Market Spotlight: California 2026
Market Spotlight: California 2026
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Market Spotlight: California 2026

Wednesday, October 7, 2026 | Los Angeles, United States

Register Now
50+ Events
5+ Cities
10K Attendees
100+ Sponsors

What's The Big Deal?

  1. This exclusive event, centered on strategic networking, provides an opportunity to forge lasting business connections...all in a single day.
     
  2. Hear directly from leading industry professionals through high-impact education to help navigate the intricacies and obstacles of California's market. 
     
  3. Acquire Insider insights on the impact Federal Rescheduling will have on the California market.
     
  4. Leave empowered with a actionable roadmap to grow your business, fueled by the knowledge and connections you’ve made.

This October marks IgniteIt's 4th annual trip to the Golden State.

This targeted, one-day event offers a rare access to the top Operators and decision-makers charting the future of the California market.

2026 will be a pivotal year for California Cannabis -

  • Will California's market return to stability or perhaps a growth?
  • Will M&A heat up as it gains momentum in other markets?
  • Register and find out...

Don't take it from us, listen to the experts:

"IgniteIt events are the most valuable networking experiences I’ve encountered in cannabis. I’ve engaged in a number of strategic partnerships as a result of the connections I’ve made, and the educational discussions provide actionable insights from other operators."  - Lauren Carpenter, CEO, Embarc

"It’s not a finance show, it's a community. A room full of people who’ve been through it, sharing what they know. And that’s what makes this event matter." - Dee Sidhu, CMO, Humboldt Family Farms

"The relationships that I formed at the conference have led to valuable partnerships with people I may not otherwise have met. The combination of a decision-maker–rich audience and high-quality content makes this an essential event."  - Wes Hein, Co-Founder, Mammoth Distribution

Who Attends?

Attendee Titles

CEO

Co-CEO

Head of Originations

City Council Member

COO

CEO

COO

Founder

CEO

Head of IR / BD

Founder

Co-CEO

CFO

CEO

President

State Treasurer

Founder & CCO

CEO

Founder

 

Sample Attendees

Ball Family Farms

Bloom Brand

Chicago Atlantic

City of Los Angeles

Distru

Embarc

FundCanna

Humboldt Family Farms

Jetty Extracts

Leef Brands

Made

Nabis

Nug

Perfect Union

Stiizy

State of California

The Artist Tree

Vertis

Wellgreens

 

Gallery

Experience previous Market Spotlight events in New Jersey and California.

Agenda

7:30 AM-8:25 AM
REGISTRATION + NETWORKING
7:35 AM-8:20 AM
NETWORKING BREAKFAST
8:00 AM-8:05 AM
Opening Remarks
8:20 AM-8:30 AM
An Exclusive Look at California's Cannabis Market, Presented by Headset
8:30 AM-9:00 AM
Cash Is King, Credit Is Queen: A Playbook for Financial Health in California Cannabis
9:00 AM-9:20 AM
Fireside
9:20 AM-9:50 AM
Sell, Merge, or Survive: Betting on California's Next Growth Story
9:50 AM-10:10 AM
An Exclusive Discussion on California Cannabis with Steve Hilton
10:10 AM-10:40 AM
Worth the Bet: Building a California Company Capital Can't Ignore
10:40 AM-11:10 AM
1% Better Every Day: How Operational Excellence Wins in California
11:10 AM-11:30 AM
California's Next Regulatory Chapter: A Conversation with the DCC Director
11:30 AM-11:50 AM
Fireside
11:50 AM-12:20 PM
The Rightful Throne: Reclaiming the World's Most Wanted Cannabis Brand
12:20 PM-1:00 PM
NETWORKING LUNCH
1:00 PM-1:30 PM
The Investor's Checklist: Retail Excellence Under the Microscope
1:30 PM-1:35 PM
Your Brand Isn’t Generic—So Why Are Your Product Pics?
1:35 PM-2:05 PM
Vape's Second Act: Risk, Reinvention, and Opportunity
2:05 PM-2:25 PM
California is SO Back
2:25 PM-2:55 PM
Who Decides What’s Next? Data, Tastemakers, and California Consumer Demand
2:55 PM-3:25 PM
Where the Money Goes: Why California’s Cannabis Supply Chain Still Doesn’t Work
3:25 PM-3:55 PM
The Beverage Bet: Growth Engine or Niche Product?
3:55 PM-4:25 PM
Schedule III, California Reality: What Operators Need to Know
4:25 PM-4:35 PM
Presentation
4:35 PM-5:05 PM
Beyond the Hype: Innovation, Genetic Diversity and the Business of What’s Next
5:05 PM-5:35 PM
The Women’s Health Gap: Why Cannabis Research and Policy Are Only Now Catching Up -- In Partnership with IgniteHER
5:35 PM-5:40 PM
Closing Remarks
5:40 PM-6:40 PM
COCKTAILS & NETWORKING Reception
6:15 PM-6:30 PM
Women in Business Group Photo
7:00 PM-9:00 PM
IgniteIt After Party
Hotel Indigo - Downtown Los Angeles - Los Angeles, CA

