Cannabis Co. Revolution Global Welcomes Wall Street Veteran Jared Cohen As Head Of Corporate Development

Multi-state cannabis operator, Revolution Global, on Thursday welcomed finance industry veteran and cannabis investor Jared Cohen as its new head of corporate development. 

For over 15 years Cohen had been building his investment acumen across both private and public sectors. During the last five years, he worked as a senior executive in the cannabis space. Now, in his new role at Revolution Global, Cohen will be managing the company’s organic growth and acquisition initiatives. 

Before joining the cannabis industry, Cohen worked with Fortress Investment Group in New York and California as a partner/managing director in credit funds, overseeing even-driven investments. Prior to his decade at Fortress, Cohen was a vice president at Merrill Lynch in a principal investing role. He initially cut his teeth as an investment banking analyst at Morgan Stanley MS. 

What Attracted Cohen To The Cannabis Industry?  

“Coming to the cannabis sector from the perspective of an investor, I was initially drawn to the capital dislocation and other challenges the industry faced,” Cohen told Benzinga. “Scarce capital and the lack of banking services created real barriers for investors and operators. At the same time, these challenges presented a unique and giant opportunity. “

Previously, Cohen was on the board of directors and head of strategy for the California cannabis delivery platform, Grassdoor. Under his leadership, the company expanded its reach to Northern California. At the beginning of 2021, Grassdoor was named one of the “5 top cannabis startups that VCs can't stop talking about” by Business Insider.

Cohen also co-founded the vertically integrated cannabis company Glass House Group, which had the second-highest flower sales in the Golden State in 2020. At Glass House Group he was a chief investment officer in charge of the company’s mergers and acquisitions, while also supervising the development of production and distribution operations.

Higher-Level Goal

 “As I got involved in the legal cannabis sector, the more I learned, the more I was hooked,” Cohen explained to Benzinga. “In addition to building large and successful businesses, I think the greatest potential for the industry lies in its higher-level goal of working to right the wrongs of the failed war on drugs and fighting historic injustices. This is a critical mission and Revolution shares it." 

Illinois-based Revolution Global is currently focused on expanding its outreach and developing products and brands that answer to consumers’ needs, Cohen said. 

In addition to Illinois, Revolution Global currently operates in Florida, Arkansas, and Maryland.

“We will also continue to prioritize our social equity initiatives. In our home state of Illinois, a bill is on the governor’s desk to open 110 new cannabis retail licenses to communities disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs. We have also been helping guide applicants toward license approval and we advise on all aspects of building a successful cannabis business, from growing to retail," Cohen explained.

“With a growing multi-state footprint, Revolution is ready to launch as a truly national player, and I look forward to partnering with the rest of the team to realize this vision,” Cohen concluded.

Oleg Movchan, a member of Revolution’s board of directors said they are thrilled to welcome Cohen to the team to deploy his “investment expertise to enhance Revolution’s capabilities in sourcing, structuring and closing capital market transactions, joint ventures and acquisitions.”

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