Blog, Summary15 Steve Hoffman Blog, Summary15 Steve Hoffman

Two Films, One Message: The Solution to Human and Environmental Health Is Right Under Our Feet

This article first appeared in Presence Marketing’s October 2023 newsletter.

By Steven Hoffman

Two new feature-length documentary films, Organic Rising and Common Ground, released in October, demonstrate clearly that the time is now for industry, government and the public to fully embrace the potential of organic and regenerative agriculture.

Through interviews with thought leaders, farmers, scientists, celebrities and industry experts, plus animation to help convey complex concepts, both films convey a powerful message that the way we produce our food and treat our nation’s soil directly impacts climate change and our health.

Organic Rising, sponsored in part by Presence Marketing, documents the history of organic food and farming and the growth of the organic products market, from the early influences of J.I. Rodale, Sir Albert Howard and Rachel Carson to the back-to-the-land movement of the 1960s to today’s $60-billion organic food marketplace.

Ten years in the making and directed by Pulitzer Prize and Emmy Award-winning National Geographic photojournalist Anthony Suau, Organic Rising also contrasts the history or organic against a backdrop of the widespread usage of toxic pesticides over the past 80 years. Narrated by organic industry advocate Elizabeth Kucinich and actor Simon Harrison, the film also documents how glyphosate has become the most widely used pesticide in history, along with its adverse impacts on human, animal and environmental health.

According to former executive director of the Rodale Institute Mark Smallwood, interviewed in Organic Rising, organic crops can produce higher margins than conventional, so price outweighs any difference in yield, he asserts. In fact, organic can be more profitable than conventional, especially in seasons of drought and flood, where organic farming can actually outperform conventional agriculture. “Conventional uses chemistry; organic farmers build soil,” Smallwood said.

In addition to interviews showcasing pioneering organic farmers, entrepreneurs, chefs including Dan Barber, and indigenous leaders including Winona LaDuke, Organic Rising also features interviews with internationally renowned agro-ecology expert and author Vandana Shiva, and the late Ronnie Cummins, co-founder of the Organic Consumers Association, Regeneration International and Vía Organica.

The film Common Ground is the sequel to Kiss the Ground, which, when released in 2020, was the one of the first full-length documentaries to explore how regenerative organic agriculture can sequester enough carbon from the atmosphere to reverse climate change. Featuring an all-star cast of narrators including Woody Harrelson, Rosario Dawson, Donald Glover, Jason Momoa, Ian Somerhalder and Laura Dern, Common Ground was directed by husband and wife team Rebecca and Josh Tickell, who also directed the first Kiss the Ground film.

Common Ground chronicles the struggles and triumphs of a politically and culturally diverse group of farmers, ranchers, scientists, and advocates who all share one thing in common: they believe in a way of ecological farming that builds soil. By using a combination of traditional knowledge and wisdom and modern technology, the farmers and ranchers in the regenerative movement make more money and grow more nutrient-dense food than their “conventional” farming counterparts, assert the film’s directors. The “regenerative pioneers” featured in the film claim that to save humanity from future environmental catastrophes, we must first save our soil. “Common Ground shows that soil is quite possibly the most valuable substance on our planet, because if our soil dies, we also die,” they cautioned.

“Coming from a legacy farming family myself, I’ve witnessed and experienced in my family the very real health impacts of our current food system. In fact, the old farmer you see in the film buying grain and taking out a loan is my dad. Josh and I have a long history of making and distributing advocacy docs, but all of them have led us to Common Ground. We need to turn this movie into a movement,” said Rebecca Tickell.

Speaking to the potential of regenerative agriculture to heal the planet, former conventional and now regenerative farmer Gabe Brown shared the following: “I often get asked, ‘what makes you think this can occur in the world,’ and I answer, ‘because it’s nature.’ Nature is always self organizing, self healing, self regulating. If we can cover the earth in a biodiverse array of plants and animals and insects we wouldn’t hear about climate change anymore. We wouldn’t have this human health crisis. We would have food that is truly nutrient dense,” he said.

Woody Harrelson ends the film with a final thought, “So remember this, next time you look up at that night sky, think about where you are. You’re on the only planet we know of that’s filled with life. The one thing that’s keeping us all alive, is that soil you’re standing on.”

Watch the films here or see them in select theaters now:

Organic Risinghttps://www.organicrisingfilm.com
Common Ground https://commongroundfilm.org

Steven Hoffman is Managing Director of Compass Natural, providing public relations, brand marketing, social media and strategic business development services to natural, organic and sustainable products businesses. Contact steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com.

