Marijuana Business Magazine January 2019

Marijuana Business Magazine | January 2019 46 BACKSTORY Coats is a relative newcomer to the cannabis space, having spent a little more than a year in the industry. But she brings with her a depth of experi- ence involving the science of traditional agriculture cultivation. WHY TOWATCH With Coats driving the science division, JBE Industries is shifting its expansion plans into high gear. The medical marijuana company plans to expand into 12 states on the East Coast and in the Midwest by the end of 2019. Coats will be scouting out new science- based technologies for the cannabis industry and helping her team decide whether those new tech companies will be worth investing in. Coats also serves as a go-between to connect the company and state uni- versities. One of her goals is to involve university researchers and engineering students to help foster one area that’s seriously lacking in the cannabis indus- try: credible research. Looking ahead, Coats aims to provide pharmaceutical-grade medical marijua- na that’s still cannabis-centric and not Big Pharma. – Bart Schaneman BEST BUSINESS ADVICE “Have a science person on staff who can evaluate—maybe with your lead cultiva- tor—the techniques that you spend a lot of time and money on. Make sure they have a scientific basis so that you don’t waste time or money.” Diana Roberts Coats Director of Plant Science, JBE Industries | Warwick, Rhode Island BACKSTORY Kilcullen made her name in the textile industry. She became the first full-time sustainability consultant for Under Armour sportswear in 2014. She then ran the sustainability program for prAna, an activewear clothing label in the Columbia Sportswear Co.’s family of brands. Last year, Kilcullen struck out on her own to develop a line of towels made entirely of hemp fibers. WHY TOWATCH Hemp’s tough fibers once made the crop an essential compo- nent of global commerce. These days, synthetics rule the global textile industry, while hemp is most valuable for its CBD-rich flowers. Kilcullen is out to change that, rolling out the first sustainable line of all-hemp towels in 2019. A longtime veteran of the apparel industry, Kilcullen knows that most hemp fabrics currently on the market are blended with other fibers. Kilcullen is making her towels in Portugal from 100% hemp grown in China, with an eye toward reviving textile manufacturing in the United States. In a hemp industry plagued by unrealistic expectations about how textiles are made, Kilcullen’s company could be a first step to creating a sustainable industrial hemp textile market. – Kristen Nichols BEST BUSINESS ADVICE “Real recognizes real. Learn to trust your gut, and it will always guide you in the right direction to the right people—wherever that might be. Embrace the change. You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf.” Brianna Kilcullen Founder and CEO, We the People | Indialantic, Florida Women to Watch: Cultivation & Hemp