Team, Board & Advisors
Get to know our team & advisors
Director & Founder
Dino Minichiello
A lifelong entrepreneur, Mr. Minichiello has founded or participated in ventures ranging from restaurants, mining of natural resources to international mixed martial arts entertainment conglomerates. Mr. Minichiello also founded Triumph Capital, a private equity and investment banking company. Mr. Minichiello has a successful 20-year track record in taking companies from start-up to public market listing and has raised over $60 million for various ventures. Mr. Minichiello brings leadership and expertise in the areas of e-commerce, business development, and management.
CCO
Brian Jenkins
Mr. Jenkins has been involved in the public stock sector for almost 20 years, brokering and selling trading vehicles and rapidly became well-versed in mergers and acquisitions in the US markets. In addition to sourcing merger candidates and fundraising, Mr. Jenkins has and still works with some of the industry’s most powerful and ethical corporations and individuals. He has been in many key roles in public companies from inception, acquisition, and market. Mr. Jenkins has ten years in state filing protocols and has worked with every service provider needed to build, maintain and keep a public company compliant and successfully reporting.
Director
Don Gordon, CFA
Mr. Gordon has over 30 years of experience in corporate finance analysis as a consultant to issuers, investment dealers, and stock exchanges. Currently, he is the director of several public companies and provides CFO services and corporate finance consulting in regulatory compliance and fundraising strategies. He is past president of the Vancouver Society of Financial Analysts. Mr. Gordon has been a senior executive and a consultant with two of Canada’s stock exchanges and holds a BA and MBA from the University of British Columbia as well as a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.
Chief technology office
Joel Bellenson
Mr. Bellenson served as an executive and board member of a public company he cofounded, Upstream Biosceinces, developing genetic biomarkers. Previously he was the co-founder and CEO of DoubleTwist. Bellenson was also Co-founder and CEO of DigiScents, internationally known for sequencing and using the human olfactory receptors to digitize the sense of smell. Bellenson is a graduate of Stanford University, where he studied molecular biology and international relations. He co-founded and managed the high-throughput DNA Analysis Facility at Stanford University Medical Center (1989-1993) under Nobel Prize laureate Dr. Paul Berg.
CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER
Steve Hnatko
An experienced Operations Executive with an extensive Sales, Marketing & Communications background and demonstrated history of success in the Technology, Consulting, Logistics and Supply Chain industries. With over 18 years senior executive experience, Steve has a passion for helping teams grow revenue, improve profitability, and build more predictable and consistent organizations that overachieve. Steve has worked with organizations of all sizes, from start-ups to well established brands such as Starbucks, Vancouver Canucks, Bell Media, Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America, and Norwegian Cruise Line.
Legal and Compliance
Arthur Marcus
Mr. Marcus has been involved in more than 100 initial public offerings and is a New York-based attorney and partner at Sichezia Ross Ference LLP, a leading securitues law firm in the United States. Before joining Sichenzia, Mr. Marcus was the Chairman of the Securities Law Practice at Gersten Savage LLP. Mr. Marcus has acted as counsel in numerous “SPAC” offerings and reverse merger transactions. Mr. Marcus also represents publicly-held companies with their Exchange Act filing obligations as well as their relationship with NASDAQ, AMEX, and the NYSE. In addition to securities work, Mr. Marcus assists companies with mergers and acquisitions and employment and regulatory matters.
Chief Futurist
Nikolas Badminton
Nikolas is the Chief Futurist for the FUTURIST THINK TANK, a Fellow of The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, and works with trillion-dollar companies, central banks, governments and startups. He has worked with hundreds of world-leading companies, including NASA, Google, Microsoft, United Nations, United Way, Bayer, Corteva, Bank of Canada, American Express, AT&T, Thales International, Rolls Royce, Heineken, Procter & Gamble, Government of Canada, Government of Cayman Islands, IDEO, and many more.
FORMULATION AND NUTRITION
Dr. Marvin Moncada
Dr. Marvin is an assistant professor at N.C. State University. Dr. Marvin holds a PhD from Louisiana State University and his main research is focused on a plant-based total utilization engineering program designed to create value-added products, starting with the processing of raw materials and food by-products and continuing through the development of novel food products or food ingredients. Additionally, his program will be involved in research related to the processing, characterization, and bioactivity of industrial hemp.
VP BRAND & MARKETING
Anthony Pezarro
Experienced Executive Creative Director who creates thoughtful design solutions to help companies deliver a clear message and connection with their customers. His main goal is to create optimized and effective consumer experiences to develop a long-standing brand relationship between brand and customer. Designing with purpose and intention to ensure all brand touch points are effectively optimized and utilized. A west coast born creative at heart, Anthony has had the pleasure of working for both large and small boutique and corporate agencies.
Chief Futurist
Nikolas Badminton
Nikolas is the Chief Futurist for the FUTURIST THINK TANK, a Fellow of The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, and works with trillion-dollar companies, central banks, governments and startups. He has worked with hundreds of world-leading companies, including NASA, Google, Microsoft, United Nations, United Way, Bayer, Corteva, Bank of Canada, American Express, AT&T, Thales International, Rolls Royce, Heineken, Procter & Gamble, Government of Canada, Government of Cayman Islands, IDEO, and many more.
Formulation and Nutrition
Dr. Marvin Moncada
Dr. Marvin is an assistant professor at N.C. State University. Dr. Marvin holds a PhD from Louisiana State University and his main research is focused on a plant-based total utilization engineering program designed to create value-added products, starting with the processing of raw materials and food by-products and continuing through the development of novel food products or food ingredients. Additionally, his program will be involved in research related to the processing, characterization, and bioactivity of industrial hemp.
Mergers and Acquisitions
Sashko Despotovski
Sashko Despotovski, a seasoned investment banker, active investor and a fund manager, is a Canadian national living in the Nordics, with nearly two decades of exposure to USA and Canadian capital markets. His specialties are fundraising and fund dissemination. He serves as an advisor to a number of international companies, and is a board member of publicly listed SHRC.CN and DELC.CN. He manages Hinna Park Capital fund out of Norway, and holds offices with venture teams in Singapore, Dubai, and Vancouver.