Read More
Blog, Summary15 Steve Hoffman Blog, Summary15 Steve Hoffman

NoCo9 Hemp Pitch and WAFBA Award Winners Exemplify Innovation, Dedication in the Hemp Industry

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The ninth annual NoCo Hemp Expo, held March 29-31 in Colorado Springs, featured an awards ceremony and pitch slam.

LOVELAND, CO (April 11, 2023) – This year’s WAFBA Awards of Excellence were presented during a lively welcome reception to kick off the NoCo9 Hemp Expo at The Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs. Winners were announced to cheers and applause as industry participants gathered to celebrate the growth of the industry and its dedicated pioneers.

“I’m so glad to see everyone gathered again in the spirit of optimism and growth,” said Morris Beegle, producer of NoCo9 Hemp Expo and president of WAFBA, who presented many of the awards. “It’s great to see so many advances in the industry since last year.”

WAFBA Awards 2023:

Elevation Award (Advancing the Industry Through Impeccable Leadership)
Melissa Nelson
Someone who drives the industry forward by breaking down barriers, thus paving the way for others. They are an advocate who focuses on developing others while being committed to their own personal development. Their impact goes beyond the industry. Their values led them to influence positive change for marginalized, medically challenged or under-resourced individuals, communities and nonprofits.
2022 recipient: Carla Boyd

Community Economic Impact Award
IND Hemp
Someone who has demonstrated extraordinary stewardship by positively impacting their community through job creation and opportunity, contributing to clean-up, strengthening financial stability, inclusivity and leading by example. Dedicated to educating their community and developing bonds that will further their social impact.
2022 recipient: Melissa Nelson

Mother Earth Award (Lady of Agriculture)
Anndrea Hermann 
A woman whose entrepreneurial spirit has ushered a new era of business leaders through her skills and execution in agriculture. She is a visionary who has cultivated relationships through education, inclusivity and collaboration. Her determination and dedication support our farmers and contribute immensely to building the supply chain, making her a trailblazer and an inspiration to others.
2022 recipient: Winona LaDuke

Best New Tech Award/Tech Innovation
Global Fiber Processing -- Structural Hemp Block
Bast Fibre Tech -- Sero Natural Hemp Fibre 
A person or group whose work is at the forefront of the industry with their game-changing technical tools for improvement and impact to further the hemp industry. Their brand has grown exponentially over the last year, whose product or services filled a gap in the market or both.
2022 recipient: Corbett Hefner and Formation Ag

Carbon Solution Award
Patrick Brown -- Hempfinity/Brown Family Farms
Acting as a change agent through their processes and efforts by creating ways to reduce carbon emissions with their own practices and/or through the products they produce. They lead the way in lowering their carbon footprint while providing direction for others to do the same in the joint effort against the carbon crisis.
2022 recipient: Sergiy “Doctor Hemphouse” Kovalenkov

Legacy Award
Chris Boucher
This award is to honor a remarkable person whose legacy has and will continue to embolden others. They are well-respected and their efforts have not gone unrecognized. Their passion for hemp has not wavered. Their perseverance remained steady through challenges they may have faced over time. 
2022 recipient: Tim Shaughnessy

The Das Award/aka The Service Award
Alex White Plume
Service is what life is all about. Service doesn’t have to be big and grandiose to be meaningful and make a difference. Goodness is the only investment that never fails. As we serve others, we are working on ourselves; every act, every word, every gesture of genuine compassion naturally nourishes our own hearts as well. Our rewards in life will always be in direct ratio to our service. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.
2022 recipient: Agua Das Ellis

Hemp Pitch Winners 2023
This year’s NoCo Hemp Expo also featured the second annual NoCo Hemp Pitch, where six finalist companies vied for prizes, including legal fees and other services.

Sponsored by Michael Best, a leading law firm serving the hemp and cannabis markets, the NoCo Hemp Pitch competition gave the finalists six minutes each to pitch their brand or idea to a live audience and to judges, who included hemp industry start-up consultants, attorneys and investors. 

This year’s winners:
1st place: Bee Delightful, led by Skyler Johnstone and master beekeeper Daniel Weaver, produces wildflower honey from rescue bees in Central Texas and infuses the raw honey with a carefully extracted, naturally occurring cannabidiol (CBD) from organic hemp farms in Colorado, Oregon and Kentucky.