The Venue

Step into a dazzling homage to the City of Angels at our hotel in downtown Los Angeles, California, where historic charm meets modern convenience for both business and leisure travelers. La Fiesta de las Flores. The Prohibition Era. Silent films. It all comes together in one modern Los Angeles hotel curated to bring you comfort, state-of-the-art facilities, and a side of Hollywood flair.

Address: 899 Francisco St, Los Angeles, CA 90017 

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Valet & Self-Serve Parking is available nearby for a fee

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Los Angeles Union Station 7th St / Metro Center

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Nearest Airport: LAX

Meet the Speakers

Explore All Speakers
Fiona Ma
Fiona Ma
State Treasurer
Clint Kellum
Clint Kellum
Director
Steve Hilton
Steve Hilton
Candidate for Governor and Small Business Owner
Whitney Beatty
Whitney Beatty
CEO
Tak Sato
Tak Sato
President and Board Member
Tom Zuber
Tom Zuber
Managing Partner
Seth Yakatan
Seth Yakatan
Co-Founder & Partner
Angela Pih
Angela Pih
CMO
Wesley Hein
Wesley Hein
Co-Founder
Lauren Carpenter
Lauren Carpenter
CEO
Joseph Lustberg
Joseph Lustberg
CEO
Swati Gupta
Swati Gupta
Founder and CEO
Hirsh Jain
Hirsh Jain
CEO
Angela Cheng
Angela Cheng
Chief Marketing Officer
Adam Stettner
Adam Stettner
CEO
Howard Lee
Howard Lee
CEO
Rachel Wright
Rachel Wright
CEO / Founder
Dennis O'Malley
Dennis O'Malley
Founder and Principal
AnnaRae Grabstein
AnnaRae Grabstein
CEO
Maximillian Juhasz
Maximillian Juhasz
Founder
Michael Hennessy
Michael Hennessy
Partner
Luna Stower
Luna Stower
Principal/CEO
Darren Story
Darren Story
Chief Financial Officer
Laurie Parfitt
Laurie Parfitt
Founder & CEO
Gordon Sattro
Gordon Sattro
Managing Director, Nationwide Mergers and Acquisitions
Rachelle Gordon
Rachelle Gordon
Editor
Steven Ernest
Steven Ernest
Head of Originations
Anna Willey
Anna Willey
Founder & CEO
Bill Levers
Bill Levers
Co-Founder
Tiffany Richardson
Tiffany Richardson
Cannabis Managing Partner
Steven Nevolis
Steven Nevolis
Partner
Jocelyn Sheltraw
Jocelyn Sheltraw
CEO & Co-Founder
Matt Rakow
Matt Rakow
CFO
Neema Samari
Neema Samari
CEO/Founder/Owner
Jesse Redmond
Jesse Redmond
Chief Strategy & Investor Relations Officer
Sue C. Surabian
Sue C. Surabian
Owner of Ranchera Familia, Co-Owner of Crockett Family Farms
Lunar Loussia
Lunar Loussia
Founder
Kraig Fox
Kraig Fox
Founder
Lauren Fontein
Lauren Fontein
Founder and Chief Compliance Officer
Jim Scott
Jim Scott
CEO
Sara Payan
Sara Payan
Creator and Host; Planted with Sara Payan
Marc Rodriguez
Marc Rodriguez
Co-Founder & CEO
Kevin Tarango
Kevin Tarango
