CEO MONTHLY Ι GLOBAL CEO EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2024 23 Derek Ross, the innovative CEO of the US’ Nova Farms and the visionary behind an exemplary foster care non-profit, has been recognised by us for his steadfast dedication to philanthropic leadership. Beginning his executive career as the president of a retail garden store chain in Massachusetts, it was not long before Derek found himself heavily involved in a non-profit organisation campaigning for the rights of patients and professionals across the cannabis industry. CEO roles in two medicinal marijuana companies followed, before Derek went on to co-found Nova Farms in early 2017. Established by a small group from Rhode Island with a background in the medical side of this state’s industry, Nova Farms was founded after vertical integration and regulation essentially forced those growing the plants out of the scene altogether, resulting in this group, which included the owner of the Ocean State Cultivation Center, selling, packing up, and leaving the state for pastures new in Massachusetts. What awaited them was endless possibilities with this new start-up, but there were certainly some teething problems along the way. Derek Ross often describes the early days of Nova Farms as akin to building a car whilst already on the way to the race. Initially starting out with just five team members, the company’s exponential growth saw it quickly reach the milestone of a 400-strong team, all as it set the standard in this industry by continuously pioneering and embodying a steadfast dedication to excellence. Having led this team on a journey of redefine both this industry and cultivation more broadly, Derek has been featured in a number of articles and received a host of accolades. Before Derek made a significant impact on the business world, he grew up as a product of America’s foster care system, living in 27 different homes across the course of his youth. Whilst this is unthinkable for many of us, Derek is a proud advocate of the system’s potential, and credits it with giving him the ability to partake in any discussion, something that is a big part of the successful career that he has carved out for himself in the years since. Having hit such great heights, Derek was determined to play his part in improving things for others. When Derek reached 18 and outgrew the structure, it had an incredibly high failure rate of 96%. Although this has come down slightly in recent years, it is still far too high, and this is why Derek established the Aged Out Foundation, a non-profit organisation anchored in his own deeply personal experiences. Supporting the impacted youth as they transition out of this system, this organisation both helps them to develop the skills they need for life and delivers the vocational training that will see good career opportunities await. This sphere is not totally separate from the one in which Derek has made a name for himself, as one of his primary aims across this non-profit has been to establish discourses around the devastating impact that the illegal drug trade is having on the US foster care system. Whether their parents had taken drugs themselves or had their children taken away from them for being involved in illegal drug circles, their children unfairly ended up in a system that was totally failing almost all of them. As the exception, Derek is changing things for the better. The Aged Out Foundation ultimately highlights what Derek Ross is all about as a leader, as he also loves putting a new and innovative spin on the challenges that are impacting the cannabis industry, and doing so in a way that is beneficial to all. Nova Farms’ decision to go outdoors with its cultivation is a fantastic example of this, as it highlights a pioneering and flexible approach that not only allowed the company’s operation to increase considerably in size, but also in efficiency. Some hurdles did stand in its way however, as industry regulations have been designed primarily for indoor facilities. Having never seen plans for an outdoor facility like the one that Nova Farms was proposing, the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) in Massachusetts was initially sceptical, meaning that the company had to work incredibly hard to prove that its disruptive approach to this sector would work, which it did magnificently. Today, the company is capable of producing these plants in metric tonnes, something that goes way beyond even the maximum capabilities of traditional indoor farms. Making all of this possible is a 90-acre farm situated in the heart of the Berkshires, not far from New York’s northern state line. Boasting some of the most fertile soil in all of the extensive New England region of the US, Nova Farms’ plot is proud to today be the area’s largest outdoor farm of its kind. As undoubtedly the heart of this business, this outdoor grow sees Nova Farms produce plants that are 100% sun-grown, all with zero pesticides and a low carbon footprint, this thanks to the sustainable farming methods that are prioritised across its operation. Beyond its game-changing facility which set the wheels of this groundbreaking business in motion, the success of Nova Farms is, at its core, based on the textbook internal culture it possesses, built on the cornerstones of agility, nurturing strategic partnerships, and solving problems with innovation. From here, what underpins the ethos of this multifaceted company is a steadfast commitment to quality, a feat which it is able to achieve with help from an array of like-minded partner organisations that all share the same values concerning value and accessibility. Aside from its array of partners, Nova Farms’ growth has resulted in it having expanded right across the US over the past few years, including its most recent venture into Woodbury, New Jersey. This location now joins four others, namely Attleboro, Dracut, and Framingham in the company’s home state of Massachusetts, and one dispensary in Greenville, Maine. For Derek this expansion can be attributed to the clear mission and the strong team the company has its disposal, which includes COO Blair Fish and Zach Allen, a fellow co-founder. Things are not stopping here however, as Nova Farms has recently announced the opening of a new destination in New Britain, Connecticut. These are just the first steps that Nova Farms is taking on its long journey to redefine an industry, and with Derek Ross at the helm, this venture is sure to be engaging and exciting in equal measure, giving back to the community whilst continuing to usher in a new and better future for all through sustainable methods. Celebrated with this, the CEO Monthly Philanthropic Leadership Dedication Excellence Award 2024, we wish Derek Ross and everybody at both Nova Farms and the Aged Out Foundation all the best as they continue to drive lasting change. Contact: Derek Ross Company: Nova Farms Web Address: https://novafarms.com
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