To be successful in the business of cannabis has proven to be much tougher than originally anticipated. But, there are those individuals and businesses who possess the experience, integrity, and resourcefulness to get ahead – and they are the ones who make up Mantis. Cannabis helped to make them what they are, and together, we are shaping cannabis into what it will be.
Our goal is to use our depth of experience to lead the evolution of the business of cannabis into a future where our people, planet, and profits are maintained in a healthy, sustainable balance. We are driven to provide fully legalized cannabis products ethically, responsibly, and honestly.
Jesse Peters is a seasoned cannabis entrepreneur and now the founder and CEO of newly formed cannabis investment company Mantis Growth Investments – a multistate, vertically integrated business. Previous to Mantis, Mr. Peters was the CEO and co-founder of Eco Firma Farms, an indoor cannabis cultivation facility designed to operate almost entirely on wind power thus proving that environment and business sustainability are simultaneously possible. The business became the first cannabis business to receive Gold Certification through Portland General Electric’s Green Mountain Energy program. Mr. Peters was the public face of EFF, arguably one of the most recognizable cannabis cultivation brands in Oregon and was interviewed by Rolling Stone, Newsweek, Cannabis Business Times, and many other publications. Jesse remained with Eco Firma Farms through 2018 following its sale to C21 Investments. He is also a founding member of the Oregon Cannabis PAC, the Oregon Cannabis Association, founding board member of the Alliance for Sensible Markets (ASM), and national speaker and ambassador for the cannabis industry. In addition to his work in the cannabis industry, Mr. Peters spent 22 years in the Marine Corps retiring in 2017. He also continues to serve as a career Firefighter for Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue in Tigard, Oregon.
Kate Guptill, President of Mantis Growth Investments, is a cannabis business entrepreneur with many years of experience in cultivation, business administration, finance, HR, and regulatory compliance. Ms. Guptill was the Co-Founder and CEO of Eco Firma Farms, and along with her business partner Jesse Peters, grew their cannabis business into a tier-2, 23,000 square foot indoor operation. Through their efforts, Eco Firma Farms was one of Oregon’s first carbon-neutral cannabis farms operating on 100 percent wind-powered renewable energy and utilized all organic pest, mold, and mildew management. Ms. Guptill remained the CEO, overseeing finance, compliance, and operation at Eco Firma Farms through spring of 2019.
As a distinguished female presence in the cannabis industry, Ms. Guptill’s business acumen is attributed to the considerable time spent working in finance for the Oregon Department of Justice, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, and running her own financial consulting business. She brings leadership to all aspects of the business ranging from finance to HR to cultivation and to marketing. She has been an active member of WIL (Women Innovation Leaders) and was featured in Newsweek magazine 2018 edition of The Top Ten Women of Weed.
A business operations and governmental affairs specialist with 20 years of experience as an economist and business advisor, Beau Whitney is an expert at blending together the theoretical elements of business management in order to apply them to real-life business applications. Mr. Whitney’s unique combination of business operations skills, economic analysis, and industry experience have set him apart within the cannabis industry, where he works as the Vice President and Senior Economist for New Frontier Data, one of the leading analytics companies serving the cannabis industry.
Mr. Whitney began his career in the private sector performing inventory, demand, and supply chain analytics for billion-dollar companies such as Intel and TriQuint Semiconductor before joining consumer driven cannabis brand Golden Leaf Holdings in 2014. As Chief Operating Officer at Golden Leaf Holdings, Mr. Whitney managed a team of 35 employees and was responsible for regulatory compliance, grow operations, oil extraction and production, dispensary operations, patient management, security, and governmental affairs. He also helped grow the company’s valuation from $10 million to $60 million prior to its initial public offering.
A professor of economics at the University of Phoenix, Mr. Whiney has collaborated on two books and published numerous white papers related to the cannabis industry including papers on federal and state cannabis tax policy, consumer pricing sensitivity, and the strengths and weaknesses of state and federal cannabis legislation. Demand models and other cannabis industry insights developed by Mr. Whitney have also been used by the State of Oregon Office of Economic Analysis to shape Oregon cannabis policy.
David Frankel is a multi-disciplinary business attorney with 30 years of professional experience in both large firms and private practice. His extensive experience includes Corporate Law, Transactional, Intellectual Property, Mediation, Contracts, Regulatory Compliance, Federal Litigation, and Tribal Government. Mr. Frankel’s experience as a Business Consultant, Director, and General Counsel has given him the opportunity to extend his expertise into Venture Capital, Agriculture, Rural Economic Development, Entertainment and as a Nonprofit Director for Tribal and human rights organizations. Beginning in 1992, cannabis legislation and representation has been a major focus of Mr. Frankel’s law practice and entrepreneurial efforts. His successes in cannabis includes working on films and events designed to raise awareness, a hemp clothing and product company, and a San Francisco hemp retail store. He has represented many hemp and cannabis clients since 1996 on investments, corporate, litigation, and regulatory issues. In 2001, Mr. Frankel became a founding board member of VoteHemp, and later went on to join Greenspoon Marder’s Corporate and Cannabis groups as Senior Counsel working with clients transitioning to the legal and regulated cannabis markets in CA at the pivotal time in 2017-2018. In 2019, he founded Frankel Law Group APC and has since represented Mantis Growth Investments and is its Chief Legal Officer.
Mantis has begun the acquisition process by assembling cannabis businesses throughout the western United States including California, Michigan, and Nevada. These businesses have already experienced success and have joined because of opportunity and not necessity. Now with a Letters-Of-Intent in place, each company is part of an operational model based on vertical integration, efficiency, and sustainability. The synergies between these businesses form a fully integrated network of cultivators, extract processors, manufacturers, distributors, tech, automation, testing, labor force, and dispensaries allowing Mantis to supply its own retail stores with an extensive array of products - at the lowest possible cost and highest margins.