2nd place: Pure BioPlastics, led by Ed Lehrburger out of Colorado, creates hemp fiber produced by PureHemp, which has been manufactured and sold into various markets to make first-generation hemp plastics. During the past five years, the company has developed a new technology to convert hemp stalks into 100% bioplastics (second-generation hemp plastics). 

Tree Free Hemp Charity Golf Challenge
The team from Sawyer Labs/Trusted Harvest won the first annual Tree Free Hemp Charity Golf Challenge, to benefit the Realm of Caring Foundation. 

2024 Hemp Expo Announced
The 10th NoCo Hemp Expo will take place next year at The Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs, from March 20-22, 2024. To exhibit or sponsor, click here. 

First Citizens Bank, EarthX, Patagonia Led Distinguished Group of Sponsors
NoCo Hemp Expo is pleased to recognize our Sponsors, including Presenting Sponsor First Citizens Bank. “Having a leading, agriculture-focused financial institution such as First Citizens Bank, with its 100-plus-year history of serving farmers and ag-related businesses, step up and serve as Presenting Sponsor of this year’s NoCo Hemp Expo is a huge statement, providing vital credibility and legitimization for the industry at a time when it’s needed most,” said Beegle. “We’re also thrilled to welcome EarthX as our Environmental NGO partner and Patagonia as Sustainable Apparel Sponsor. Additional lead sponsors include Global Fiber Processing, Michael Best, CannaConsortium, Advanced Bio-Materials Technologies, Divita Hemp Block & Weaving Vibes. We are very excited about these categories that bring focus to areas where hemp can make a difference in sustainability and improving the environment.”

About NoCo Hemp Expo
For a decade, NoCo Hemp Expo — the world’s most comprehensive industrial hemp exposition and conference — has brought together international business and government leaders, academics, nonprofits, media and the public to collaborate on important initiatives, opportunities and solutions for the future of a crop and an industry that can have significant positive impact on human, animal and planetary health.

NoCo is produced by We Are For Better Alternatives (WAFBA), a leading organization dedicated to the advancement and advocacy of hemp farming, processing, production, innovation, education and legalization. WAFBA also is the publisher of Let’s Talk Hemp, the industry’s leading news source. Learn more about the hemp and cannabis industry and subscribe to the latest news at www.letstalkhemp.com

Contact
Morris Beegle, WAFBA, info@nocohempexpo.com
Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural, steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com, tel 303.807.1042

Read More
Blog, Summary15 Steve Hoffman Blog, Summary15 Steve Hoffman

Hemp Industry Indigenous Leaders to Convene at NoCo Hemp Expo in Colorado Springs, March 29-31

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

What: 9th Annual NoCo Hemp Expo
When: March 29-31, 2023
Where: The Broadmoor Resort, Colorado Springs, CO
Info: https://www.nocohempexpo.com/
Register for NoCo9 tickets: https://www.nocohempexpo.com/ticket-sales/

LOVELAND, CO (March 2, 2023) – Indigenous leaders in the hemp industry are planning their exhibits and talks to bring generations of knowledge to the 9th Annual NoCo Hemp Expo, the world’s most comprehensive hemp business conference and trade show. The event will take place on March 29-31, 2023, at the historic Broadmoor Resort & Convention Center in Colorado Springs.

“The contributions of Indigenous people to sustainable agriculture and stewarding the Earth are immeasurable,” said Morris Beegle, Producer of NoCo. “This year, NoCo Hemp Expo is proud to include a larger presence of Indigenous programming and exhibits.” 

Indigenous Leaders Working Group Meeting
To start the show, leaders will gather on Wednesday, March 29, 2-4 p.m. MT in Her Many Voices Meeting Room for an Indigenous Leaders Working Group Meeting facilitated by Winona LaDuke, Executive Director of Honor the Earth and the Anishinaabe Agriculture Institute and founder of Winona’s Hemp, and Mary Jane Oatman, Executive Director of the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association and Founder and Publisher of THC Magazine. Their hope is to provide a space for Indigenous industry participants to meet, mingle and contribute to the growing hemp industry among Indigenous tribes.

