As the oldest son of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King III is a thought leader on the world stage, a peacemaker, and a negotiator on some of today’s most critical national and international platforms for social change.
Amplifying his father’s work, Mr. King has devoted his life to promoting global human rights and eradicating racism, violence, and poverty, earning a reputation as a respected international statesman and one of the world’s most passionate advocates for the poor and oppressed.
Most recently, Mr. King has taken over leadership of the Drum Major Institute, the only nonprofit organization actually started by his father over 60 years ago. With a focus on continuing the King legacy through education, action, engagement with world leaders, and collaboration with socially conscious organizations, the work of the Drum Major Institute is as important today as it was then, inspiring individuals to embrace their unique contribution to peace, justice, and equity for all.
Martin Luther King III is the recipient of numerous awards and several honorary degrees, including one of India’s most prestigious honors for outstanding contributions to the promotion of human rights. Mr. King is the husband of Arndrea Waters King and the father of a young daughter, Yolanda Renee King, the only grandchild of Martin Luther King Jr. The entire family is dedicated to sharing the impactful Kingian message to inspire a collective of new collaborators and world-changers.
Hope Wiseman, CEO of WISECO, is an entrepreneur, business strategist and cannabis industry trailblazer. At the age of 25, Hope established Mary & Main, WISECO’s retail brand, in her hometown of Prince George’s County, Maryland becoming the youngest, female Black cannabis dispensary owner in the United States.
A graduate of Spelman College in Atlanta, where she majored in Economics in hopes of becoming an investment banker, Ms. Wiseman worked for SunTrust Robinson Humphrey upon graduation. Less than a year later, Hope reassessed her path and found herself coming back to her true purpose: to help Black people in her community and across the country through her entrepreneurial spirit.
In September, 2018, she opened Mary & Main with her mother, Dr. Octavia Simkins-Wiseman and Dr. Larry Bryant in a limited license medical market in Maryland. In 2021, WISECO secured a conditional manufacturing license in New Jersey where the company will launch WISE Brands, a brand house under the WISECO umbrella. Her vision to create opportunities for Black, Indigenous and People of Color who have been disproportionately affected by the war on drugs and excluded from cannabis business ownership drives her passion for the industry.
Omari is an esteemed alumnus of Morehouse College and the Howard University School of Law.
As the visionary CEO and Founder of Best Dirty Lemonade, he has pioneered the creation of a premium infused beverage line.
Motivated by personal experience and compassion, Omari launched his enterprise in response to his mother’s struggles with early-onset Alzheimer’s, aiming to alleviate her challenges with eating, sleeping, and agitation.
His academic prowess, combined with his entrepreneurial spirit, positions Omari as a force to be reckoned with in the beverage industry.
Tamika D. Mallory is a groundbreaking, award-winning social justice leader and movement strategist. Tamika has risen to become the most sought-after, influential activist of her generation. Her committed work, advocacy, frontline bravery, and heroic servitude continue to fuel a solitary act into a global movement inspiring millions around the world to get involved in the fight for racial and social equality.
Tamika through the impact and gravity of her voice speaks truth to power no matter the consequences. She is hailed as one of the most influential Black voices of our generation. She served as the youngest ever Executive Director of the National Action Network and was instrumental in the creation of the New York City’s Crisis Management System, an official gun violence prevention program that awards nearly $27 million to violence prevention organizations annually. Tamika made history when she helped shepherd the largest single day demonstration, the 2017 Women’s March on Washington, serving as one of its four national co-chairs. Most recently, she co-founded Until Freedom, an intersectional social justice organization that serves as a clearing house for organizers, activists, movement attorneys, artists, celebrities, and formerly incarcerated individuals. Tamika also co-hosts alongside “Raptivist” Mysonne Linen the newly launched “Street Politicians” podcast on iHeart Radio’s Black Effect Network.
