in a reliable, consistent and convenient format. Say hello to our line-up, with ratios for different occasions: 1:2 CBG/THC 1:1 CBD/THC THC – conveniently in 55 or 25 pack *Talk to your budtender about Δ BLiPS. #cannabis #canadiancannabis S'mores season just got sweeter! 🌞 Grab our limited Indiva DOPPIO S'mores sandwich cookie before they disappear. 🔥 10mg THC, 10mg CBD Available now in BC and ON (Flow-through) We made a No Future gummy with 100mg of CBD, which is why we are calling it a Bomb 💣 It may be the most CBD in one gummy in all of human history. Available in BC, coming soon to ON. "There’s a Pearl for every type of girl.." Cuuuute review of Pearls in Chatelaine 💅🏼 "There’s a Pearl for every type of girl.." Cuuuute review of Pearls in Chatelaine 💅🏼 TIP: Always triple check your AI generated stock photos for extra or missing fingers 🖐🏼 I’m happy to share that I’ve obtained a new certification: Google AI Essentials from Google! OpenAI just announced GPT-4o - This is legitimately mind blowing 🤯 https://lnkd.in/gMAkPAZC Had fun bringing this to life! 🔴 Hey Canada, there's a NEW Pearls Razzleberry coming! Pearls Blue Razzleberry has been the #1 edible in multiple provinces since the brand launched in 2022, and now we're introducing Pearls RED Razzleberry! With a 1:1:1 ratio similar to our best-selling Pearls Blackberry Lemonade 5pk, Pearls Red Razzleberry 5pk combines 10mg of CBG, CBD, and THC in a harmonious blend that's also bursting with juicy berry flavours. This could be our most delicious Pearls gummy yet! Already available for retailer orders in BC and AB, and coming to ON in June. Very proud of everyone at Indiva for achieving these impressive results! Congratulations to everyone on my commercial team for growing Pearls to become Canada's favourite gummy, for launching one of the most disruptive brands in No Future, and for making some of the most delicious and margin-rich products in the cannabis industry! Just wait until Pearls Red Razzleberry 1:1:1 (THC/CBG/CBD) launches in the weeks to come ... INDIVA REPORTS RECORD NET REVENUE, IMPROVED GROSS MARGINS, AND POSITIVE EBITDA FOR Q4 2023 AND FULL YEAR 2023 FINANCIAL RESULTS SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS: Q4 2023 * Record quarterly net revenue of $10.9 million, a YOY increase of +16.8% vs Q4 2022 * Pearls Q4 2023 net revenue grew 360%+ vs Q4 2022 * Growth in Pearls and the launch of No Future gummies and vapes generated an incremental +$6.7 million in net revenue, more than offsetting -$4.6 million in lost lozenge sales and declining revenues from Wana * Record gross margin before inventory write-down for the quarter of 38.5%, a +9.2 percentage point improvement vs Q4 2022 * Operating expenses decreased to 28.9% of net revenue vs 41.7% in Q4 2022 * Record EBITDA of $0.9 million * Record adjusted EBITDA of $1.5 million FULL YEAR 2023 * Record annual net revenue of $37.6 million, a YOY increase of +9.2% * Record gross profit before inventory write down of $13.2 million, a YOY improvement of +26.9% * Gross margin before inventory write down improved almost 5 percentage points to 35.1% of net revenue (vs 30.2% for 2022) * Operating expenses decreased to 33.7% of net revenue, down from 41.4% in 2022 * Record EBITDA of $1.6 million (vs -$4.8 million in 2022) * Record adjusted EBITDA of $2.4 million (vs -$1.5 million in 2022) MARKET SHARE & EVENTS SUBSEQUENT TO 2023 * Indiva was the #1 LP in edible market share in Ontario, Alberta, and BC, in Q4 of 2023 * Indiva owned the #1 and #2 ranked edible SKUs (Pearls Blue Razzleberry and Pearls Blackberry Lemonade) in Q4 2023 * Since launch in August of 2023, No Future gummies have sold more than 3.6 million units across Canada, and is already the #2 brand in BC, #3 in Alberta, and #7 in Ontario where the brand launched in October of 2023 * No Future launched two new flavours of gummies (The Red One and The Pink One) in April of 2024 * Pearls added to its 25pk lineup with the launch of Lemon Dream CBN, to flank Marionberry CBG and Peach Mango CBD * No Future also added three new vapes (Grape Ape, Peach Punch, and Tropical Island Haze) to its lineup that now has a total of nine 