Indigenous Panel Discussions
Indigenous leaders will also participate in educational programming throughout the event. On Thursday March 30, at 2 p.m., LaDuke and Oatman will be joined by Theo Wahquahboshkuk of Prairie Band Ag, Rob Pero of Canndigenous and Ira Vandever to discuss the role of Indigenous knowledge in growing the hemp industry, using every part of the plant, and innovative workforce approaches. There will also be a presentation on March 31 moderated by LaDuke called “Growing Hemp: Now and Then” as part of the Agriculture Symposium on the Main Stage. Joining LaDuke will be Alex White Plume, Chris Boucher, Ryan Loflin and Bill Billings to discuss traditional and modern-day hemp farming methods, and what the growing U.S. industry can take from Indigenous farming methods to contribute to the success of hemp growing today. 

Indigenous Pavilion
On Thursday and Friday of NoCo9, the show will host a dedicated exhibit pavilion with the theme of community work that will feature leading Indigenous producers and organizations, including:

- Winona’s Hemp/Anishinaabe Agriculture Institute 
- Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association 
- Canndigenous CBD
- Prairie Band Agriculture/Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation
- Turquoise Indigo Fibers
- Additional participants to be announced 

The pavilion will include the opportunity to speak with Indigenous leaders, a weaving demonstration to show traditional application and use of hemp fiber, as well as literature and stickers available for attendees.  

“The Indigenous approach is cooperative. We focus on farmers and local economies,” said Winona LaDuke of the Honor the Earth/Anishinaabe Agriculture Institute. “We will be talking about how hemp has a minimal carbon footprint, uses minimal water and is a sustainable resource. Let’s do this the right way for this sacred plant.” 

About NoCo9:

Experience Hemp Expo Hall – The World of Hemp Under One Roof 
In addition to three days of comprehensive education, keynote presentations, workshops and seminars, NoCo9 will feature the Experience Hemp Expo Hall in The Broadmoor’s new, state-of-the-art exhibition facilities. Featuring a world of hemp and business opportunities, the Expo Hall will allow NoCo9 attendees to sample wares, learn about products and businesses, hold meetings and visit exhibitors. The Experience Hemp Expo Hall also will feature specialized zones, including: 

Divita Hemp Block Demo Zone & Solution Circle – Visit this special educational zone on the trade show floor for solo presentations, panels, demos and workshops from experts and specialists innovating with hemp across all industries, from hemp textiles to medicinal applications of cannabinoids, to using hemp in artisan craft production, as well as in building and construction. 

Schedule at a Glance
- Advocacy & Policy Conference, Wednesday, March 29
- Lake Terrace Welcome Party & WAFBA Awards of Excellence, Wednesday, March 29
- Business & Investment Conference, Thursday, March 30
- 2nd Annual NoCo Hemp Pitch, Thursday, March 30
- Agriculture & Academia Conference, Friday, March 31
- Experience Hemp Expo Hall, Thursday and Friday, March 30-31
- Garden of the Hemp Gods-NoCo9 After Party, Friday, March 31

The Broadmoor Offers Special NoCo Hemp Expo Rates
NoCo Hemp Expo will take place March 29-31, 2023, at one of Colorado’s most historic resorts, The Broadmoor. With roots dating back to the late 1800s and located at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs features a world-class setting, state-of-the-art meeting and convention space, a lake, walking paths, 36-hole golf course, spa, restaurants and lodging at a special rate for NoCo Hemp Expo attendees. Recently remodeled, The Broadmoor is committed to sustainability and has been awarded a Forbes Five-Star resort rating every year since 1960.

First Citizens Bank, EarthX, Patagonia Lead Distinguished Group of Sponsors
NoCo Hemp Expo is pleased to recognize our Sponsors, including Presenting Sponsor First Citizens Bank. “Having a leading, agriculture-focused financial institution such as First Citizens Bank, with its 100-plus-year history of serving farmers and ag-related businesses, step up and serve as Presenting Sponsor of this year’s NoCo Hemp Expo is a huge statement, providing vital credibility and legitimization for the industry at a time when it’s needed most,” said Beegle. “We’re also thrilled to welcome EarthX as our Environmental NGO partner and Patagonia as Sustainable Apparel Sponsor. Additional lead sponsors include Global Fiber Processing, Michael Best, CannaConsortium, Advanced Bio-Materials Technologies, Divita Hemp Block & Weaving Vibes. We are very excited about these categories to bring focus to areas where hemp can make a difference in sustainability and improving the environment.”

