Gotham and Cultivated launched the Highrise in hopes that the cannabis industry, along with others, could come together to discuss, listen, and think about our ever-growing industry. At our first event, we learned we were onto something. People want to have real in-person conversations about the countless issues that consume our industry, good and bad.
In a constantly changing industry, it is not easy to decide which topics to discuss, as if (and when) cannabis gets rescheduled, the conversations, decisions, and thought processes change. We are still discussing the kick-off of this event, as things move quickly yet slowly.
This event will focus on the biggest markets: California and New York. One is the largest and longest-running regulated market, and the other is the fastest-growing. We are waiting for confirmation from Clint Kellum, Director of California’s Department of Cannabis Control, who took the helm of the world’s largest legal market late last year, inheriting eight years of hard-won lessons on licensing, compliance, and the fight against the illicit market. Confirmed is John Kagia, the relatively new Executive Director of New York’s Office of Cannabis Management, steering a $3 billion-plus market through its first real test of maturity. Together, they oversee the two states that set the direction for legal cannabis nationwide. In a candid conversation with Cultivated’s Jeremy Berke, they’ll take on where the industry actually stands, what operators need to know right now, and where regulated markets go from here — rescheduling, hemp, interstate commerce, enforcement, and the future of the legal industry itself.
Wholesale prices are falling in every mature cannabis market, and New York is next. Brands are watching margins shrink, retailers are pushing for deeper discounts, and cultivators are choosing between scaling up, specializing, or getting out. This panel puts the full supply chain on one stage — the distributor with visibility across hundreds of brands, the cultivator running a farm at scale, brand operators fighting for shelf space, and the retail data behind it all — to ask where the floor lands, and who’s still standing when it does.
The four companies that went through Gotham Growth will also present their products and lessons learned to the audience. Gotham Growth is a 6-session, high-impact accelerator designed for growth-stage consumer-product founders in the NY cannabis market who are actively selling cannabis products through licensed dispensaries, retail partners, or regulated marketplaces. The program supports founders who are preparing to scale, expand, or stabilize their businesses and provides clarity, structure, and execution support. We are passionate about this project at Gotham, giving back to others who are in need of advice and clarity in getting through the overwhelming barriers in this industry.
People apply to come, as we plan to engage the audience with the people on stage. The price is low at $100 a ticket, so we can bring diversity from our industry to the audience. We’ll have plenty of time to continue the conversations after the event, with a post-conference gathering of everyone at the event location. The Highrise is shaping up to be an event of conversations that industry leaders are thinking about.
We hope to see you all there!
