WHO WE ARE
SARA STEWART
Co-Founder / Chief Executive Officer
Sara Stewart (Recently included in Benzinga's List of Most Important Women in Cannabis) is a Forbes-proclaimed “cannabis consumption lounge pioneer” with experience opening and operating two of America's first licensed cannabis lounges: Lowell Cafe in West Hollywood with Lowell Farms and Rise Mundelein in Illinois with Green Thumb Industries. Before entering cannabis, Sara spent 15 years in some of the country’s most successful restaurants and ran the door for LA’s most prominent events. Sara also co-founded the Cannabis Hospitality Coalition and has personally provided insight into regulatory conditions in markets such as Nevada, Illinois, and Massachusetts. She has a BA in marketing, helping her develop a personal brand of almost 30,000 LinkedIn followers and is deeply passionate about building the hospitality sector of the cannabis industry.
MALCOLM SIMKOFF
Co-Founder / Chief Operations Officer
Malcolm has a deep and comprehensive background in hospitality management including high-end Michelin star rated concepts A10, Elizabeth, and Acadia in Chicago, IL to name a few. He also oversaw and operated multiple properties with James Beard Award Winning Boka Restaurant Group before opening celebrity chef Rick Bayless’s Leña Brava Restaurant and Cruz Blanca Cerveceria on Chicago's "Restaurant Row". Malcolm’s success in the hospitality industry helped him land successful consulting positions internationally in Tulum, on the Riviera Maya in Mexico. Some of the luxury properties include: World Best top 50 Restaurant & Bar in Latin America, Arca, Gitano (now in New York and Miami), and luxury boutique hotel property; Hotel Esencia, named "Town and Country’s Winner of Top 100 Hotels in the World", as well as Conde Nast Gold Winner of Best Hotels in the World 2018 & 2019. Prior to returning to the U.S. for work, Malcolm assisted the hotel and its team in opening two new concepts and winning a Forbes 5 Stars award. Malcolm has a BA in PR and Advertising from DePaul University.
ANDREW MIEURE
Director of Compliance & Strategy
Andrew has an extensive and proven track record within the cannabis industry overseeing regulated cannabis dispensary and cannabis hospitality operations in over seven states. As a trusted consultant, Andrew has won dozens of licenses for his clients in multiple regions throughout the United States in highly competitive markets. Andrew also submitted lengthly and detailed cannabis lounge SOP's around cleaning, sanitation, and operations to the Nevada Regulatory body that were directly implemented into state regulations. Mieure and his company, Top Shelf Budtending, have successfully served 70,000+ consumers, spanning five adult-use legal cannabis states. He is often quoted in Forbes, High Times, Rolling Stone, CNN, FOX, VICE, Newsweek and numerous mainstream publications for expert insights related to on-site consumption operations, regulations and the evolution of cannabis hospitality.