Our Team
Jackie McGowan Principle Jacqueline McGowan is a former stockbroker who spent 18 years on Wall Street as an Institutional Equity Derivatives Broker. It was during this time where she developed an unquenchable thirst for research which she now applies to track cannabis regulations in the State of California. Her clients call her “the most connected person in the California cannabis industry” which has helped her become a premiere industry matchmaker.
McGowan founded the leading regulatory news tracker called the “California - City & County Regulation Watch." This page has become the number one news source for cannabis regulations in the state. There isn’t another person in the state that has been hyper-focused on each one of California’s 539 municipalities regarding regulations as intensely as she has. This intense dedication has allowed her to assist her clients in acquiring over 30 licenses throughout the state and across the supply chain. |
Susan Soares Partner Susan Soares became a passionate advocate of social justice and full cannabis legalization after experiencing the plant’s medicinal benefits nearly two decades ago after a severe spine injury. Soares became enraged that life-saving medicine is being withheld from suffering patients and started C.A.R.E. (www.justsaycare.org), a nonprofit organization dedicated to Cannabis Awareness, Rallies, and Events.
At C.A.R.E. Soares produces highly acclaimed public and private events to educate mainstream influencers about cannabis, educational content for cannabis industry leaders and consumers, and provides perspective to legislators regarding key cannabis initiatives. Two of C.A.R.E.’s most popular events include The Green Oasis, a private invitation-only celebrity-infused gathering during the famed Coachella Music Festival, and the legendary State of Cannabis, an important policy summit that brings together cannabis business leaders, investors, regulators and elected officials to create conscious and sustainable solutions for the new industry. The Green Oasis takes place in April, The State of Cannabis takes place in September in Long Beach, California. Prior to forming C.A.R.E., Soares owned and operated VibeNation Multi-Media Inc., an entertainment company focused on developing original concepts into targeted video content distributed both domestically and internationally. Vibe was an offshoot of HD Showcase, a company Soares started to distribute High Definition entertainment worldwide. From features and shorts to music videos and network TV programming, both Vibe and HD lead the industry by helping independent filmmakers fill the demand for content worldwide. Supporting her love of dogs and combining her business acumen with a passion for fashion, Soares previously founded Downtown Dog, a company that combined the ability to up-cycle clothing with the pet category, making ecologically sensible planet and pet-friendly fashions. Until her cannabis awakening, Soares supported the U.S. government war on drugs and was educated as a Mormon at Brigham Young University where she studied fashion design. Her transition to believing in cannabis made her incompatible with the Mormon church, which she left when she was 33, braving ex-communication and alienation from both family and friends. In addition to her wide-ranging work in content creation and non-profit activities, Soares was co-chair of Repeal Cannabis Prohibition Act, a progressive cannabis legalization initiative in 2012 and Chair of Fundraising for CCPR (Coalition for Cannabis Policy Reform). Additionally, she volunteers for Civil Rights and Social Action non-profits. Described by friends and colleagues as a dynamic trendsetter, and creative, energetic, and highly effective implementation expert, Soares sold her film production company to AOL Time Warner in 2003. She has enjoyed recognition by industry leaders such as the National CineMedia (NASDAQ:NCMI), Access Integrated Technologies (NASDAQ:AIXD) and Virgin Records. Soares also won awards for her work from the City of Los Angeles, and the accolades of top cannabis, music and film-industry professionals. She has been published in numerous publications including CannabisNow and Sensi and been featured in publications including Rolling Stone Magazine, The LA Times, and Entrepreneur Magazine |