Meet EmmaLeaf, a brand with passion
Missouri is enjoying its second year as an adult-use cannabis market and not only does that mean we’re seeing many more consumers coming out of the shadows to shop, but the products and brands available have never been more prevalent.
One of the most important questions we ask with new brands is “How do you enter such a crowded market with a new brand or new product and show people how you’re different, better, etc?”
For newcomers, EmmaLeaf Cannabis Lab + Kitchen, that was an easy answer – focus on quality products, and tell the story of our team and culture. EmmaLeaf is a manufacturer in Boone County and their story is a compelling one – but if we tell the story properly, you’ll walk away feeling like you “know” what they’re about and want to know THEM and their products.
The EmmaLeaf team is composed of a group of cannabis industry veterans, Missouri-born and bred locals, and a talented group of people committed to the plant. With varying backgrounds, but unlimited passion, the building of the team was as critical as designing the facility and planning products and branding. In cannabis, credibility can be illustrated in several ways, but most consumers enjoy seeing the “why cannabis” question answered and this team has their own “whys” that brought them together. We’ll start there so you can learn more about this close-knit team and what they’re bringing to Missouri’s dispensaries.
We’ll start with the people – at the helm as CEO, Josh Oxenhandler is one of those people that you can walk 2 blocks with in his hometown of Columbia and have at least 4 people who stop you to chat with him.
Josh’s “why cannabis” is a personal one. “As a teenager, I was diagnosed with ADHD. The prospect of facing a lifetime of prescription medications only increased my anxiety about the situation. A wise friend explained to me that, for many things in life, nature provided an answer. Cannabis was one of the biggest contributors to getting off the meds, succeeding in school and putting my anxiety behind me,” shared Oxenhandler.
Active in his community for the duration of his entire life, Josh has spent his career as an attorney but supports Columbia in its entirety with a number of causes and passions. While the list is long, some of the favorites are the True/False Film Fest, RagTag Film Society, and we aren’t talking about financial backing – he’s selfless in promoting and giving of his time to these projects. One particularly close to his family’s heart, is supporting the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture (CCUA). To hear Josh talk about this organization shows his compassion for his community – their mission – CCUA works to enhance Columbia’s community’s health by connecting people to agriculture and the land through hands-on learning opportunities, from seed to plate. They teach people how to grow food, provide food for the community through food banks, provide veterans with paid opportunities, and truly want to change Columbia one plate at a time by educating people about producing their own clean food and the mental-health benefits of connecting with the outdoors.
Managing and planning everything finance, EmmaLeaf’s CFO and co-owner, Jackie Wells, has a long professional career as a CPA, financial analyst, and a resume of incredible work accomplishments. That might make you wonder, what could her “why cannabis” be? About 15 years ago, Jackie started experiencing some allergies that were troubling with severe reactions
and it drove her to think about yoga and holistic medicine. She completed a rigorous 200 hours of yoga teacher training, was certified as a Pilates instructor, and started a small specialty food business. To help learn more about her allergies, she started to see the connection between what we ingest and its impact on our bodies. During the journey, she came to the realization that “food is not just food, but can be medicine and that managing my health issues by conventional pharmaceuticals isn’t the only (or best) option and turned to medical cannabis,” she said. Jackie came to the industry with a great attitude and is completely transparent about her excitement about EmmaLeaf and continuing the advocacy of the plant we all have such a connection and love for.
COO, Paul Schenck is a 10+ years industry veteran and like others on the team has a true connection to the industry through advocacy work. Schenck told us “The reason why I am in the cannabis industry is because I believe in the power of the plant. I recognized early in life the power cannabis has to bring people from different walks of life together and unite them under one common theme. I am in this industry to do my part to destigmatize this plant and pave the way for future generations to enjoy its benefits both recreationally and medically.” Schenck has led an impressive professional cannabis career, including long-term and ever-increasing responsibilities for Love’s Oven as well as some incredible facility design projects and advisory of a number of industry powerhouses. Fun sidenote, Paul and his wife also have their own passion project with Beyla’s Apiary which is one of the many outdoor and back-to-basics values shared by their family.
Once the EmmaLeaf facility is up and running, visitors who tour will be stunned by the level of expertise that Paul has brought to the planning – next level design and planning ensures that every single product leaving the facility will have some of the cleanest and high-quality products that Missouri consumers will have access to. Acclaimed architect Nick Peckham, a longtime friend of the Columbia team, built the plans for the facility that pair his deep understanding of architecture and design with Paul’s industry learnings to form a truly unique building full of efficiency. GMP certification is a must for the team and Schenck is leading that charge with vigor – and a massive commitment to compliance and amazing products.
