Benzinga's Psychedelics Capital Conference: Meet An Unrivaled Group Of Advisors And Fund Partners

The upcoming Psychedelics Capital Conference constitutes Benzinga’s effort to provide an exclusive opportunity to meet, connect with and learn from some of the most knowledgeable people in the space. 

From companies that perform advanced clinical research to the industry's growing financials, the speakers’ list includes managing partners of some of the most successful VCs as well as long-time advisors in the field.

Here’s a quick bio check of the extraordinary psychedelics experts that will be presenting on April 13 at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach Hotel in Florida following two days of the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference (April 11-12).

Kevin Harrington, A Historical Entrepreneur-Turned-Strategic Advisor For Biopharma Companies

Lifelong entrepreneur famously known for his participation on the Shark Tank, Kevin Harrington has fully earned his title of strategic advisor of not one but two of the hottest psychedelics companies: Psycheceutical Bioscience BWVI and NASDAQ’s FSD Pharma HUGE.

Harrington started his first company at 15 and, by his first year of college, had built a million-dollar business. After that, he began selling franchises and working closely with other entrepreneurs, creating small business centers where others like himself found support and empowerment toward success -he’s called the entrepreneur’s entrepreneur for some reason. 

Kevin specialized in turning underutilized assets into growth opportunities, as so happened to be the case for what was later called infomercials. Eventually, his platform-building efforts earned him a seat as an original “shark” on the hit TV show Shark Tank.

But let’s allow numbers speak: his backstage work of business ventures has so far produced over $5 billion in global sales with the launch of more than 500 products. Plus, twenty of his companies have topped $100 million in revenue, each.

Harrington’s combination of business shark and people-first, win-win perspective is his ultimate personal brand. Taking up his sales mentor Zig Ziglar saying: “You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

Courtney Barnes, Specialized Lawyer And Absolute Reform Advocate

A California and Colorado-licensed lawyer, Courtney Barnes provides specialized advisory on so many topics it’s almost hard to follow: regulatory compliance, risk management, contract creation, and strategic operational matters, all of them related to the production and distribution of hemp, cannabis and other natural products in emerging industries as is, naturally, psychedelics. 

Barnes’ work experience has led her to become an expert in providing bespoke DEA, FDA and state regulatory compliance guidance including licensing, distribution and advertising strategy to consumer-packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers, retailers and ancillary service providers.

And yet, beyond her legal practice, Courtney is a passionate and devoted psychedelics and criminal justice policy reform advocate. 

A state policy advisor for Decriminalize Nature and an advisory board member to Heroic Hearts Project, she holds vast experience in drafting and helping implement state and local policy reform relating to the regulation of cannabis and the decriminalization of psychedelics, participating in the drafting of Denver’s psilocybin decriminalization initiative in 2018 among numerous others. 

Bryan Passman, Co-Founder Of HR Advisory & Executive Search Firm Hunter+Esquire

Passman defines himself as a trailblazer. Co-founder and CEO of cannabis and psychedelics business advisory firm Hunter+Esquire, his prior professional background includes almost 20 years of work at the medtech and pharma sectors and several others in the Food and Adult Beverage CPG, so it’s plausible to say he’s fully versed in these regulated industries. 

Hunter+Esquire’s team consists of seasoned executive search professionals, consultants and lawyers who originally identified some key needs of the regulated cannabis industry, including recruitment, consulting, executive search and business strategy resources. 

Now adding the booming psychedelics industry, H+E supports companies’ efforts to elevate their brands and ensure long-term business success through a client-first approach to provide a customized, headhunter treatment.

David Traylor, A Biotech Specialist And Co-Founder And Director Of Life Sciences Advisory Firm Golden Eagle Partners

Traylor co-founded and currently is the senior managing director of Golden Eagle Partners. The firm, which has been providing advisory services to companies since 2012, first focused on the life sciences sector but quickly shifted to the cannabis sector. 

Experienced in the early stages of both the cannabis and life science sectors, Golden Eagle closes strategic and financing transactions that match clients’ near- and long-term goals, including M&As, reverse mergers, financings and incremental transactions like licensing, joint ventures and co-development arrangements.

Before founding Golden Eagle, David worked at leading investment banking firms where he advised private and public biotech and medical device companies in transactions like IPOs, public offerings, private offerings and M&As totaling over $500 million.

And even before investment banking, Traylor spent no less than 15 years in operational roles within biotech companies, from R&D to business development, manufacturing, program management and senior management.

Doubtless, the Psychedelics Capital Conference will be full of treasurable advice. Get your tickets now before prices go up.