1.2g 510s * No Future launched a new chocolate product called Fatty Patty, a chocolate covered chocolate chip cookie dough with 10mg THC * Indiva Blips Tablets added to its lineup with a value-rich 55pk launched in AB and BC and also arrives soon in Ontario (June 2024) Happy Friday! Last night I created some faux tv posters. Check it. Which one do you wish was a real show? Hey Ontario! Our R&D team here has been working hard and we’re proud to introduce No Future Fatty Patty, our boldest creation yet – THC infused Chocolate Covered Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough🔥🤤 It’s exactly what you think it is (but better). On flow-through at OCS NOW… and Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, we’ll see you in February🙌 Been at Indiva almost 4 months and so many exciting things have happened already! 2024 is going to be awesome! 2023 was QUITE the year at Indiva! Through all of the ups and downs, one thing remained consistent: our team's commitment to giving Canadian consumers the best edibles, capsules, and vapes we could make. For that commitment to quality, consistency, and innovation, we are being rewarded in the marketplace. According to Headset, Indiva's brands dominate the Top 5 Best Selling Edible products in each of the biggest provinces, right now. In Ontario and BC, we are 4 of the Top 5, and in Alberta, we occupy every spot in the Top 5. 2023 was also the year that Pearls by Grön became a phenomenon. In addition to being one of the most well-distributed brands in Canadian Cannabis, Pearls transcended edibles by also having some of fastest-selling cannabis products, full stop, in many regions, beating out the hottest pre-rolls in the country from much larger LPs. And we could not be happier about how retailers and consumers have embraced No Future gummies and vapes. To have No Future be 3 of the Top 5 Best Selling Edibles in Alberta, and the #3 Best Selling Edible in BC is very rewarding, indeed. Ontario launched the brand a bit later in 2023 so we believe we are only 2-3 months away from seeing similar results in our own backyard. None of this could have been possible without the entire team rallying for a great second half of 2023. Congratulations to everyone at Indiva for their grit, determination, and unwavering commitment to excellence! And a big shout out to our hard working friends at Green Hedge as well as our strategic partners at each provincial board/distributor, our amazing suppliers, and every fantastic cannabis retailer out there trying to make a difference, we could not have made 2023 this special without you and your own commitment to awesomeness! I can tell you that this past year was one of the most personally rewarding of my career, and I am very much looking forward to achieving continued success in 2024 with this EPIC team! 💪 🏆 #cannabisindustry #cannabisbusiness #cannabisculture #cannabissociety #cannabisnews #cannabismarketing #cannabiscommunity #cannabis #indiva #pearls #nofuture #2023year #2024goals Indiva Niel Marotta Jennifer Welsh Rob Carse Mitchell Stern Mark Haynes Melissa Pellow Kurek Michelle Lopes Sophie Nagano Hayley Elsaesser Bryan Finlay Natalie W. Kelsey Jobson Mike Gilfix Michael LeBlanc Carter Watson Darcy Devereaux Michael Tabakoff Nick Henao Andrew Von Teichman Amee Norman Steve Crichton Ian Freeman Sergio Lavaggi Courtney McDonald Maegan Shiskos Julie Banting Curtis Dingwell, P. Eng Leslie Tomlenovich Our 1st delivery of NEW Pearls Peach Mango CBD 25pk sold out in 1 week at the OCS! We are now BACK IN STOCK! Indiva #indiva #cannabisindustry #cannabisbusiness #cannabisretail #cannabisculture #cannabis #cbdproducts #cbdoil #cbdwellness #pearls "INDIVA REPORTS THIRD QUARTER RESULTS INCLUDING RECORD REVENUE AND POSITIVE INCOME FROM OPERATIONS" So proud of our Q3 2023 results and all of the massive efforts from our Indiva employees and strategic partners that made this quarter so successful! Some Q3 2023 highlights: * Record net revenue (+21% vs Q3 2022) * Record gross profit before impairments (+55% vs Q3 2022) * Operating expenses decreased -10% vs Q3 2022 * Positive EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA * Positive operating income * 13 new SKUs listed in Q3 * No Future received POs for over 1.3 million gummies (and counting) * Term loan facility with sndl amended to extend maturity date * Indiva is #1 in edibles $ share for SEP & OCT, even after the Wana transition * Pearls Blue Razzleberry was the #1 most sold edible product in Canada * Indiva is #1 in chocolate with the Bhang brand * Indiva is #1 in baked goods with its Doppio brand * Q4 2023 net revenue expected to improve sequentially, excluding contract manufacturing, driven by the first full quarter of No Future products in BC, AB and ON https://lnkd.in/djCESD86 #cannabis #cannabisindustry #cannabisbusiness #cannabisculture #cannabissociety #cannabiscommunity #cannabismarketing #cannabisnews #indiva #nofuture #cannabisstocks #greenhedge What comes after the smartphone? Ambient computing. Our planet has just had the hottest October ever documented - and by a very high margin. It was the 5th straight month of extraordinary heat, setting the stage for 2023 to be the warmest year on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization. The difference between 1.5°C, 2°C or 3°C average global warming can sound marginal. But, in fact, these temperature rises represent vastly different scenarios for the future. We need urgent #ClimateAction now. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eQzhab_r Hey Ontario. The wait is finally over... We are thrilled that all NO FUTURE products are available on OCS buy sheets today! Introducing our newest products: 🍬 10mg THC Gummies – The Purple One, The Orange One, The Blue One, and The Green One. These gummies are straightforward: 1 single 10mg piece per pack, with the names being both the colour and the flavour.  🌬️ 1.2g 510 Vapes - Sour Tangie, Cherry Zlushie, and Hot CKS (Flow-through). These vapes are designed to elevate your experience with their unique flavours and trustworthy hardware. Check those buy sheets to get in on the most delicious (and affordable) gummies and vapes today. Celebrating 5 years of our kitchen providing Canada with their favourite edibles in the legal market. Time flies when you’re having fun…here's to many more years of sweet innovation🍫🍬🌿 #cannabis #cannabislegalization #CannabisCommunity Get Warm and Fuzzy with Pearls Peach Mango CBD 🍑🥭 💎 750mg CBD | 25 Pearls 🌿 CBD | 0% THC Exclusively available in Alberta and BC…for now 😉 I'm very proud to announce that Pearls by gron has become the #1 brand of cannabis edibles in Ontario AND British Columbia in September, on both value AND volume!* What's more, our top item, Blue Razzleberry, was the #1 selling single cannabis product in Ontario by units, across all categories - over 90,000 units of Blue Razzleberry were sold in September! In a previous post I stated that it was the #2 selling item in Ontario since July, but actually we were already #1 (I made a data oopsie) so it's great to know we've kept our streak alive. In BC, for the month of September, Pearls occupied 6 of the top 9 spots on the $ Sales SKU ranking and, between Pearls and No Future, Indiva had 8 of the Top 10 selling edibles in BC. Similar to Ontario, Pearls Blue Razzleberry was also the #1 best selling cannabis item in BC by units, across all categories, with our Blackberry Lemonade coming in at #2. Success like this doesn't come without a huge team effort, so congratulations to everyone at gron USA, the entire team at Indiva both in London and across the country, and our sales partners at Green Hedge for helping us make Pearls such a success story in Canada! We love working with our provincial and retail partners and look forward to keeping this momentum going, for a long time. *Data source: based on provincial wholesale depletion information in $ Sales and Unit Sales, from OCS and BCLDB for the month of September, 2023. #cannabis #cannabisbusiness #cannabisnews #greenhedge #indiva #Pearls #gron #edibles #cannabismarketing #gummies We’ve got something exciting up our sleeve 👀 #cannabis #edibles #rebrand #doppio Come work with me 😊 😍 Adam is insanely hard-working and such a gem to be around! Hit him up. Come work with me :) Hey Cannabis industry, I'm back! Excited to join the Indiva in a design position! 