The Van Trump Report

Cannabis, Crude Oil, and Corn with special guest Brian Schinderle

Brian Schinderle currently serves as Executive Vice President – Finance of Grassroots Cannabis (Grassroots) and is focused on strategy, capital markets, investor relations and mergers & acquisitions. Grassroots operates a vertically integrated cannabis business with current operations in 12 states and > 900 employees as of March 2020. On July 17, 2019, Grassroots announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement with Curaleaf Holdings (ticker: CURLF) in a cash + stock transaction valued at $875mm; the transaction is expected to close in June/July of 2020. At the conclusion of the merger, the combined company will be the largest cannabis company in the world, with a vertically integrated business covering 20 states in the US.

Brian is also the Managing Member and is the Founder of Solidum Capital Advisors LLC (Solidum). Solidum invests both its own capital as well as working in partnership with a select group of family offices, high net worth individuals and non-traditional sources of capital. In addition, Solidum acts as an advisor to early stage and middle market companies. Prior to Solidum, Brian spent over 20 years in investment management, primarily investing in fixed income and equity assets via hedge funds, private equity and discretely managed funds. Brian served as a portfolio manager at Balyasny Asset Management for roughly 9 years, and previously served as the co-founder and Managing Partner of Wolf Point Capital Management (WPCM). WPCM was both a long/short credit and equity fund as well as a special situation credit fund. He also managed a series of distressed investing funds at PPM America and started his career at Continental Illinois National Bank. Early in his career, he held various roles in risk management, merchant banking, real estate, and capital markets.

Brian has an extensive background in credit, with a focus on distressed and special situations. For roughly 15 years he worked in an “activist” distressed investing role, and frequently served on both formal and informal creditor committees, including sitting on various post-restructured boards.

Brian has been an active private investor across the cannabis space and also serves on the advisory board of Altitude Investments, a cannabis investment fund based in NY. Brian also serves on the advisory board of AIM PLC, an investment company based in London focused on EU cannabis investments. Brian currently serves on various boards and advisory boards, including Total Loans Company, the Wilmette Theatre Education Project, and The Michigan Shores Club.

Brian graduated from the University of Illinois, Summa Cum Laude, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and also earned a Master of Science degree in Finance. He lives with his wife and three children in Wilmette, IL.

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