Under the Microscope with Jenny
I am your host, Jenny Germano - the founder of ICS Consulting. With over 16 years of hands-on experience in the regulated cannabis Industry, I spent 6 years operating vertically integrated licensed facilities in Colorado and the last 10 years consulting nationally across the U.S. This podcast is dedicated to new and existing cannabis operators and those looking to launch a licensed cannabis business in one state or across multiple. Expect candid conversations on compliance, market-specific insights, startup pitfalls, operational strategies, and tips to manage the overwhelm that comes with launching and scaling in this complex industry. Join Jenny Germano every Wednesday at 12pm EST in navigating cannabis compliance and launching successful regulated cannabis operations. Whether you’re just entering the industry or scaling up, this is your go-to resource for real talk, real truths, expert insights, and actionable strategies. I've got a great line up of interviews, expert breakdowns and host insights.
Episodes
🎙In this episode of Under the Microscope with Jenny, host Jenny Germano sits down with Darren Gleeman of MBO Ventures to discuss how cannabis founders can potentially scale and transition ownership without selling to MSOs or private equity. Darren shares his background in hedge funds and explains how ESOP-based ownership structures are being used in cannabis as operators face limited exit opportunities, scarce lending, valuation c...
🎙In this episode of Under the Microscope with Jenny, host Jenny Germano breaks down what it really takes to launch a cannabis business in a mature and saturated market. Jenny explains why licenses alone are no longer the competitive advantage in established markets and why success now comes down to execution, compliance controls, operational discipline, branding, customer experience, and financial sustainability. She covers the hi...
🎙In this episode of Under the Microscope with Jenny, host Jenny Germano continues the Cannabis Operator Series with Forest Palmer, CEO of Kansas City Cannabis. Forest shares his journey from the service industry and the United States Marine Corps into cannabis, including his early work with American Shaman before joining Kansas City Cannabis during the launch of the Missouri medical market. He walks through the early licensing pro...
🎙In this episode of Under the Microscope with Jenny, host Jenny Germano, welcomes Alex Hearding, President and Founder of Red Wolf Risk, to discuss the hidden costs of operating a cannabis facility without a Quality Management System (QMS). Alex explains how a QMS creates accountability, consistency, and continuous improvement while helping operators strengthen compliance, training, and traceability. Jenny and Alex break down why ...
🎙In this episode of Under the Microscope with Jenny, host Jenny Germano sits down with Will Read, Founder and CEO of CannaPlanners, to break down how cannabis operators should approach marketing in today’s saturated market.
Will shares his journey building CannaPlanners from early hemp and CBD projects into a full-scale agency supporting cannabis brands with websites, SEO and retention marketing. Together, they focus on a key real...
🎙In this episode of Under the Microscope with Jenny, host Jenny Germano, sits down with Founder and of RZA Legal, Rachael Ardanuy to unpack the evolving and highly complex conflict between state-legal cannabis use and federal firearm restrictions. Jenny and Rachael break down how the federal Gun Control Act and ATF firearm purchase forms currently pose real risks for cannabis consumers, including denial of firearm purchases or pot...
🎙In this episode of Under the Microscope with Jenny, host Jenny Germano, sits down with Chris Van Dyke, Partner at Cogent Law, to break down one of the most complex and often misunderstood areas of the cannabis industry: banking. Chris brings a rare, dual-perspective background, having helped launch one of the early cannabis banking programs and serving as a state regulator during the rollout of the 2014 FinCEN guidance. Today, he...
🎙In this episode of Under the Microscope with Jenny, host Jenny Germano sits down with Dina Nagib, Principal Consultant at Grass Goddess Consulting, to break down one of the biggest operational pain points in cannabis - software overload. Dina brings a unique perspective from her background in pharmaceuticals and software development. Together, Jenny and Dina explore why dispensaries in particular face a heavy software burden, man...
🎙In this episode of Under the Microscope with Jenny, host Jenny Germano, welcomes Amanda Eastling, Founder of Eastling Services. Amanda shares her path into cannabis HR, starting with a Minnesota-based, tribally owned cannabis startup where she built HR systems from the ground up developing policies, procedures, and operational frameworks tailored to the industry’s unique and highly regulated environment. Together, they unpack the...
