As the cannabis industry is showing rapid growth, various investors are grabbing the opportunity. Among many, WelCan Capitals from New York focuses on seed-stage and Series A investment opportunities across the industry. To ensure WelCan reaches new heights, managing partner Vikas Desai aims to expand the company’s investment portfolio up to 15 firms in the next 18 months. Desai holds B.S in Finance and Environmental Studies from the Stern School of Business at New York University. Desai began his career as an investment banking analyst at Morgan Stanley, focusing on real estate M&A and capital markets. With tons of experience, Desai has made several personal investments in numerous technology companies and real estate projects. After having an unbeaten inning at Morgan Stanley, Desai went on to become a private equity investor at Oaktree Capital Management, where he focused on real estate investment opportunities and successfully handled transactions of over $2+ billion. At present, Desai operates as WelCan Capital as a partner and aims to invest in high-impact, foundational companies across early-stage, plant-touching, and ancillary businesses.

The present Managing Director of Insight Partners, Deven Parekh, has an impressive portfolio of managing investments in application software, data, and consumer internet businesses across the globe. Actively working with investments in China, Latin America, Europe, and Russia, Deven is currently a member of the Technical Advisory Council of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that assists the Commission with developing informed technology policies, supporting America’s competitiveness and job creation in the global economy. Making to the Forbes Midas List of Top 100 Tech Investors for continuous five years adds a feather to Deven’s highly successful career. Previously associated with notable companies, such as Buddy Media (acquired by Salesforce, NASDAQ: CRM), Chegg (IPO), Football Fanatics (acquired by GSI Commerce, later acquired by eBay), Media Mind (IPO and subsequent sale to DG Fast Channel), Procuri (acquired by Ariba, NASDAQ: ARBA), ECI Solution (sold to Carlyle), Alibaba (IPO), Twitter (IPO), eVestment (sale to NASDAQ), Deven now serves as Board Chair for Turnitin, Community Brands, Bullhorn, Appriss, Episerver, and EveryAction. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for Fanatics, Diligent, 1stdibs, Vela, Chrono24, Wallapop, Campaign Monitor, and Property Brands. With the fruitful experience of working as a principal at Berenson Minella & Company (a New York based merchant banking firm) and an advisor at The Blackstone Group, Deven has immense knowledge on M&A sphere, as well. Since Deven joined Insight Partners in 200, his responsibilities include the development of organizations, especially start-ups that exhibit high growth potential in exchange for an equity stake. Deven has the honor of a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute, which develops the next generation of community-spirited leaders.

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