Halo Collective Inc. (“Halo” or the “Company“) (NEO: HALO) (OTCQX: AGEEF) (Germany: A9KN) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ryan Kunkel, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Have a Heart, to the Halo team as the Company’s Vice Chairman and as an Independent Director of the Company.
Mr. Kunkel is a leading industry expert and entrepreneur in cannabis, influencing its legal, regulatory, and operational development since the legalization of recreational marijuana use in Washington state in 2011. He was instrumental in the raise of $50M in two private offerings, which enabled him to expand the Have a Heart footprint by creating an organizational infrastructure to maintain the dispensary storefronts at a rapid pace. With a focus on operations, fundraising, and application development, Kunkel quickly expanded the brand to 13 operational stores, in six different states with a total of 26 winning applications. Under his stewardship, the Have a Heart business grew to more than 500 active employees. His expertise in the industry enabled him to identify and capture the leading market share in Washington state, one of the most saturated cannabis markets in the U.S.
Have a Heart consistently ranks among the top 20 dispensaries in Washington state. Currently, the Belltown (7th) and Skyway (19th) locations boast this ranking, which Kunkel attributes to the distinctive product procurement and knowledge held by employees, who are genuinely familiar with the product mix. Have a Heart takes pride in placing the customer first and responds to comments, feedback, priding itself on excellent customer service.
Mr. Kunkel’s professional accolades include Marijuana Venture’s 40 under 40 in 2018, where he was recognized for his success and promise in the cannabis industry with Have a Heart’s track record and performance. He continued to build on this opening delivery and retail operations in five jurisdictions across California. The 2019 gross revenue for Have a Heart was $58.2M, with sales per square foot averaging $8,553.
As a primary driving force in the marketplace, Mr. Kunkel has materialized the mission of Have a Heart for optimal customer service and rapid revenue growth. He has leveraged his network and experience to expand the brand into one of the largest chains of dispensaries on the west coast of the United States. Halo’s vertically integrated business model paired with Kunkel’s top industry expertise are expected to drive further revenue for Halo as a whole, with the implementation of his strategic planning across all landscapes.
“As our operations continue to expand and we open our first dispensaries in Los Angeles and acquire Kush Bardispensaries from High Tide in Alberta, Canada, it’s imperative for Halo to look at the big picture and bring Ryan to our senior team. Ryan is a highly knowledgeable cannabis expert and highly successful entrepreneur,” said Louisa Mojela, Executive Chairman of Halo. “Our strategic planning processes are ever-evolving; so, having a Vice-Chairman such as Ryan to collaborate with is part of an exciting new chapter as we look to expand our retail footprint aggressively.”
Mr. Kunkel commented, “I am thrilled to join the Halo Collective team at this critical juncture and look forward to working with the Company to help build its business and create shareholder value.”
