The VentureFizz Podcast: Ryan Smith - Co-Founder & CEO of LeafLink banner image

The VentureFizz Podcast: Ryan Smith - Co-Founder & CEO of LeafLink

For the 58th episode of our podcast, I interviewed Ryan Smith, Co-Founder & CEO of LeafLink.

Ryan is a serial entrepreneur and has been recognized by Forbes as a member of their 30 Under 30 list for enterprise tech. Prior to co-founding LeafLink, he successfully founded and exited two companies.

LeafLink is a venture-backed company in New York City that is setting the industry standard for how cannabis brands and retailers work together.  With a robust online marketplace, CRM, and order management tools, they have created a centralized sales engine to help cannabis sellers manage and grow their business.

The company was listed as one of the Most Innovative Companies in 2018 by Fast Company.

In this episode of our podcast, we cover:

  • Ryan’s background and the details on his first two companies.
  • How he met Zach Silverman, his Co-Founder at LeafLink and what led them to start the company.
  • The details on LeafLink and how they are building a rapidly growing business in the cannabis industry.
  • How he raised funding as a cannabis-focused company and other industry challenges.
  • Advice for founders on getting PR as a startup.
  • What he wishes people told him before starting his own company.
  • Plus, a lot more.

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Keith Cline is the Founder of VentureFizz. Follow him on Twitter: @kcline6.