Exhibit and Sponsor
For more information on sponsorship and exhibiting, please visit https://www.nocohempexpo.com/sponsors-and-exhibitors-request/

Register Here for NoCo9
Visit https://www.nocohempexpo.com/ticket-sales/

About NoCo Hemp Expo
For nearly a decade, NoCo Hemp Expo — the world’s most comprehensive industrial hemp exposition and conference — has brought together international business and government leaders, academics, nonprofits, media and the public to collaborate on important initiatives, opportunities and solutions for the future of a crop and an industry that can have significant positive impact on human, animal and planetary health.

The 9th Annual NoCo Hemp Expo is produced by We Are For Better Alternatives (WAFBA), a leading organization dedicated to the advancement and advocacy of hemp farming, processing, production, innovation, education and legalization. WAFBA also is the publisher of Let’s Talk Hemp, the industry’s leading news source. Learn more about the hemp and cannabis industry and subscribe to the latest news at www.letstalkhemp.com.

Contact
Morris Beegle, WAFBA, info@nocohempexpo.com
Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural, steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com, tel 303.807.1042

Read More
Blog, Summary2 Steve Hoffman Blog, Summary2 Steve Hoffman

Honor the Earth: Join Winona LaDuke on the Next Compass Coffee Talk, January 13, 11:30am EST

Honor the Earth

Join Winona LaDuke, Hemp Ambassador and Water Rights Protector, to discuss the possibility of a green economy, water rights, and her non-profit Honor the Earth, in addition to sharing her experience of protecting the land in her home state of Minnesota against the threat of corporate expansion.

Wednesday, January 13, 11:30 am – Noon EST
Zoom, Admission is Free

Featured guest Winona LaDuke, a globally recognized Hemp Ambassador and Water Rights Protector, joins Compass Coffee Talk. LaDuke will discuss the possibility of a green economy, water rights, and her non-profit Honor the Earth, in addition to sharing her recent experience of protecting the land in her home state of Minnesota against the threat of corporate expansion.

About Winona LaDuke
Winona LaDuke is a rural development economist and author working on issues of Indigenous Economics, Food, and Energy Policy. She lives and works on the White Earth reservation in northern Minnesota and is the Executive Director of Honor the Earth (HtE). She co-founded HtE with music artists, The Indigo Girls, as a platform to raise awareness of and money for indigenous struggles for environmental justice. She works nationally and internationally on climate change, renewable energy, and environmental justice alongside Indigenous communities. She is the founder of the White Earth Land Recovery Project, one of the country's largest reservation-based non-profit organizations.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR, ALLEGRO COFFEE!

About Compass Coffee Talk™
Take a 30-minute virtual coffee break with Compass Coffee Talk™. Hosted by natural industry veterans Bill Capsalis and Steve Hoffman, Coffee Talk features lively interactive conversations with industry leaders and experts designed to help guide entrepreneurs and businesses of any size succeed in the market for natural, organic, regenerative, hemp-derived and other eco-friendly products.

Compass Coffee Talk™ is produced by Compass Natural Marketing, a leading PR, branding and business development agency serving the natural and organic products industry. Learn more.

Read More
Blog, Summary2 Steve Hoffman Blog, Summary2 Steve Hoffman

Top Industry Experts John Mackey, Winona LaDuke and Blair Kellison to Headline Compass Coffee Talk™ in Q1 2021

Mailer Header.png

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Top Industry Experts John Mackey, Winona LaDuke and Blair Kellison to Headline Compass Coffee Talk™ in Q1 2021

Join the Conversation! Hear Insights and Words of Wisdom from Notable Entrepreneurs and thought leaders on Season 2 of Compass Coffee Talk, presented by Compass Natural 

What: Compass Coffee Talk™ 
Save the Date(s):

To Register: Click on Each Date Above, FREE on Zoom 
Presented By: Compass Natural, Connecting Media and Markets in Natural and Organic Products
Sponsored By: Allegro Coffee

Boulder, CO (December 17, 2020) – Kick off the New Year with Compass Coffee Talk™, a lively webinar series featuring conversations with industry leaders, including Whole Foods Market Co-Founder and CEO John Mackey and Traditional Medicinals CEO Blair Kellison, plus hemp expert and Native American tribal leader Winona LaDuke. Compass Coffee Talk is pleased to announce the return of its second season starting January 2021, with robust programming designed to help guide entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes to succeed in the marketplace.

