Gateway Open Office Hours

In this shortened holiday episode, Ben and Carter talk about preparing your business for the California’s adult legal market in 2018. As always, you can reach out to us—or to our festive studio audience—during the live show on Facebook, or via Twitter (@gatewayvc) or Instagram (@gateway.vc) with questions or comments using the hashtag #GatewayOH. Like us on Facebook to get notified when we go live each week, or visit OfficeHours.tv, where you can subscribe to our YouTube channel or podcast.

This week, Ben welcomes industry icon Debby Goldsberry, co-founder of the Berkeley Patients Group, Executive Director of Magnolia Wellness, and author of “The Idiot’s Guide to Starting & Running a Cannabis Business.” We discuss Debby’s 30-year journey as a leader in the cannabis industry and get advice about operating a business in the era of legal, regulated cannabis. As always, you can reach out to us—or to our intrepid studio audience—during the live show on Facebook, or via Twitter (@gatewayvc) or Instagram (@gateway.vc) with questions or comments using the hashtag #GatewayOH. Like us on Facebook to get notified when we go live each week, or visit OfficeHours.tv, where you can subscribe to our YouTube channel or podcast.

This week, Ben and Carter are joined by Jamie Feaster, VP of Marketing at Eaze and the company’s very first employee. We’ll ask Jamie to give cannabis founders some actionable advice when it comes to online marketing, and we’ll pick his brain for insights into the future of California’s cannabis market. As always, you can reach out to us—or to our conveniently delivered studio audience—during the live show on Facebook, or via Twitter (@gatewayvc) or Instagram (@gateway.vc) with questions or comments using the hashtag #GatewayOH. Like us on Facebook to get notified when we go live each week, or visit OfficeHours.tv, where you can subscribe to our YouTube channel or podcast.

This week, Ben and Carter chat with Louis Cirillo and Matt Kummer, co-founders of ARC Innovations. As a serial hardware entrepreneur, Lou will talk about how to go from concept to prototype to mass production. As always, you can reach out to us—or to our injection molded studio audience—during the live show on Facebook, or via Twitter (@gatewayvc) or Instagram (@gateway.vc) with questions or comments using the hashtag #GatewayOH. Like us on Facebook to get notified when we go live each week, or subscribe to our YouTube channel (archive.gtwy.co) or podcast (podcast.gtwy.co).

This week, Ben and Carter welcome back Kieran Ringgenberg from Ringgenberg law. We’ll unpack California’s latest “emergency” cannabis regulations, so listen up if you’re struggling to navigate the ever-changing regulatory landscape. As always, you can reach out to us—or to our completely unregulated studio audience—during the live show on Facebook, or via Twitter (@gatewayvc) or Instagram (@gateway.vc) with questions or comments using the hashtag #GatewayOH. Like us on Facebook to get notified when we go live each week, or subscribe to our YouTube channel (archive.gtwy.co) or podcast (podcast.gtwy.co).

Happy Thanksgiving! This week, Ben and Carter discuss the Abundance Mindset, and how focusing on competition can undermine your company’s success in a growing market. As always, you can reach out to us—or to our tryptophan-stuffed studio audience—during the live show on Facebook, or via Twitter (@gatewayvc) or Instagram (@gateway.vc) with questions or comments using the hashtag #GatewayOH. Like us on Facebook to get notified when we go live each week, or subscribe to our YouTube channel (archive.gtwy.co) or podcast (podcast.gtwy.co).

Wanna build the next great cannabis company? You’ll need to attract and engage a loyal fan base that actually buys your product. This week, Ben welcomes Chikodi Chima of MoonshotPR.com and Guillermo Bravo of Foottraffik.co. They’ll demystify marketing and show how mission-driven content and digital strategy can help you find consumers and convert them into sales. As always, you can reach out to us—or to our well marketed studio audience—during the live show on Facebook, or via Twitter (@gatewayvc) or Instagram (@gateway.vc) with questions or comments using the hashtag #GatewayOH. Like us on Facebook to get notified when we go live each week, or subscribe to our YouTube channel (archive.gtwy.co) or podcast (podcast.gtwy.co).

[This episode originally aired 10 November 2017] Happy Veteran’s Day friends! We’re pleased to welcome to the show today Garrett Ruhland of Biomarker.io. As cannabis becomes more respected for its medicinal applications, and with the ever increasing attention from the FDA, understanding the true efficacy of products is of the utmost importance. Join us as we discover how Biomarker is attempting to solve this problem, and see how Ben digs into the nuts and bolts of building a startup trying to solve a BIG problem. Please leave us your questions, comments, and reviews here on Facebook, Twitter (@gatewayvc) or Instagram (@gateway.vc), or wherever it is you find us.

Boom! This week, Silicon Valley icon Adeo Ressi joins Ben and Carter to talk about founder psychology, and how to make the decision to become a founder in the first place. As founder of The Funded and The Founder Institute, Adeo has worked with countless entrepreneurs at the very earliest stage of their journies and is in a unique position to share guidance with anyone considering starting a company of their own. As always, you can reach out to us—or to our judgmental studio audience—here on Facebook, or via Twitter (@gatewayvc) or Instagram (@gateway.vc) with questions or comments using the hashtag #GatewayOH.

