MEET THE TEAM
Kimberly Carlson has repeatedly created meaningful and lasting connections between business, community, and the environment. She is able to find the mutually beneficial meeting point between the business and the consumer while always considering the environmental impact of actions taken. Her experiential marketing skills include creating proprietary live art performance events which have proven success in building the business and the brand. A belief that collaborations are essential has fueled her team building skills and employing creative minds has garnered much success for the businesses she has been integral in developing.
Kimberly’s education includes life experience from being employed since the age of 15 to launching her first successful business at age 20 and being awarded for her second business launch at age 22. Her formal education includes Colombia College Chicago for Public Relations and Marketing as well as Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) with a focus on the lean start-up, product innovation and business management through their, Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine top ranking, School of Entrepreneurship.
Don Steinberg has been at the forefront of new business concepts many times, and now brings a lifetime of experience to Marijuana Strategic Ventures, Inc., that will serve to benefit the company in a myriad of ways. In the 1980’s Don developed stock option analysis and trading programs. This led to his management of floor traders on multiple options exchanges and gave him the knowledge and insight he needed to successfully take other companies public.
In the early 90’s, he co-founded Globalcom 2000 and entered into the prepaid phone card business, which at that time was an almost unknown market. Globalcom 2000 became one of the largest phone card companies in the United States, as well as its fastest growing. In 1994, Don developed an interest in the telecom “Callback” business, and co-founded One World Communications. He subsequently traveled the world, opening up 187 training centers in only 9 months, and created the world’s largest International MLM global sales force selling telecom services.
In 2006, Mr. Steinberg formed Club Vivanet as an International MLM, selling a variety of services. In 2008, he merged Club Vivanet with a publicly traded company. In 2008, Don recognized the emerging opportunities in the Medical Marijuana industry and changed the name of Club Vivanet to Medical Marijuana Inc., which became America’s first publicly traded company in the Marijuana industry. In 2011, he successfully managed the acquisition of Medical Marijuana Inc. and the transition to new management.
In 2015, Don founded Marijuana Company of America, Inc. an OTC Market quoted company. He resigned from that company in 2019 to pursue other interests.
Don has vast experience in building and managing start-up companies, managing public company compliance, and spent years managing floor operations on various stock exchanges. Mr. Steinberg has had a life-long career in international sales and marketing, with over 40 years of experience developing and running successful businesses. Using this breadth of experience, Don will provide guidance for the Company, and is actively involved in its future and growth.
Mr. Hymers was a member of Ernst Young's National Tax Group for five years. During his tenure at Ernst & Young, he provided tax services to private equity firms, hedge funds, REITs and banks. He is the founding managing partner of Pinnacle Tax Services, an LA based CPA firm. Mr. Hymers has been a licensed CPA in the state of California for 14 years. He has produced five feature films and is the President of the Hymers Family Foundation for Arts and Education that helps support underprivileged youth in the greater Los Angeles area.
Reid Jilek
Business & Growth Catalyst
Dr. Jilek has advanced degrees in both the medical, life science and engineering disciplines. He was both a Presidential Fellow and a White House Fellow Candidate. He has published over 40 papers in national and international peer--reviewed scientific journals.
After completing his National Library of Medicine Post-Doctoral developing computer and mathematical models for Malaria, he decided to utilize his medical and scientific background in a business development capacity by acting as a VP of Business Development for private and public companies and a research institute.
Dr. Jilek has developed in excess of 10,000 professional contacts worldwide in the healthcare industry and investment world, to include: therapeutics, diagnostics, vaccines, gene therapy, medical devices, preclinical and clinical contract research organizations, nutraceuticals, generics, telemedicine, botanical, and biotech products, as well as the venture capital and investment banking industries.
He was a founding member of Frederick Research Center and of Asia Pacific Alliance Company. He has served on the Board of Directors, Scientific or Medical Advisory Boards, or Advisory Boards for more than 40 private and public companies since 1990, in the US, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Taiwan, China, Portugal, Moscow, Israel and Germany. He has also served as the CEO of four companies.
Alicia Fantozzi
Innovation Strategist
Alicia M. Fantozzi brings over 25 years of extensive expertise in project management and corporate finance to the Mushrooms Inc. Business Development Team. As Principal at ReGen, she has pioneered a seed- stage idea lab focused on applied biophysics, igniting innovation in regenerative technologies within water and agriculture sectors. With a trail of accomplishments, Alicia held the position of Chief Financial Officer at Resonant Technologies Group, propelling companies specializing in physics-based technologies for health diagnostics, immunotherapy, frequency-enabled agriculture, and material sciences. As Principal at Strategic Advisory, her influence extended to cross-border financial transactions, enhancing internal data intelligence, cyber security, and risk management. She has a proven track record in tax- structured finance and private equity, originating multi-jurisdictional tax- optimized financings for corporations and high-net-worth individuals.
In her role at Mushrooms Inc., Alicia’s responsibilities will include identifying emerging business opportunities, cultivating relationships with pioneers in the field, and providing strategic insights based on her background in finance and regenerative technologies. Her commitment to fostering advanced approaches within the fields of biomimicry, mycoremediation, sustainability and in-depth data analytics relative to bio-active applications within the mushroom industry aligns seamlessly with Mushrooms Inc.'s core values.
David Flores brings a wealth of visionary leadership to Mushrooms Inc.'s Business Development Team. Guiding Psychedelic and Cannabis Convergence, David Flores, CEO of PSYC Corporation and its subsidiary, Spotlight Media Corporation, is at the forefront of the psychedelic and cannabis landscape. Over the past decade, David's career has traversed legal, finance, and public markets.
Based in the San Gabriel Valley of California, he drives a multimedia empire including Psychedelic Spotlight, Technical 420, and On The Bids.