EmmaLeaf’s Director of Culinary, Lauren Kaufman, is truly a force to be reckoned with in the kitchen. Her “why” began when she was in college at Johnson and Wales University studying Baking and Pastry FSM. “Getting my hands on any cannabis chef materials I could find, I was intrigued about the synergy of the culinary world and this magical plant. I wrote a paper titled ‘Marijuana in Baked Goods.’ After college, she returned to Columbia for her next adventure and then grew her career and traveled the country’s legal markets working with clients and gathering ideas for new and innovative recipes. Lauren has extensive experience as a Product Development Chef with a history of working in the food production industry for more than 16 years. Her skill set includes an astonishing amount of advanced knowledge in cannabis product development including terpene flavor profiles, regulations, and precise dosing. Like Paul, she has a fierce commitment to GMP and operational excellence. Lauren is the consummate Earth mother – she’s a gardener, and her passion for food and plants and everything in nature comes through loud and clear in even the shortest conversation with her.
Rounding out the leadership team is Tammy P. As an industry veteran in cannabis in both the US and particularly in Missouri, she’s spent time building her own company working for a wide portfolio of organizations in Missouri, but also has Canadian clients and has served as the co-President of WeAreJAINE for the past 3 years. Tammy P joined EmmaLeaf as the Director of Sales and Marketing after working with them as clients and realizing that THIS group was different than many others in numerous ways; most prominently, the team dynamics and the mutual respect and collaboration that are inherent in this group. “I love having TPP Services, LLC and won’t stop working with select legacy clients, but I’m so excited to bring EmmaLeaf’s products into Missouri’s dispensaries and 95% of that is because of the culture this team has built within their small group. They are truly collaborative and respectful of each and every person on the team and use the words “thank you” with sincerity – which goes a long way in company culture and only enhances the outputs of the business.”
Tammy’s own “why” is to continue a legacy of advocacy for the legalization and de-stigmatization of cannabis. Growing up in a family of cannabis consumers without being one herself until reaching 40, her cannabis work began in 1998 with advocacy and investing and she jokingly claims to have greedily consumed every piece of media about cannabis since 1998. Being in family members’ homes over the years, she experienced the “hide the box” reaction when someone unexpectedly knocked on the door, or the impact of scarcity of product from the legacy market during certain times – when people were saving their roaches and rolling them into joints because that’s all that was available.
Holding the team together for all things organizational, administrative, and general fun, is Office Manger Tammy Barrett. Tammy’s “why” speaks volumes about the culture of the team, as a paralegal for 23 years- and with Josh for the last several- when he offered her the chance to make the leap and embark on this cannabis adventure, she didn’t think twice about following him into the crevasse. She embodies the same philanthropic spirit as the rest of the team, donating her time and energy to her passion for Unchained Melodies Dog Rescue. From walking to teaching them to “dog” – Tammy loves all pooches. She cites her favorite quote from Karen Davison – “Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever.”
When you take a team as committed to their goals and their collaborative nature as this one, it’s not surprising that it was a team effort to determine launch SKUs and products to make their debut for Missouri. There are no egos, and no dreams of becoming an MSO or uprooting the team and their families – they’re excited to serve Missouri and clamor for the consumers in all dispensaries seeking high-quality products.
The product lines we can expect from EmmaLeaf fall into a few categories and brands. EmmaLeaf – their premier brand will feature prerolls, infused prerolls, and concentrates; Moonrise Kitchens will be where edibles emerge; Pocket Js and JumboJs – the names say it all – joints – smaller-sized cuties and big boys – both infused and non-infused; Cousin Dave’s is a value brand but high quality for less cash; and finally, Just Right – candies for those that like a lower dose to use throughout the day or night without couchlock.
While we can’t give away all of their secrets, many industry friends have been seen carrying around non-infused samples of the baked goods to come and the team is excited to have great feedback on the prototypes – all that’s left now is crossing the finish line with the facility and getting that highly anticipated “GO” from DCR.
EmmaLeaf has plans to commence in July when their facility is complete, but that isn’t slowing the planning and hard work to be completely ready to get started immediately after they receive their ATO. “Over the next several weeks, followers on social media will see more of the team culture as we tell the story of the journey from being awarded the license to opening the doors. Spoiler alert – this group isn’t afraid to get goofy and we want to have a relationship with our fellow consumers and Missouri’s cannabis community,” said Tammy P of the company’s launch plans.
The EmmaLeaf team has been connecting with cultivators and dispensary decision-makers and have plans to host a private event for budtenders and buyers after commencement to learn about the brand, enjoy some great off-work time together, and walk away with goodies to take home.
Want to stay in touch with EmmaLeaf?
Visit the website and sign up for their email list to be first in line for all the tea!
