Darren Gleeman
Managing PartnerMBO VenturesDarren Gleeman is the Managing Partner of MBO Ventures, a firm focused on business exits through a structure called an Independent Buyout.
An Independent Buyout uses a federally authorized employee trust (an ESOP trust) to purchase stock directly from a company’s founders. It is a unique trust that can acquire company stock and use third-party financing to complete the transaction. Instead of selling to private equity, the owner sells to this trust, creating liquidity while transitioning ownership to employees under a tax-advantaged structure.
Using the Independent Buyout structure, founders can achieve liquidity while deferring capital gains taxes, the company will completely eliminate federal and state income tax (making 280E irrelevant) and the transaction is structured to preserve significant future upside for the seller.
MBO Ventures focuses exclusively on helping owners exit their businesses without selling out—preserving culture, maximizing after-tax proceeds, and creating long-term upside through warrant strategies.
Before founding MBO, Darren was the Managing Partner of GB Trading, a hedge fund focused on quantitative strategies. He brings a deep understanding of finance, structure, and execution to every transaction. Darren has led almost every single ESOP-structured Independent Buyout in the cannabis industry to-date, and was named Top Financial Advisor by Green Market Report in 2024.
Cannabis Banking, Investment & Capital Access: Pathways to Funding
Banking access remains one of the cannabis industry's hardest constraints, and it shapes nearly all growth decisions operators make. Despite years of
Banking access remains one of the cannabis industry's hardest constraints, and it shapes nearly all growth decisions operators make. Despite years of legislative momentum, most cannabis businesses still run cash-heavy operations, struggle to secure
Banking access remains one of the cannabis industry's hardest constraints, and it shapes nearly all growth decisions operators make. Despite years of legislative momentum, most cannabis businesses still run cash-heavy operations, struggle to secure traditional lending, and watch investors hesitate at the door. The result is a market full of demand but starved for accessible capital. This session examines the current state of cannabis banking and
Banking access remains one of the cannabis industry's hardest constraints, and it shapes nearly all growth decisions operators make. Despite years of legislative momentum, most cannabis businesses still run cash-heavy operations, struggle to secure traditional lending, and watch investors hesitate at the door. The result is a market full of demand but starved for accessible capital. This session examines the current state of cannabis banking and the specific pain points around capital access, from limited credit lines to the compliance burdens that make institutions wary. For owners and finance leaders, these aren't abstract policy debates, they directly limit expansion, inventory, and hiring.
This session moves past the problem to deliver practical answers. You'll learn strategies for navigating financial constraints, identifying alternative capital sources, and unlocking marijuana business funding pathways that work in today's environment. Industry experts will break down the latest cannabis market trends, assess the outlook for investment, and show how disciplined finance teams turn cannabis industry opportunities into durable cannabis business growth strategies.
