With the cannabis industry growing daily it is undeniable that it is here to stay. With currently 47 states, 4 U.S. Territories and the District of Columbia legalizing cannabis in some form it is amazing that businesses in the cannabis industry are still receiving push back from traditional baking means. Although, both industries are highly regulated cannabis is still considered federally illegal, making financial institutions hesitant to reach out. We meet up with Kevin Hart who is working on connecting cannabis and banking through data (presenting the data and the methods that are meaningful for each side), and enabling that data to create ongoing, deep, solid relationships, focused on banking first, and then expanding beyond that. Watch and learn where we are with Cannabis Banking and the upcoming changes.
Video Transcription
Harry Brelsford
Hey 420 MSP back with the ongoing influencer podcast series with Kevin Hart from Green Check Verified How’re you doing, Kevin?
Kevin Hart
Excellent. Harry, great to see you again.
Harry Brelsford
Yeah, yeah, it’s great. We’re really getting to know each other. Well Hey let me start off. First of all, congratulations Marijuana Venture Magazine in conjunction with for 20 MSP, we have identified a named you one of the leading can attack influencers. And that’s something we take very seriously. So congratulations
Kevin Hart
as the week thank you very much, much appreciated.
Harry Brelsford
Well, what I like to do with these, tell me a little bit about yourself, and then your company.
Kevin Hart
Okay, well, um, I am a career nerd. And, you know, started the software industry in the late 70s in a variety of roles. And I’ve taken a company public exit a couple of publicly traded companies and I got involved in the cannabis space and looking at the cannabis space, back in 2015 2016, when I was approached to build a point of sale solution for the industry. And the more I dug in, the more I learned about the challenges and the growth of the cannabis industry, the more I heard about banking, banking, banking, and because I like complex data problems, and I’m much more fascinated what technology can do versus how it does it, my propellers all bent and rusted these days, but technically dangerous, really dove in and started focusing on solving the banking and business services challenge that the cannabis business industry has. And that was, that was the foundation of Green Check. And now here we are, four plus years later, rocking and rolling. Yeah, yeah.
Harry Brelsford
What are the basic mechanics of the workflow of your business model and your solutions? Well,
Kevin Hart
you have these two highly regulated industries that would love to work together, but they don’t know how, and it’s not apptitude problem that, you know, you have this burgeoning cannabis industry that, you know, very entrepreneur driven, new market, evolving rules and regulations changing every day, we see that all the time. And then on the other side, you have this old staid, you know, I wouldn’t say dyed in the wool, I would say set in concrete, you know, industry, I’m banking that are like, well, that’s interesting, but, you know, all federally illegal, etc. So how do you get two industries that are independently highly regulated, that want to work together, they Kevin just don’t know how. And so that’s that focus of Green Check, connecting these two sides through data, presenting the data and the methods that are meaningful for each side, and enabling that data to create those ongoing, deep, solid relationships, focused on banking first, and then expanding beyond that.
Harry Brelsford
Yep. So tell me a couple shows you’ve been to recently as an influencer, where people might might be able to meet up with you next time.
Kevin Hart
Well, you wouldn’t know that. You know, and I’m not being flippant about this at all. But boy, you know, the last five weeks I’ve been on the road. So you know, Matt Maskin force everywhere. But you know, airports are busy. So I’ve been at Credit Union cannabis event in Vegas. We’re at a bankers. A credit union show up in Chicago. Last week, I was in Chicago for bank directors show, which was very well attended senior leadership of banking. And I was also at mjbizcon. And MJ unpacked in Vegas. So I did Vegas, Chicago, Vegas, Vegas, Chicago. Keep the first week I’m not on the road. Six weeks. Alright, good to see you.
Harry Brelsford
We caught up with you, man. Keep those elite miles. Hey, what are two bloggers or magazines that you follow as an influencer? That that people could then follow you so to speak?
Kevin Hart
Um, I you know, I’m a little I’m maybe a little bit off the beaten path here. Um, I really enjoy Scott Galloway, who’s NYU, NYU Stern, business school professor section for no mercy, no malice. I just like his way of thinking and looking at some of the problems and you know, as the cannabis industry evolves, and then as banking industries evolve, it kind of aligns with my thinking on both sides. So I really I really do enjoy that. Your your publications are always awesome chock full of information. So you go to competitive one, but you ask the question. New Cannabis Ventures is always really, really solid. And I also have a little special place in my heart. You know, because we started in Connecticut, although I’m headquartered in Florida now with cannabis media. I just think that it Keating and company Rock Solid with some of the content.
Harry Brelsford
All right, Kevin continued success and yeah, I’m sure your week off.
Kevin Hart
All right. Yeah. But thank you my week of non travel Harry.
Harry Brelsford
All right. Thank you later.
