Wana Brands has promoted Stephanie Daley to serve as vice president of market expansion and Mike Hennesy to serve as vice president of innovation. 

Daley and Hennesy report to CEO Nancy Whiteman and are based out of Wana’s headquarters in Boulder. 

“As Wana Brands marks its 10th anniversary, we are proud of our No. 1 position both in innovation and market footprint,” Whiteman said. “Stephanie and Mike have been integral in achieving this level of success.” 

In her new role as vice president of market expansion, Daley oversees all aspects of Wana Brand’s growth efforts in both the U.S. and Canada. Daley has led Wana’s expansion program from its headquarters in Colorado into eight additional states, including California, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Maryland, Arizona, Oregon and Oklahoma. She is currently spearheading expansion into three more markets including Massachusetts, Missouri and Florida.

Daley also oversaw Wana’s launch into three new markets, including Wana’s first international market in Canada in the midst of a global pandemic that shut down borders. Previously, Daley served as Wana’s director of remote operations. She has worked extensively in various aspects of the industry, including cultivation, post cultivation and infused-product manufacturing.

Before joining Wana Brands, she was director of post cultivation at The Farm and national retail director at Rocky Mountain Hydroponics. She earned her master’s degree in sociology at Humboldt State University and her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice at DeSales University. 

“Under Stephanie’s leadership, Wana has grown from one market to 10, and in the midst of a global pandemic, she reworked procedures and processes to successfully double our footprint,” Whiteman said. “She’s ideally suited to support Wana’s upward trajectory as the company expands into new legal cannabis markets in the U.S. and internationally.” 

In his new position as vice president of innovation, Hennesy continues to lead Wana Brands’ ongoing work as a top producer of cannabis infused products. Prior to this role, he served as Wana’s director of innovation, where he oversaw the company’s R&D efforts, as well as partnerships involving new cannabis technologies. Hennesy spearheaded the team that developed Wana’s groundbreaking Quick line of gummies and tinctures that use innovative encapsulation techniques to increase the bioavailability of cannabinoids.

Hennesy also oversaw the development of Wana’s vape line, including its unique proprietary terpene blends. Making education a top priority, Hennesy also developed Wana’s online interactive training program that covers topics including science of the endocannabinoid system. 

Hennesy earned a Bachelor of Science in environmental science and technology from The University of Maryland. He is currently enrolled in the master’s program for Cannabis Science and Therapeutics at The University of Maryland’s School of Pharmacy. 

“Mike has led Wana’s bold innovation of cannabinoid science for the past several years, which has been another reason for Wana’s sales and market-share growth,'' Whiteman said. “What really distinguishes Mike is his absolute passion for the plant and its potential to change the world for the better and make it healthier, coupled with his unique ability to translate complex scientific and technological concepts into understandable benefits. Plus, his comedic timing is impeccable.” 

Hennesy also made a keynote presentation on cannabis-infused product development during the first Cannabis Products Exchange, held virtually July 30-31.

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