AERON SULLIVAN
Founder - Tradiv
Serial Problem Solver
We remember the first time we met Aeron. It was the morning of our launch at New West Summit in San Francisco, and he had this air about him that was energizing and inspiring. Come to find out that he is a former US Marine, Canopy Boulder graduate, and building what could become the Alibaba of cannabis. When you hear him talk about his business, you start to understand how his passion and intelligence are quickly leading him to be an industry leader. We recommend watching his interview with Gateway mentor, Brandon David, on the Investing in Cannabis podcast.
So, Aeron Sullivan...
What were you doing before becoming involved in the cannabis industry?
I was an Enterprise Project Manager for an Amphibious Warfare Engineering Facility (Department of Defense). I resigned Commission as a Captain (United States Marine Corps) April 2015.
What brought you to the cannabis industry?
I spent enough money on cannabis in high-school and college I figured I should make some back...
Seriously, okay, in all seriousness, I like going against the grain. I had an unorthodox leadership approach in the Military, I had an unorthodox approach to strategy in warfare, and I had an unorthodox approach in how I worked with senior leadership and those that worked for me. I'm surrounded by an industry of people that are unorthodox. I love the culture. I love the social movement. I love the lucrative opportunity it presents. I love that we are making history.
What was your single greatest challenge as an entrepreneur in the cannabis industry?
Tradiv is fighting for, arguably, the biggest opportunity in the industry: distribution. It has already been acknowledged by those like multi-billion dollar Southern Wine and Spirits as a target opportunity.
What excites you about the near-term future of the industry?
Wide-Spread Legalization.
What is your prediction for the ultimate future of cannabis?
An industry akin to wine and distilled spirits, but with a little more spirit, and the good kind. Also one dominated by small and medium-sized businesses, technology, and what will become one of the most popular social gathering "tools", just as the cold drink has for hundreds of years. I imagine as our children come of age without the stigma and social "precedent" set in their mind, the following generation will be even less so.
2016 - 10B (Gray/Black Market Included)
2018 - 20B (Gray/Black Market Included)
2020 - 40B (Gray Market Included)
2025 - 100B (Gray Market Excluded)
2030 - 500B (Wholly White Market)
2050 - 2 Trillion
2070 - 3Trillion
What is TRADIV's role in all of this currently and in the future?
We are providing national and international distribution, which includes logistics, quality control/quality assurance, sales/marketing, supply-chain management, with a fun new twist...
We are very excited to have Aeron as a mentor at Gateway for a multitude of reasons. We believe that one of the greatest opportunities for growth in the cannabis industry is distribution ... it is practically non-existent at this time. He is also helping validate our hypothesis that military veterans make fantastic entrepreneurs (shoutout to our friends over at Vet-Tech). Ooh Rah!
