CO-FOUNDER AND CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

Melissa spent the first year of legalization as the Director of Compliance for FSST Pharms LLC (Native Nations Cannabis). During that time she successfully developed & implemented the FSST Medical Cannabis licensing program which now serves around 9000 patients in SD. This program was pivotal in the successful launch of NNC Dispensary in July 2021.

Melissa spent 22 years in Healthcare before an injury ended her Nursing career. This injury was a pivotal point for Melissa & her opinion on cannabis as medicine. Mrs. Mentele transitioned into policy work after seeing a need for honest and transparent involvement in the high-level political space. She has served as the Executive Director for New Approach SD for the past 8 years. Successfully co-coordinated 11 of the past 13 voter initiatives in SD. Mrs. Mentele served as the Campaign Manager for IM26 and as a Senior Staff Member for Amendment A which legalized both Medical Cannabis & Adult Use on the same ballot in 2020 for the first time in US History. She is currently serving as a non-voting Director of the Board for the Cannabis Industry Association of South Dakota & 2-year state appointment to the Medical Marijuana Oversight Legislative Committee.  

Mrs. Mentele was honored as one of the Top 8 Influential Women in Cannabis in 2017 by Leafly, In 2020’s Green Market Report Top 100 Most Important Women in Weed & Celeb Stoners 2020 Leading Women in Cannabis. An accomplished public speaker & educator Mrs. Mentele has traveled extensively presenting to groups of all demographics on cannabis as medicine. Her work has been featured in local, national and international media, most notably NY Times, LA Times. Vice, Culture Magazine & Dr. Mercola.  In 2018 she was accredited by the State of SD AAMA to teach Cannabis 101 and Cannabis in Healthcare as continuing education credits for mid-level healthcare providers & support staff.

A wife and mother of 3 grown children, Mrs. Mentele owns & operates a 2-acre hobby farm in her downtime. 

CO-FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Ned has 10+ years of business experience as a Partner in R&P Group, an executive search firm that specializes in Payments, Fintech, and Banking. He has extensive revenue generation and hiring experience as he helped high-growth startups and Fortune 500 companies resulting in over 90 candidates located and hired for business-critical positions with over $2.5 Million in sales for R&P Group. 

In addition to his business career, over the past 6 years Ned built and drove a statewide network of volunteers for New Approach South Dakota, the ballot question campaign committee that has been working since 2015 to bring medical cannabis to the people of South Dakota. In 2020 he was hired by South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws to direct the Field and Data operations for the Yes on A and Yes on 26 campaign that made history by being the first state to pass medical and adult-use marijuana on the same ballot. 

In 2021, Ned co-founded the Cannabis Industry Association of South Dakota & was elected Executive Director. He & his team built CIASD from inception to over 30 active members. Successes include stopping HB1100, an attempt by politicians to significantly delay the implementation of IM26, the medical cannabis law approved by voters, directing a group of stakeholders to review, revise, and enact SD Department of Health rules (SDAR 44:90) to govern the medical cannabis industry, and the monitor of over 52 bills during the 2022 legislative session with an 89% success rate in killing bills that were bad for the industry and a 58% success rate in passing bills that were good for the industry.

Ned has worn multiple hats for the past several years and looks forward to focusing all of his energy on building 605 Cannabis to become the most successful, profitable, and patient-focused vertically integrated medical cannabis facility in South Dakota. He lives on an acreage just outside of Sioux Falls with his wife, Bobbi Jo who is a SDSU certified Master Gardener that owns & operates Nom Nom Gardens Farm with their 5 year old son, Dean.

VICE PRESIDENT AND PARTNER

Kyle was born and raised in SD and started working for his family business Peska Construction in 2000 at age 15. Kyle started at the bottom doing lawn care and pouring concrete during the summers to gain experience. In 2004, he moved up into providing clients construction estimates. He worked hard and moved through the tiers like every other employee and was promoted into project management and continues to do estimating. He currently manages 40-60 employees, maintains daily/weekly schedules, attends project meetings, works with project teams and owners and directly manages 10+ projects per year. An avid hockey fan Kyle played youth hockey for 12 years and coached for 14 years for the Sioux Falls Youth Hockey Association. Kyle and his wife Cassi live in Sioux Falls and are active & engaged parents of 2 fur babies. 

CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER AND PARTNER

Liz is a 6th generation South Dakotan who was born and raised in Spearfish, SD. Liz has been an advocate for medical cannabis access and indigenous rights for several years. In 2021, she completed the Partners in Policymaking training program which taught her how to effectively advocate for the needs of her son who was diagnosed with ASD at an early age. This training has helped to make her a stronger advocate for her son as well as given her the tools to be a more effective advocate for cannabis reform and patient access in SD.    

Through her work with New Approach South Dakota, she has helped to bring IM 26 from an initiated measure to an active South Dakota law in her role as a volunteer circulator and eventually the Northern Hills Coordinator for New Approach South Dakota. In 2021, she was appointed to serve on the Medical Cannabis Oversight Committee by an executive board of South Dakota legislators which will enable her to continue to be a voice for safe and reliable patient access.   

Liz served as a core volunteer coordinator with the Black Hills Unity Concert, a platform to raise awareness of the Black Hills issue and treaty rights, from 2015 to 2018. Her role as Hospitality Coordinator and eventually Lead Project Coordinator showcased her ability to successfully manage large projects with several moving pieces. 

Liz’s intense dedication and focus on the medical cannabis program and patient access gives her a unique understanding of how to navigate South Dakota cannabis laws and has helped her clients land local and state licensing with a 100% track record.

The Tigers live, work, and raise their children in Spearfish.