Jacqueline will co-facilitate the session. Jacqueline is a fashion education administrator who is the co-author of Fashion Supply Chain Management, published by Fairchild Books. She has also published articles for WWD, the Fashion Manuscript, and a host of academic publications. Before her leadership roles in higher education, Jacqueline spent 20 years in corporate finance and entrepreneurship. Jacqueline earned her B.A. in economics from Spelman College and her MBA in finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Jacqueline is a member of the WhRN Steering Committee.

Terry will facilitate the session’s opening discussion. For over 20 years, Pranses Research has provided both qualitative and quantitative insights for growing brands and professional associations in the Food and Beverage segment. Clients have ranged from producer boards (Canadian Beef) to well-established imports (Bauli, Hero and Pompeian) and American standards (Pepperidge Farm and Vlasic). He holds an undergraduate degree from the Wharton School and has been part of the WhRN Steering Committee for several years.

Bill is a corporate attorney who handles the full range of securities offerings and corporate transactions. Bill focuses on securities, public and private financings, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital transactions and general corporate matters, including joint ventures, partnerships, and corporate formations. His clients include privately held and publicly traded companies, family offices, venture capital firms, emerging companies, investment banks, financial institutions, and private equity sponsors – in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Australia.

Bill has been involved in more than 100 capital markets transactions, drawing on his extensive familiarity and strength in key financing areas, such as initial and follow-on public offerings, special-purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), shelf-takedowns, registered directs, and various other transaction-related expertise.

Prior to practicing law, Bill worked for Moody's Investor Services and the United States Bankruptcy Court, and as a certified public accountant at Ernst and Young LLP. Bill is a graduate of the Wharton School and Fordham University Law School.

 

Jeff is an industry leading CBD brand focused on bringing all-natural, plant-based remedies into the mainstream. Jeff joined Apothercanna in 2020 as President to foster the company's growth phase, leading to the sale of the business to HempFusion (TSX: CBDHF) in June 2021. Jeff was previously the CFO at Lord Jones, a celebrity favorite, luxury CBD brand. During his tenure as CFO, Jeff led due diligence efforts in selling the brand to Cronos Group in 2019 (NASDAQ: CRON). Prior to Lord Jones, Jeff was Head of Finance & Operations at Verst, a software startup that was acquired by Dropbox in 2017. Jeff started his career in finance at Goldman Sachs where he was an analyst in the Private Equity Group within GSAM. He received his MBA in Entrepreneurship from the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania and his BA in Psychology from Columbia University.

 

Ross is a seasoned corporate and securities lawyer with a strong financial background. Ross regularly represents start-ups, emerging growth and successful midsize companies in a broad variety of transactions. He has significant experience with equity, debt and convertible note financings, joint ventures, acquisitions, commercial contracts, employment-related agreements, intellectual property licenses, confidentiality agreements and formative counseling.

For larger transactions requiring a multi-disciplinary team, Ross can call upon a network of practice specialists (e.g., intellectual property, tax, litigation, etc.) to deliver a high-quality cost-effective solution.

Ross previously practiced with Cahill Gordon & Reindel and Proskauer Rose. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business, B.S. and College of Arts and Sciences, B.A. Ross earned his law degree from Fordham University School of Law, J.D.

 

Amy is a veteran food publicist who has worked with household brands such as French’s Mustard, Duncan Hines, Finlandia Cheese and Cuisinart, as well as up-and-coming brands looking to take center stage. Her expertise spans key channels including brand management, media relations and strategic partnerships.

Amy’s insight and ingenuity have allowed her to convert brand-centric content into mainstream news. With long-standing media relationships, the media actively turn to her for editorial content and commentary. She is an active member of New York Women’s Culinary Alliance (NYWCA) and International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). Amy believes a career in food was her destiny as her family has deep roots in the retail grocery industry. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and is active in several alumni groups.