Pete Kadens

Kadens started three companies before entering cannabis, including a solar energy business that was sold to the Fortune 500 firm Edison International. In 2016, Kadens became CEO of Chicago-based Green Thumb, a medical marijuana holding company with licenses for 19 vertically integrated MMJ businesses in five states. Kadens is among the MJ entrepreneurs who emphasize both philanthropy and profit. He’s chairman of StreetWise, a nonprofit that supports the homeless, and CEO of Purpose Investors, his own venture, which funds businesses that have a significant social impact. Kadens also has sought to woo communities through open letters in local newspapers where Green Thumb wants to enter.