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Matt Morea

Co-Founder, President and COOVelvet Cannabis

San Francisco Bay Area

Member Since December 2020

Skills

Executive Leadership
Retail Leadership
Revenue Generation and Growth

About

A longtime cannabis enthusiast, Matt Morea envisioned opening a retail dispensary several years ago when the idea of legal, recreational cannabis started to look like a reality. A believer in the ability of cannabis to help people express themselves, relax their bodies and ease away aches and pains, Morea turned his interest into a career, pivoting from sales and management positions in corporate America to those in the cannabis space. After spending several years expanding his knowledge of the product and learning from some of the best operators and thought leaders in the field, Morea and close friend and co-founder Farid Harrison set their sights on opening Velvet – the first retail cannabis space in Central Contra Costa County, which opened in May 2020. He built a successful career in sales and marketing with a track record of developing teams and growing revenues for industry leading companies such as Leap Wireless, Nextel Communications, First American Corporation, and Quantcast. He later pivoted into the cannabis industry, working as Head of U.S. Sales for Privateer Holdings, one of largest commercial cannabis companies in the world. Here Morea and his team sold and distributed some of the most successful and well-known brands in the world including Marley Natural, a partnership with the Marley family. Before opening Velvet, Morea was the Vice President of Sales for CannaCraft, a Sonoma County based producer and distributor of cannabis products. Under his leadership, CannaCraft’s three core brands, Absolute Extracts, Care By Design and Satori were all positioned in the Top 3 brands in their category and the company continued to develop into one of the most prominent cannabis companies in the country. During his time with Privateer Holdings and CannaCraft, Morea serviced more than 500 dispensaries along the west coast and firmly established himself as an expert in U.S. medical and recreational cannabis operations.

Published content

11 Effective Ways to Turn Your Customers Into Loyal Product Advocates

expert panel

A business’s best advertisement is a happy customer. Word-of-mouth has long been touted as one of the best ways to attract new customers. Prospective consumers want to know how your product or service can directly and positively impact their lives, and customer testimonials can clearly demonstrate that value.  However, it can be challenging to build up a loyal base of advocates who will promote your business to their networks. To offer some actionable steps you can take, 11 members of Rolling Stone Culture Council explain a few strategies that have helped them create true product advocates and why they’ve been so effective for their businesses.

Riding the Green Rush: A Road Map for Cannabis Brands in 2021

article

While there may not be a right or wrong answer, it may be better to be strategic rather than opportunistic this year.

11 Ways to Make Your Brand Stand for Something Bigger

expert panel

For modern consumers, it’s no longer enough to simply sell a product. With the rise of social activism, customers are more interested now than ever in what the companies they support stand for. When you support a cause your customers believe in, you can create a loyal following of fans and do good at the same time. But not every business has a natural lean toward social causes, so how can they find a way to make their brand truly stand for something bigger? Below, members of Rolling Stone Culture Council share their tips for brands that want to be part of a movement and create real change for their customers.

Company details

Velvet Cannabis

Company bio

Founded in 2019, Velvet is a full service, premium retailer focused on providing an exceptional, efficient and superior cannabis experience. We aim to drive a new level of service with our well curated and consistent menu, our knowledgeable, well trained staff, and our focus on providing a consistent premium retail experience. For more on Velvet go to www.go-velvet.com or follow Velvet on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook.

Industry

Cannabis

Area of focus

World-Class Cannabis

Company size

51 - 200

This member is no longer active.

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