Vertosa Enhances Leadership Team with Promotion of Oakland’s Austin Stevenson to Chief Innovation Officer
OAKLAND, CA (June 30, 2020) – Vertosa, an innovative hemp and cannabis technology company providing customized emulsion systems for infused products, is proud to announce that Austin Stevenson has been promoted from VP of Products & Innovation to a pivotal new role: Chief Innovation Officer. Stevenson’s promotion comes at a significant time for the rapidly growing company, as Vertosa continues to deepen its footprint as an essential link in the supply chain for the burgeoning infused product category.
As Chief Innovation Officer, Stevenson will continue to solidify the company as the preeminent cannabis and hemp infusion technology provider, further developing Vertosa’s mission and framework for continued evolution in the cannabis space and beyond. He will identify innovative initiatives, develop new profit centers, and ensure promising projects are commercialized effectively.
“Austin is an invaluable, natural born leader who embodies our core values and is everything we want a Vertosa team member to be. He has been absolutely instrumental in our business development and I’m eternally grateful to work alongside him every day,” said Vetosa CEO, Ben Larson. “His new title is more than fitting since he has long enabled our clients and customers to understand how Vertosa’s infusion technology elevates the cannabis space, and he is a true business partner deserving of the Officer title.”
Stevenson, as a founding team member, was instrumental in the commercialization of Vertosa’s flagship emulsion systems. His work has resulted in the introduction of hundreds of infused products to market both domestically and abroad; he has forged strategic partnerships with mainstream consumer packaged goods brands including VitaCoco, House of Saka, Calexo, CC Wellness, Viv&Oak and many more.
“We’re on a mission to infuse the world, because consumers are demanding safer, more controlled, and more approachable cannabis products that do not require smoking or inhaling. Therefore, it is our focus to create new cannabis experiences with Vertosa’s proprietary technologies,” said Stevenson. “In my new role as Chief Innovation Officer, I will accelerate the progress we’ve made in the beverage category and lead expansion into other categories, including confections, beauty, wellness, and sports supplements products; one infused product at a time”.
Prior to joining Vertosa, Stevenson leveraged his bio-tech experience building the regulatory Hemp/CBD testing program for Eurofins Scientific – a world leader in food, environment, and product testing services – where he built and designed quality testing protocols for CVS and other retailers who carried Hemp/CBD products. For over 10 years, Austin has advised start-ups, built businesses, and launched hundreds of new products in finance, technology, and cannabis consumer packaged goods industries. Stevenson is also a Founding Board Member and elected Treasurer of the Cannabis Beverage Association, as well as former management associate for Citigroup Microfinance, where he worked to fund minority and women-owned businesses, and continues to promote similar initiatives through his work at Vertosa.
The promotion follows another major company milestone that Stevenson played an instrumental role in accomplishing: Vertosa’s expansion into Canada via a strategic partnership with VIVO Cannabis, a seasoned Licensed Producer known for premium cannabis products and services, who will utilize Vertosa’s patent-pending emulsion systems to produce cannabis beverages and other infused products.
“More than a new title, this promotion is a new step for the company as we transition from serving clear and present needs to scaling and building our vision for the future of cannabis,” added Larson.
For more information on Vertosa, its technology and team, please visit vertosa.com.
About Vertosa
Vertosa creates industry-leading active ingredients for infused product makers. Their patent pending nano- and micro-emulsions are carefully designed for the specific needs of each customer, with pre-suspended aqueous solutions that create incredibly homogeneous and stable products while maximizing bioavailability, clarity, and taste. Vertosa works closely with their lab partners and clients of all sizes throughout the manufacturing process to achieve target potency and accelerate products to market. Learn more about Vertosa at vertosa.com, and connect on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.