This week, Ben and Carter are joined by Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient Joe Vasquez, co-founder of StartX and The Human Potential, and director of the Runway Incubator and the Michelson Runway Accelerator. We’ll ask him about his experience helping early stage founders to access critical resources needed to build thier companies. As always, you can reach out to us—or to our studio audience—here on Facebook, or via Twitter (@gatewayvc) or Instagram (@gateway.vc) with questions or comments using the hashtag #GatewayOH.

This week, Ben is joined by Purva Gupta, founder and CEO of Lily. We’ve had the oppotunity to follow Purva’s entrepreneurial journey from the very beginning and she has always impressed us with her hustle, as a first-time, non-technical, female, immigrant founder, you could say the deck was stacked against her. She’s never made any excuses and has never slowed down. Hear her story here. As always, you can reach out to us here on Facebook, or via Twitter (@gatewayvc) or Instagram (@gateway.vc) with questions or comments using the hashtag #GatewayOH.

This week, Ben and Carter welcome Eric Eslao, founder and CEO of Défoncé. We’ll chat with him about building a well-designed CPG brand, as well as the challenges of manufacturing products in the cannabis industry. As always, you can reach out to us—ou à notre public de studio défoncé—here on Facebook, or via Twitter (@gatewayvc) or Instagram (@gateway.vc) with questions or comments using the hashtag #GatewayOH.

This week, Ben and Carter welcome Jim McAlpine, founder of 420 Games, New West Summit, CannAthlete, and SnowBomb. We’ll talk to Jim about his mission to destigmatize cannabis and garner participation from outside the industry. As always, you can reach out to us—or to our destigmatized studio audience—here on Facebook, or via Twitter (@gatewayvc) or Instagram (@gateway.vc) with questions or comments using the hashtag #GatewayOH.

This week, Carter welcomes serial entrepreneur David Hyman to the show. As former CEO of Gracenote, founder and CEO of MOG and CEO of Beats Music, David shares his secrets to success. We also discuss lessons leared from the failure of his most recent project, Blin.gy. As always, you can reach out to us—or to our melodic studio audience—here on Facebook, or via Twitter (@gatewayvc) or Instagram (@gateway.vc) with questions or comments using the hashtag #GatewayOH.

This week, Ben and Carter welcome Nitin Pachisia, Founding Partner at Unshackled Ventures. We’ll talk about common challenges facing early stage founders, as well as difficulties unique to those founders facing immigration issues in the US. As always, you can reach out to us—or to our unrestrained studio audience—here on Facebook, or via Twitter or Instagram (@gtwyinc) with questions or comments using the hashtag #GatewayOH.

This week, prodigal son Marshall Hayner, founder of Metal (metalpaysme.com) shleps all the way accross the Bay Bridge to come home. Ben and Carter will chat with him about the cryptocurrency bubble, regulations, and his whilrwind journey as a founder. As always, you can HODL, and you reach out to us—or to our cryptographically authenticated studio audience—here on Facebook, or via Twitter or Instagram (@gtwyinc) with questions or comments using the hashtag #GatewayOH.

This week, Ben and Carter welcome back the man with two first names: Brandon David. As a friend, ally, and host of web shows “Infusion” and “Investing in Cannabis,” Brandon will talk about how to build an audience and compelling voice online. As always, you can reach out to us—or to our mildly infused studio audience—here on Facebook, or via Twitter or Instagram (@gtwyinc) with questions or comments using the hashtag #GatewayOH.

Bad-ass Oakland attorney Kieran Ringgenberg of Ringgenberg Law returns to the show this week to help Carter and Ben make sense of California’s SB-94 and its impact on the emerging industry. As always, you can reach out to us—or to our legally compliant studio audience—here on Facebook, or via Twitter or Instagram (@gtwyinc) with questions or comments using the hashtag #GatewayOH.

This week, Ben redeems himself by returning to the studio to help Carter grill Bill Kerr, founder of Vertical, on brand strategy. We’ll talk to him about his experience building premium mainstream brands, as well as using brand and packaging to differentiate your product in the increasingly crowded cannabis CPG environment. As always, you can reach out to us—or our trademarked and well-packaged studio audience—here on Facebook, or via Twitter or Instagram (@gtwyinc) with questions or comments using the hashtag #GatewayOH.

Suffering acutely from Ben’s repeated abandonment, Carter flies solo today, welcoming Claudio Miranda from Guild Enterprises. We’ll explore how partnerships and brand licensing can be used to help navigate the uncertain and barrier-ridden legal landscape for cannabis businesses. As always, you can reach out to us—or our unlicensed studio audience—here on Facebook, or via Twitter or Instagram (@gtwyinc) with questions or comments using the hashtag #GatewayOH.