As co-founder and COO, I helped secure the release of my friend Corvain Cooper from a life sentence for cannabis and then build 40 Tons into a nationally recognized cannabis brand and advocacy platform. I created Justice Row, a space for justice-impacted entrepreneurs to gain visibility at major conferences. I also co-developed the Level Up Career Conference, focused on creating real job opportunities for system-impacted individuals.

I invested personal capital, led go-to-market strategies, secured licensing deals across multiple states, and closed millions in top-line revenue. But the net profit was far less, showing just how hard this industry is to scale without serious capital. Still, we made noise and stood for something far bigger than ourselves.

With a small and scrappy team, I played an instrumental role in building the brand from the ground up. From shaping our identity to developing supply chains and producing thousands of creative assets — including flyers, social content, decks, proposals, and merchandise. I helped lay the foundation for how 40 Tons showed up in the world. Whether it was leading a major initiative, designing a campaign, or writing our pitch, I was deeply involved in nearly every part of the process.

We earned significant media coverage and created meaningful visibility with a broad audience. I often worked one hundred hour weeks, doing whatever it took to keep things moving forward. We didn’t have big funding, but we had vision, hustle, and a mission people believed in and that’s what helped us grow.