Leif Olsen

Co-Founder / CMO

https://catalyst-bc.com/

With over a decade of owner-operator experience working with plant-touching and ancillary businesses in both the public and private sectors, Leif Olsen has become a seasoned and globally sought-after cannabis application & licensing advisor, operations expert, and a seasoned entrepreneur with 18+ years of management leadership focusing on retail, wholesale, service, and manufacturing operations.

Leif began his career in the cannabis industry in 2008, when he co-founded, operated, and later sold Kind Love, one of Colorado's first and most successful medical and adult-use cannabis companies. Since his time as owner and operator of the vertically integrated seed-to-sale operation, Leif has logged over 20,000 hours of hands-on operational experience and provided advisement on more than 3 million sq. ft. of cultivation, manufacturing, and retail operations.

In 2015, identifying an emerging demand for operational experience, innovative solutions, and genetic advancements, Leif co-founded what is now Catalyst BC, a cannabis advisement firm that encompasses a suite of complimentary companies that guide partners through the gauntlet of conceptualizing, funding, designing, building, and operating a profitable cannabis or hemp business. During the first year of operations, Leif helped a client obtain one of the top-ten ranked cultivation and dispensary licenses in Maryland. Since then, the team has helped secure more than 43 licenses for cultivation, manufacturing, and retail dispensaries in 7 states, including some of the most competitive and rigorous application processes to date.

In conjunction with Catalyst BC, Leif and partners have developed multiple ancillary companies, such as Allele/303 Seeds, a genetics service and solutions company with an extensive portfolio of proven and proprietary cultivars, and Greenhaus Industries, the first commercial vertical cannabis cultivation company. Greenhaus Industries was acquired by Pipp Horticulture in 2018, creating the industry-leading vertical farming solution with over 200 installations worldwide. In addition to his ancillary endeavors, Leif held the position of Supply Chain Manager for FLRish Inc. and Harborside Health, a 47-acre farm in Salinas, California, and the largest medical and adult-use cannabis dispensary in the United States.

As Business Development for Pipp Horticulture and Chief Marketing Officer of Catalyst BC, Leif combines operational experience, proven processes, and cutting-edge equipment to serve prospective operators, startups, and publicly traded LPs and MSOs in existing and emerging markets through a unique Kaizen-like approach that drives continuous consumer-focused improvement while maintaining regulatory compliance. Leif's passion for cannabis-based treatments and products that improve others' lives provides the fuel to continue to lead individuals, teams, and companies through the ever-evolving gauntlet of the cannabis industry.