🎙In this episode of Under the Microscope with Jenny, host Jenny Germano continues her Cannabis Operator Series with Anthony “AJ” Mollins, Founder of AJ’s Craft Cannabis Farm in Colorado, for a deep dive into legacy cultivation, innovation, and what it really takes to build a sustainable cannabis operation in today’s market. AJ shares his journey from California’s legacy market, including launching Tahoe Herbal Care in Northern Lak...
In this episode of Under the Microscope with Jenny, host Jenny Germano, Founder of ICS Consulting, shares lessons learned from operating vertically integrated cannabis facilities in Colorado during the early days and from years of experience guiding operators nationwide. She outlines the most common pitfalls quietly hurting cannabis businesses. Jenny emphasizes the difference between winning a license and achieving true operational...
🎙In this episode of Under the Microscope with Jenny, host Jenny Germano sits down with Evan Bliss, Owner and Design Director of Studio Bliss, to discuss what it really takes to design cannabis facilities in emerging markets. Evan shares his journey from traditional architecture into cannabis starting with extraction labs in California and expanding into cultivation and dispensary projects across the country. Together, they break d...
🎙 In this episode of Under the Microscope with Jenny, host Jenny Germano continues her Cannabis Operator Series with Joey Coleman, Founder and CEO of KAI Dispensary. Joey shares how a paragliding accident in Colombia that caused a severe spinal injury led him to cannabis and ultimately into the industry. He discusses transitioning from operating a 40-acre hemp/CBD farm and extraction business to launching an adult-use dispensary i...
🎙 In this episode of Under the Microscope with Jenny, host Jenny Germano breaks down the growing wave of scams and fraud targeting licensed cannabis operators across the U.S. Drawing from her experience operating vertically integrated cannabis facilities in Denver since 2009 and her work through ICS Consulting for over the last 10 years, Jenny explains why cannabis businesses are uniquely vulnerable due to regulatory complexity, c...
🎙In this episode of Under the Microscope with Jenny, host Jenny Germano sits down with Michael Andrud, CEO and Founder of Lüt., to break down operational best practices for cannabis retail payments. Michael shares his background in financial services and how that experience informs his approach to navigating payments in highly regulated cannabis environments. The conversation explores the real risks of cash-heavy operations, commo...
In this episode of Under the Microscope, host Jenny Germano sits down with Alex Hearding, Founder and President of Red Wolf Risk, to break down what’s next for the cannabis industry. From upcoming federal rescheduling and the possibility of full descheduling in the future and what these shifts mean for day-to-day operations. The conversation focuses on how operators can prepare for a more regulated future. Alex explains why alignin...
🎙In this episode of 'Under the Microscope with Jenny,' host Jenny Germano delves into the topic of common inventory tracking mistakes that put cannabis operators at risk. With over 16 years of experience and helping cannabis facilities navigate the regulatory landscape across the United States, Jenny shares valuable insights into how to prevent common mistakes related to the Metrc seed-to-sale tracking system. She discusses the im...
🎙In this episode of 'Under the Microscope with Jenny,' host Jenny Germano discusses the increasing issue of cannabis recalls with special guest Carly Bader, Director of Science at Willow Industries. Carly shares her experiences from working in both the cannabis industry and the field of infectious diseases. Jenny shares recall data from 2025, illustrating the scope of recalls across various states while Carly provides insights on ...
🎙In this episode of 'Under the Microscope with Jenny,' host Jenny Germano welcomes Nohtal Partansky, the CEO and founder of Sorting Robotics, to discuss the impact of robotics on the cannabis industry. Nohtal shares his fascinating journey from aerospace engineering at NASA to pioneering automation solutions for cannabis manufacturers. The conversation covers key topics such as the economic benefits of robotics in production, the ...
🎙In the first episode for 2026 of Under the Microscope with Jenny, host Jenny Germano welcomes Cassie Tomaselli, Founder and Creative Director of Tomaselli Media and The Green Room, to discuss the critical role of a brand voice and effective marketing strategies for cannabis operators. They delve into the unique regulatory challenges faced by cannabis businesses across the US market, the importance of balancing educational versus ...
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