Myrna Gillis

Myrna was inspired to leave her successful 25-year long law practice as a disabilities lawyer to pursue a career in the cannabis industry. Motivated by her passion for disabilities advocacy and a desire to ensure access to safe, consistent, affordable cannabis produced in an environmentally responsible way, she founded Aqualitas Inc. and its research and development company, Finleaf Technologies. Myrna has led an impressive team of experts in science, cultivation, finance, and environmental and health compliance to several milestones. Accomplishments include the buildout of a 70,000 square foot production facility and the development of an environmentally sustainable proprietary aquaponics cultivation technique unique to cannabis with even broader applications for food security. As CEO, she has raised approximately $5 million in the capital in the exempt markets in the US and Canada, which included $1 million in capital raised through the ArcView Group this past summer. Notably, Myrna’s presentation, to the group, was recognized as a runner-up to place Aqualitas in the top 1% of the 1,600 companies who seek to pitch annually.

Aqualitas is on the cusp of receiving its license to cultivate cannabis with an option to expand into an additional 25 acres of cultivation space. Myrna’s company is poised to be one of the few all-natural producers in Canada, who leads the world to be the first G7 country to have full cannabis legalization by July 2018. Aqualitas has been featured in a Washington Environmental Law Institute publication for its commitment to reducing their carbon footprint and water consumption. Aqualitas’ closed loop circulating system, LED lighting plan, exploration of the use of ocean water for cooling and back-up wind energy as well as the use of its own biomass for steam energy will contribute to meeting their targets. Aqualitas promotes diversity and women in the workplace. Women occupy two-thirds of its Board of Directors, Executive positions, as well as, key positions in quality assurance, research, marketing, client support and human resources. Myrna is a strong supporter of Women Grow and credits her association with the organization, and its introductions to other leaders, as being instrumental in her and Aqualitas’s success today.

Skills

Posted on

January 3, 2018

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