Mr Steven Ernest

Vice President, Originations at Chicago Atlantic

Speaker

A longtime advocate and investor in cannabis, Steve began his cannabis career as an angel investor and then, in 2016, a founding member for two cannabis investment bank advisories, Mazakali and Sharp Capital. Before moving into cannabis, Steve worked as a wealth management advisor at J.P. Morgan, managing a book worth more than half a billion dollars for his clients. Steve has spent the entirety of his career focused on building community. He is passionate about building relationships, advising brands and consulting with companies looking to navigate the capital markets. Steve sits on the finance committee for Students for Sensible Drug Policy, the largest global youth-led network dedicated to ending the War on Drugs. An avid researcher and writer, Steve has appeared on multiple cannabis podcasts, speaks internationally on cannabis financing and has been published in MJBiz and other industry leading publications.