Tamika has been honored as one of Time 100’s Most Influential People and was featured on Fortune’s list of the World’s Greatest Leaders. Her deliberative vision and focused intentionality has deeply moved and motivated a new generation of spirited, engaged activists. Never hiding behind a keyboard, but motivated by her selfless convictions to advance freedom and equality. Tamika is a peerless, streetwise lightning bolt for freedom, justice and equality. The title of her first book STATE OF EMERGENCY is a reflective masterpiece born from the urgent declaration she made in the opening of her speech during the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis.
Ademola Oyefeso is an International Vice President and Director of the Legislative and Political Action Department at the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), the largest private sector union in the United States. In this role, he advances the union’s legislative priorities and works with elected officials and candidates at every level of government to support the issues that matter most to UFCW’s 1.3 million hard-working members and their families.
UFCW members work in grocery stores, meatpacking, food processing, and help to put food on our nation’s tables. For multiple years, Mr. Oyefeso has led UFCW’s legislative outreach and national sponsorship surrounding the Stamp Out Hunger food drive, helping to ensure it remains the largest single-day food drive in the United States.
He also helped to pass New York City’s fresh food financing initiative, which brought grocery stores to underserved communities.
Prior to UFCW, Mr. Oyefeso was the Senior Director of Political Affairs and Strategic Initiatives at the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). He also served as the Principal Director of the Outreach and Services Unit for the Speaker’s Office of the New York City Council.
Mr. Oyefeso has extensive campaign experience and has held leadership positions on Gubernatorial, U.S. House, New York Mayoral and New York City Council races. He was also the GOTV Director for Governor Andrew Cuomo’s 2014 gubernatorial campaign.
He graduated from the State University of New York College at New Paltz with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and a Chemistry minor. Mr. Oyefeso lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife and two children.
Everett Hamilton has more than 25 years of experience in public relations, community engagement and advertising for public and private sector clients. As CEO of Octane, he brings special insight to communicating appropriately and effectively with diverse and hard-to-reach populations.
He leads a team that designs and implements all aspects of integrated communications. These services include brand development, community activation and engagement, multimedia, digital and visual content development, advertising and media relations.
Octane is a National Minority Supplier Development Council and LGBTQ certified company.
Mr. Hamilton has strategically positioned Octane as a leader in the cannabis sector with clients including Curaleaf and the DC Cannabis Trade Association – and the host of the first ever Black Media Cannabis Summit in 2023.
Hamilton is a cannabis social equity and cannabis use proponent and thought leader.
He has also led Octane’s advocacy in the veterans community through initiatives such as the AMVETS Heal program, Rolling to Remember, and Veteran Alternative Healthcare.
Other Octane clients include Pepco Holdings, DC Health, the DC Department of Behavioral Health, the Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services and Rank Choice Voting.
Contact:
Everett Hamilton
Hamilton@Octanepublicrelations.com
202-256-6256 (c)
Christine is the CEO and National Co-Founder of The People’s Ecosystem, Founder & Fund Manager of The People’s Group.
Christine De La Rosa was recently named to the Cannabis50 list as one of Game Changers in the cannabis industry. She was appointed to the California Cannabis Advisory Committee which provides valuable input to the Department of Cannabis Control on the development of regulations and standards. She is the Chair of the DEI and Access 2 Capital Committee for the Council of Federal Cannabis Regulation.
She sits on the Board of the National Cannabis Industry Association and is the former chair of their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. She is the lead author of Gender Parity in the C-Suite and co-author of Pathways to Equity Ownership in the Cannabis Industry as part of the Gender Equity Cannabis White Papers.
She has advised both local, state, and federal governments across the US on social equity and access to capital in cannabis, as well as written position papers for New York, California, and Arizona with recommendations on their legalization and implementation of cannabis regulation. Additionally, she serves as part of the New York Cannabis Industry Association Special Advisor Group – Social and Economic Equity and Social Justice.
She was named one of the 9 Notable Hispanic & Latino Professionals in Cannabis in 2023, 22 Cannabis Leaders Who Will Shape the Industry in 2022, in 2021 she was on the list for 10 Women to watch out for: Industry luminaries and rising stars, and in 2020 one of 35 Most Influential Women in Cannabis in 2020.
