Austin Stevenson and Pelin Thorogood

Austin Stevenson is chief innovation officer at Vertosa, where he plays an integral role in business development for the hemp and cannabis infusion technology company. He facilitates partnerships with leading brands to produce cannabinoid-infused beverages and topicals. Previously, he leveraged bio-tech experience building the regulatory hemp/CBD testing program for Eurofins. Stevenson also is a former management associate for Citi, where he worked to fund minority- and women-owned businesses. Pelin Thorogood, co-founder and president at Wholistic Research and Educational Foundation, is a tech executive and entrepreneur. Her previous venture, artisanal CBD infusions company Mana Artisan Botanics, was acquired by CBD Capital Group in 2019. Before that, she served as chief executive officer at Anametrix and chief marketing officer at WebSideStory. Currently, Thorogood acts as a trustee for UC San Diego Foundation and executive board member for incubator UC San Diego Basement.