Since 2015 we’ve worked on the front lines of cannabis legalization and market development, supporting leading growers, product manufacturers, brands, retailers, and ancillary service providers across North America and Europe as they navigate the complexity of the rapidly growing cannabis industry. Prior to joining the cannabis industry, we built startups on shoestring budgets, scaled small businesses with millions in venture capital backing, and lead concept development and international expansion for billion-dollar retail brands. Whether you’re developing your go-to-market strategy, optimizing existing operations, or planning for expansion, let our hands-on experience and proven methods drive your success.
Realizing the true potential of a business or market opportunity requires applying the strategies and best practices appropriate for each stage of growth.
Charlie Cain
Charlie Cain is a Corporate Entrepreneur with 20+ years’ experience building iconic brands, engaging customer experiences, and high performing cultures in the e-commerce, coffee & tea, and cannabis industries. Charlie entered Cannabis in 2015 after serving as VP of Retail Operations, Concept Development, and Franchising for Starbucks. After exploring the industry as a consultant for cannabis leaders including Privateer Holdings, Tilray, and Grodan, Charlie took the helm as CEO of Seattle-based Dockside Cannabis in 2016. Voted Best Pot Shop in Seattle 5 out of 6 years by the readers of Seattle Weekly, Dockside is the longest-operating Medical and Recreational Retailer in Washington State, with four stores operating around the Seattle area.
Charlie re-joined Tilray in 2018 as VP, Global Retail to guide the company’s entry into retail cannabis. There he recruited subject matter leaders from companies including Amazon, Starbucks, Microsoft, and Uber to design and build a Retail Shared Services organization to efficiently develop and support retail brands through national and international expansion. In addition to leading Tilray’s company-owned retail initiatives, Charlie led Retail M&A activity across North America, conducting extensive market research, due diligence, and investment into public and private firms in the US and Canada.
Charlie currently serves as a consultant to the cannabis industry.
Jackson Holder
A Crohn’s patient turned cannabis success story, Jackson Holder has spent the last decade obsessively trying to discover everything there is to know about the plant, humanity, and the uncountable places that they intersect. Jackson is a cannabis subject matter expert, consultant, and brand strategist who has been in the legal industry since 2015. His roles in the industry have covered sales, customer service, quality assessment, purchasing, new store design, as well as data analysis, promo-building, product formulation, content creation and brand strategy. Ultimately, his passion has always been helping people understand and appreciate the beauty, complexity, and tangible good that cannabis offers the world.
From a background in fine wine, craft beer sales, and hospitality, Jackson took a leap of faith, moving from South Carolina to Washington state shortly after the legalization of recreational cannabis. Jackson was hired by nascent retail brand Dockside Cannabis, where he served as a Budtender, Procurement Manager, and ultimately Senior Buyer for the brand, meeting and partnering with Charlie Cain along the way. He was then hired to lead adult-use product strategy for Tilray’s retail team, working with investment partners as well as Tilray’s product and brand teams to improve their understandings of product, market, customer and culture. He’s spent the better part of the past two years in a variety of states and provinces across North America evaluating retail investment opportunities and fine-tuning his understanding of the product, brand and retail landscape.
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Building Oz, Inc. 