David's journey began in legal and financial sectors, culminating in his leadership role. Since July 2020, he has steered Psychedelic Spotlight and PSYC Corporation's strategic growth. A former co-owner of a public and investor relations firm in Las Vegas, NV, David built connections with emerging companies in green energy and cannabis. His financial acumen was shaped by roles at respected law firms, including Greenberg Glusker LLP and Wood Smith Henning & Berman LLP.
Beyond his professional pursuits, David is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. He resides in West Linn, OR, with his partner and Yorkshire terrier, reflecting a multifaceted and visionary perspective.
Dr. Khoja, with over 22 years in Functional and Psychedelic Medicine, is a leading voice in Drug discovery and Developmental Science. He's developed treatments for Non-Alcoholic fatty liver disease using “cannabinoids” and “capsaicin”, and partnered on a project extracting Chaga Mushrooms for cancer treatment. Moreover, he's explored the potential of lipids and “Beta-Carotene” from Algae and a cancer drug from “Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin (KLH).”
He founded "Transcendent Life Sci and Emblem Nutraceuticals, Inc," focusing on “Coma Resurrection Therapy” and the therapeutic benefits of psychotropic compounds.
Dr. Khoja acquired his Ph.D. from INP-ENSAT in 2003, trained at Michigan State University, and later joined faculties like Virginia-Tech. His 2011 research on "Algae to Biofuels" was lauded by the FAO-United Nations.
As the founder of "Transcendent Life Sci and Emblem Nutraceuticals, Inc," his legacy resonates at the intersection of science and transformation.
Maqsad Suriev stands as a cornerstone of Mushrooms Inc's innovative endeavors, serving as the Lead Chemist for our groundbreaking MYCO Thread Technology. Armed with a Master's degree in Organic Chemistry and currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Vancouver, Canada, Maqsad's academic rigor seamlessly complements his vast professional experience in pharmaceutical research.
His pivotal contributions have led to the integration of bacterial detection capabilities into our technology. With a rich background in the design, synthesis, and purification of diverse organic compounds, and an adeptness in chromatographic techniques, Maqsad's expertise propels the MYCO thread's functionalities to new heights.
His unwavering commitment to innovation ensures our technology remains at the cutting edge of textile advancements. Under Maqsad's stewardship, Mushrooms Inc is poised to revolutionize the future of functional textiles.
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Before creating Blackfrog Digital, Greg started his career at Bush Industries, where he was responsible for many things over time, including product development, sales & marketing, and significant M&A work. His expertise allowed him to drive the continual improvement process as the company grew from 500 to over 5,000 employees.
As the principal of Blackfrog, he has helped hundreds of companies across multiple industries with their growth through marketing and business process support.
He spends his free time working with local animal rescues at educational & fundraising events.
Mr. Hancock has garnered recognition serving in numerous senior positions as a turnaround and merger and acquisition specialist throughout his 40-year career.
His career has taken him from Texas to New York to California where he ran or owned several different types of companies. He has been President, CEO, COO, and VP of Sales & Marketing within public and private companies in financial services, investment banking, mergers and acquisitions, telecommunications and payment processing industries.
Most recently, as CEO and Chairman of the Board of Global Payout, Inc., a publicly traded company on the OTC markets from 2010 to 2018, Hancock worked within the financial services industries as a program manager and payment processor for prepaid card programs, where he is most proud of launching nearly 40 nationally and internationally, custom-designed, prepaid debit card programs.
Hancock has a vast amount of knowledge of the public company industry and due to his experience and reputation, he has access to a network of top SEC attorneys, accounting firms, investment bankers, and qualified management teams. Besides being a creative, forward-thinker, Hancock also shares his lessons learned from the past which has proven to be most helpful to his clients.
Hancock earned a Juris Doctorate from California Western School of Law, San Diego, and a Bachelors of Business Admin from Southern Methodist University. He served in the U.S. Army holding the rank of E-5.
Andrii Buznia is a Ukrainian refugee with an extensive leadership background in global marketing and growth. Andrii delivered project management and business consulting services to scale 100+ projects for international clients such as HubSpot, Deluxe Marketing Solutions, Virgin, General Electric, Peace Corps, Franklin Covey, Oxford University Press, Harvard University, Vodafone, H&M, Marriott, National Geographic, Starbucks, Disney, Walmart and Victoria’s Secret.
Working with clients from over 40 countries, Andrii has proven his ability in start-up launches, life cycle management, and has proven outcomes using Earned Media and Paid Media.
His achievements include consultation services to the Head of the Ukrainian Business Support Center to win $4M Peace Corps grant to develop the economy of Ukraine, winner of 10 educational, economic, scientific and business development awards for the development of the Ukrainian financial system and growth of the economy. He was selected by the Ukrainian Executive Committee as official interpreter in negotiations between former US Ambassador to Ukraine (Carlos Pascual) and the Mayor of Mykolaiv (Vladimir Chajka). His lists of experience and achievements. Andrii graduated with his MBA from the Wisconsin International University, with his MA in Finance and BA in Economics from European University of Finance, Management and Business.
Brenda Andrews, Studio Owner, is an accomplished Creative professional with deep experience in the corporate, non-profit, commercial, and academic arenas. She is respected in the industry for her endless creativity, proven work ethic, and dedication to excellence through leadership by clients, colleagues, and business partners. Andrews is an innovative, strategic intellectual that keeps an eye on the big picture with highly focused tactical execution to meet objectives. Outstanding verbal and written communication skills to craft, position, and disseminate programs that resonate with targeted audiences and drive results. A robust collaborator and relationship builder with all levels of staff, management, and business partners. A great leader and mentor.