Director of Cannabis
Jennifer Michaels
Jennifer Michaels
CEO & Co-Founder
Kevin Koby
Kevin Koby
Chief Executive Officer
Josh Lewis
Josh Lewis
Manager
Lisa Weser
Lisa Weser
Founder & CEO
Mike Corvington
Mike Corvington
President
Cory Azzalino
Cory Azzalino
President of California and Florida Operations & CEO of Eaze, a Vireo Growth Company
Melanie Nash
Melanie Nash
CEO
David Todd
David Todd
VP of Enterprise Solutions
Kaity Cole
Kaity Cole
Chief Product Officer
Matt Nissenbaum
Matt Nissenbaum
Head of Cannabis
Chris Violas
Chris Violas
CEO
Emily Cowley
Emily Cowley
Counsel
Jay Handal
Jay Handal
Partner
Sean Coyle
Sean Coyle
Partner
'Dr. Joan' Irvine
'Dr. Joan' Irvine
Radio Host & Spokesperson
Jeff Freeman
Jeff Freeman
Co-Founder
Mitchell Laferla
Mitchell Laferla
Senior Data Scientist
Laura Fogelman
Laura Fogelman
Chief of Staff & VP, Marketing & Communications
Orlando Padilla
Orlando Padilla
Founder & CEO
Michael Brosgart
Michael Brosgart
President
Sahar Ayinehsazian
Sahar Ayinehsazian
Partner
Erik Knutson
Erik Knutson
Founder & Chairman
Jessica Ferranti
Jessica Ferranti
CEO
Travis Scadron
Travis Scadron
SVP, Business Development
Patrick Lane
Patrick Lane
CEO
Elliot Lane
Elliot Lane
President & Co-Founder

Premier Partners

Thank you to our amazing partners

8th Revolution; The Dime Podcast
ArentFox Schiff
ATACH
Beard Bros Pharms
Blank Rome
Blaze
Blunt Brunch
Brandr AI
Budist
CA COA
Cannabis Business Solutions
Cannabis Distributors Association
CBIZ
Crowe Advisory LLC
Emerald Village West Hollywood
Feuerstein Kulick
FlowerHire
Freedom Grow
FundCanna
Ganja Mingle
Grasslands
Green Leaf Biz Solutions
GrowGeneration
Headset
Heffernan Insurance Brokers
Highly Objective
High Times
Hoodie Analytics
Ian Rassman
ICIA
KAI
Latinas in Cannabis
LAZEAR Capital
Leaflink
Lineage Merchant Partners
MCBA
Mfused
Minorities for Medical Marijuana
MJBiz
Moondust USA
NCIA
Origins Council
PAX
Policy Decoded
SoRSE Technlogy
Surfside
The Canna Boss Babes
The Mycelia Group
Thompson Hine
True Terpenes
Tumi Genomics
Upwise Capital
Verdant Strategies
West420 NewsWeekly
Zuber Lawler
View All
Wednesday, 7 October 2026 | Los Angeles, United States
Wednesday, 7 October 2026 | Los Angeles, United States
Wednesday, 7 October 2026 | Los Angeles, United States
Wednesday, 7 October 2026 | Los Angeles, United States
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October 7th, 2026
7.00 am - 8.00pm
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events@igniteit.com
Connect with us
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Hotel Indigo - Downtown Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA

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