As a thought leader and one of the most sought after advisors in the cannabis industry she sits on the advisory boards of Lift Events, Tetragram, Cannabis Doing Good, Nourish and Bloom, Lila Luckies and Maison Bloom.
Jeannette Ward co-founded NuProject in 2018 in Portland, OR. Since founding, the organization’s services have grown from serving historically-excluded entrepreneurs with grants and technical assistance to also include mission-based funding via low-interest loans and other funding instruments.
NuProject has funded more than $2.3M in loans and grants and delivered nearly 2000 hours of entrepreneur coaching to a network of 135 cannabis business founders across the U.S and Canada. When Jeannette launched NuProject, she was also leading marketing and public relations for Akerna, a publicly-traded cannabis technology company.
Jeannette entered the cannabis industry in 2015 following 15 years in communications and marketing roles at Fortune 100 companies, including 10-years at The Coca-Cola Company. Jeannette is particularly excited about the potential of cannabis industry revenues as a pool of economic justice funding for Black communities. Arrested for a cannabis-related charge at 20 and personally impacted by the inequities in the criminal injustice system, Jeannette is passionate about addressing economic inequities for historically excluded communities.
Linda is also the Owner, Co-Founder, Chair of the Board, and CEO of Anacostia Organics, the first medical cannabis dispensary to open East of the River in the District of Columbia.
Anacostia Organics celebrated its’ opening with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony with the Mayor of the District of Columbia, Muriel Bowser, and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, (D-DC) on January 24, 2019. BCG Holdings, Inc. t/a Anacostia Organics is incorporated in the District of Columbia as a DSLBD CBE corporation, DC’s first cannabis company to be CBE certified in 2018.
The company actively focuses on the emerging cannabis industry with her active involvement in several national cannabis organizations. In 2022, Anacostia Organics was named the #1 Best Dispensary, the #1 Best Place to Buy CBD, and the #1 Best Smoke Shop by The Washington City Paper’s Best of DC.
Anacostia Organics has also been named one of the top 3 medical cannabis dispensaries by The Washington City Paper’s Best of DC 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2023 in addition to being named the winner of the DC Inno on Fire 2020 Award in cannabis by The Washington Business Journal which also selected Linda in the 2023 Power 100 class.
She was also honored as one of the top 50 women in Washington, DC by Women We Admire in 2023. The I-71 Committee honored her as Trailblazer of the Year and named the award after her in perpetuity in 2023.
Carlondo Mitchell is a Cannabis Executive based in the state of Washington. He has achieved great success with his tier 3 cannabis operation, 5th House Farms, despite facing various challenges due to systemic racism and inequality as an African American man.
Carlondo’s determination and hard work have allowed him to overcome these adversities and climb the ladder of success in the industry, despite significant gatekeeping on people of color. While Carlondo has achieved remarkable success, he remains grounded and connected to his roots.
He deeply cares for his family and community, and he advocates for social equity in the cannabis industry. He firmly believes that underserved communities of color should have equal opportunities to succeed.
In addition to his advocacy work, Carlondo has a strong passion for music. He finds solace in creating and consuming music, recognizing its power to bring people together and heal the soul. Carlondo’s commitment extends beyond his own endeavors.
Whether he is working alongside his team at the farm, developing community partnerships, or supporting local music artists as they refine their craft, he is dedicated to inspiring others and using his success to make a positive impact on the world.
Dr. Bridget is a medical cannabis and integrative office and services in Ohio and Michigan. We do cannabis differently.
Dr. Bridget Cole Williams, former CEO of Green Harvest Health, believes in medicinal cannabis by approaching patients with empathy, empowering the patient in their journey and providing education.
As a board certified family physician, Dr Bridget not only consults and provides cards for patients but integrates holistic practices with care.
As the author of the best selling book series “Courage in Cannabis”, Dr Bridget brings stories of cannabis and CBD to the forefront of the cannabis industry conversation and the significance of maintaining medical cannabis for patients.
She currently works with cannabis schools, creating curriculum , providing valuable talks across the country and the host of the “Reclaim Your Wellness with DrBridgetMD” segment on Black Star Network.