LaDuke, Mackey, Kellison.jpg

Featured guest Winona LaDuke, a globally recognized Hemp Ambassador, and Water Rights Protector, will join the program on Wednesday, January 13, 2021, 11:30 am – Noon, EST, via ZOOM. LaDuke will discuss the possibility of a green economy, water rights, and her non-profit Honor the Earth, in addition to sharing her recent experience of protecting the land in her home state of Minnesota against the threat of corporate expansion. 

Compass Coffee Talk’s co-hosts Steve Hoffman and Bill Capsalis are honored by Winona LaDuke’s participation on the show. "This will be an extraordinary and unique episode of Compass Coffee Talk in which we hear from former Vice-Presidential candidate and tribal leader Winona LaDuke, who will share a message from Honor the Earth, the future of hemp, and the ongoing activism against pipelines that threaten our water – and how the natural products community can help,” says Steven Hoffman, Founder of Compass Natural Marketing.

John Mackey and Conscious Leadership
John Mackey, the Co-Founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market, will speak in a rare natural products industry interview with Compass Coffee Talk on Thursday, February 25, 2021, 11:30 am – Noon, EST. Mackey co-authored the New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling book entitled, “Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business” (Harvard Business Review Press 2013), which boldly defends and reimagines capitalism and encourages a way of doing business that is grounded in ethical consciousness. Mackey will discuss his latest book, “Conscious Leadership: Elevating Humanity Through Business,” a follow-up to groundbreaking bestseller Conscious Capitalism — revealing what it takes to lead a purpose-driven, sustainable business.

Return to Tradition
Rounding out the first quarter, Traditional Medicinals CEO Blair Kellison will share the legacy and story of tea's healing power on Wednesday, March 17, 2021, 11:30 am – Noon, EST. Hear the founding story behind one of the most successful, globally-known tea brands and its keys to success. 

Featured Guest Biographies

Winona LaDuke is a rural development economist and author working on issues of Indigenous Economics, Food, and Energy Policy. She lives and works on the White Earth reservation in northern Minnesota and is the Executive Director of Honor the Earth (HtE). She co-founded HtE with music artists, The Indigo Girls, as a platform to raise awareness of and money for indigenous struggles for environmental justice. She works nationally and internationally on climate change, renewable energy, and environmental justice alongside Indigenous communities. She is the founder of the White Earth Land Recovery Project, one of the country's largest reservation-based non-profit organizations. 

John Mackey, Co-Founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market, has built the natural and organic grocer from a single store in Austin, Texas in 1978, into a Fortune 500 company, which went public in 1992, and was purchased by Amazon in 2017. Today, Whole Foods Market is a top U.S. supermarket with more than 500 stores and 95,000 Team Members across the U.S., Canada, and U.K. While devoting his career to helping shoppers satisfy their lifestyle needs with quality natural and organic foods, Mackey has also focused on building a more conscious way of doing business. 

Blair Kellison is the CEO of Traditional Medicinals, a mission-driven, organic, and fair trade wellness tea company based in Sonoma County, CA. Co-founded by Drake Sadler in 1974, Traditional Medicinals' purpose-driven social business model has resulted in five decades of commercial success and created a truly sustainable organization. Traditional Medicinals is now the 4th largest bagged tea brand in North America, with distribution in 70,000 retail outlets and over 200 employees. Blair came to Traditional Medicinals in 2008 in its 34th year to partner with the co-founder Drake Sadler and become the company's first non-founder CEO. Blair is a former CPA with Ernst & Young, a brand manager with Nestle, and he received his MBA from Booth at The University of Chicago. 

Allegro Coffee Powers Compass Coffee Talk™ 
Compass Coffee Talk gives special thanks to its lead sponsor, Colorado-based Allegro Coffee. Each episode, one webinar attendee will receive a free bag of Allegro Coffee, a specialty coffee company that believes that where and how coffee is grown matters. Since 1977, Allegro Coffee has remained committed to sourcing the highest quality coffee from farmers dedicated to environmental stewardship and worker livelihood. 

About Compass Coffee Talk™ 
Compass Coffee Talk™ features lively interactive conversations with industry leaders and experts designed to help guide entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes to succeed in the marketplace. Hosted by natural and organic products industry veterans Bill Capsalis and Steve Hoffman, Compass Coffee Talk is produced by Compass Natural Marketing, a leading P.R., branding, and business development agency serving the natural and organic products industry. 

Contact 
Bill Capsalis, Host, 303.808.3441, bill@compassnaturalmarketing.com
Steven Hoffman, Host, 303.807.1042, steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com.

# # #

Read More