😁 Thanks for all the birthday wishes LinkedIn! 😊 Me looking for a job like: WHY IS EVERYONE SELLING THEIR MUSIC CATALOGUES? The big boys in investment are circling around the music industry. But why is that? Short answer: STREAMING. You, your mum, your friends and probably your Grandma have a Spotify, Apple Music or Amazon music account; and this = MONEY and lots of it. Private Equity firms like Blackstone, KKR and Apollo have been hoovering up the music catalogs of top artists like Justin Bieber, Lorde, The Weekend and Ryan Tedder - and paying top dollar for these rights. The firms are diversifying their portfolios and see music as a viable and lucrative ASSET CLASS they can bank on. In 2021 Blackstone invested a whopping $1 billion in Hipgnosis to acquire music rights. WHAT ARE THEY ACTUALLY BUYING? 🤔 Every song contains 2 copyrights - composition(publishing) and sound recording(masters). These copyright grants rights such as– synchronisation rights (licenses for film, advertisements, TV), reproduction rights (when the song is sold or streamed) and performance rights (when played in public or on the radio) for either the sound recording or composition elements. The ownership of these rights allows rightsholders the benefit of collecting ROYALTIES now and in the future. WHY ARE THEY BUYING IT? 💡 💵 Recurring revenue: Investors get paid every time a song is streamed or the copyright is exploited. Private Equity firms like steady and recurring cash flows because they are lower-risk investments and because they are well suited to servicing liabilities. 💹 Massive and growing market: Goldman Sachs estimated in 2017 that streaming would be valued at $34 billion. Their 2022 ‘Music in the Air’ report indicates ongoing upward trends for global streaming. Also, according to the IFPI in 2021, streaming accounts for 62.1% of global recorded music revenues. ⬆ Stability: Music royalties historically are not affected by broader economic activity and downturns. For example, music spending and associated royalties held up pretty well in Covid relative to other industries. 🛑 Minimal risk: If a firm buys the right catalogue (eg legacy artist like Bob Dylan), there is little to no risk as those songs have proved to have longevity and are constantly being streamed or synced. This means the firm can predict profitability and also there is a chance for capital appreciation as streaming has firmly become a part of everyone’s lives. 💰NOTABLE SALES : Kobalt - P.E firm KKR, and their co-invest partner, Dundee Partners, purchased the KMR Music Royalties II portfolio from Kobalt for $1.1 billion. The catalog includes over 60,000 music publishing copyrights, with songs by the likes of the Weeknd, Lorde and many more artists spanning different genres. Justin Bieber($200m) to Blackstone via Hipgnosis -100% interest in his Publishing Copyrights (including the Writer’s Share of Performance), Master Recordings and Neighboring Rights for Bieber’s entire back catalog, comprising over 290 titles released before December 31, 2021 - Hey LinkedIn, It’s really coming down to the wire. I’m turning 30 next month and I never thought I would be in this position. Please help, anyone 🙏 Hey LinkedIn, not only do I design and market, I also sing. Check out this new cover I recorded today. PS still looking for a job. 🫡 🚨In one month Alberta has seen record heat, rainfall, snowfall causing record breaking wildfires and now today critical flash flood alerts. To determine your approximate carbon footprint and how to lower your footprint utilize the climate calculator: https://lnkd.in/g8aQviEs With greenhouse gas emissions rising out of control to new record highs, not one country in the world is on track to reduce emissions enough to meet the Paris agreement 1.5C target according to climate action tracker. Source: https://lnkd.in/gz68QS9x So sad to hear this! List of things I wish I had: A job. This is my weekly “help” status. Please like for reach 🙏 I’ve been interviewing a ton but a lot of the jobs end up being cancelled by the companies. Send all the positive vibes 🌞 Wow! A reminder.