PROUD TO BE AWARDED TOP 3 BEST PLACES TO WORK IN FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGY BY
THIS IS
LEADERSHIP IN
CANNABIS BANKING
OUR STORY
BEGAN WITH
A VISION
Established in 2017, Green Check Verified brought together leaders in banking, compliance and technology to build a company that enables financial institutions to safely and successfully offer services to the legal cannabis industry by utilizing best-in-class technology solutions and advisory services.
MEET THE TEAM
Ben
BurkeSENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER
Beth
DorisBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT REPRESENTATIVE
Brendan
RyanMARKETING SPECIALIST
Brent
WallaceINTEGRATION ENGINEER
Brett
PuffenbargerVP OF MARKETING, CANNABIS
Bri
Lesh-SiminitusIMPLEMENTATION MANAGER
Casey
ReeseIMPLEMENTATION MANAGER
Cherie
LaFlammeDIRECTOR OF PRODUCT
Christina
BradyCUSTOMER SUPPORT SPECIALIST
Connor
HartBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST
Craig
CarlsonSENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER
Daniella
ChasseDATA MARKETING ASSOCIATE
David
SullivanSENIOR AWS ENGINEER
Elle
BealSENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER
Eric
PalmerDEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS ENGINEER
Erik
SappDIRECTOR, CLIENT SUCCESS
Frank
KichLEAD SOFTWARE ENGINEER
Jake
HollinsaidCLIENT ADVISOR
Jenniffer
FraleyMARKETING OPERATIONS MANAGER
Jody
FerryPRODUCT DESIGNER
John
GadeaHEAD OF PROGRAM COMPLIANCE
John
SzevinINTEGRATION ENGINEER
Julie
MottDIRECTOR, PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATIONS
Kevin
HartFOUNDER & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Leigh
VadasDIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER SUCCESS
Linnea
McWhirterIMPLEMENTATION MANAGER
Mario
DianaFRONT END DEVELOPER
Matt
FitzgeraldVP, ENGINEERING
Matt
GuessCLIENT ADVISOR
Meaka
BrownCANNABIS BANKING REGULATORY SPECIALIST
Meng
GSENIOR BACKEND ENGINEER
Micah
Fields-PeltDIRECTOR, CLIENT SUCCESS
Mike
KennedyCO-FOUNDER, CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER
Milena
PazQA ENGINEER
Mirjan
NezaQA ENGINEER
Mukesh
KshatriyaCHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Paul
ChesekCHIEF GROWTH OFFICER
Paul
DunfordCO-FOUNDER, VP OF KNOWLEDGE
Peter
SuSVP, NATIONAL RELATIONSHIP MANAGER
Robert
PhelpsVP OF MARKETING, FINANCIAL SERVICES
Ryan
FujiwaraSENIOR BACKEND DEVELOPER
Scott
BobbittPRODUCT MANAGER - INTEGRATIONS
Shane
SartyVP, SALES
Staci
FiriosCHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
Stacy
LitkeVP OF BANKING PROGRAMS
Debbie
AraiPRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF OAS
Pam
PerdueSENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER OF HERITAGE SOUTHEAST BANK
Tamara
TotahFOUNDER & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF FLATIRON VENTURE PARTNERS
Debbie Arai
PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF OAS
Debbie is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Optim Audit Solutions (OAS), a boutique audit and risk management firm. Prior to Optim, Debbie served as Vice President, Third-Party Services at ePayAdvisors, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ePayResources, a payment association, where she was responsible for the strategic development of their third-party audit program, products, and services for ACH business participants. Before taking on this strategic role, Debbie developed Audit and Risk Assessment programs and conducted audits for financial institutions. During her tenure, she also founded FOCUS (Forum of Corporate Users and Stakeholders), an educational track developed to provide businesses with compliance education and risk awareness.
Pam Perdue
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER OF HERITAGE SOUTHEAST BANK
Pam Perdue currently serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer at Heritage Southeast Bank. Her work credo is, “Compliance everyone can understand, results anyone can measure.” Pam previously founded or co-founded four regtech ventures: Compliance Compass, Compliance Coach, My Compliance Info and Continuity. An alumnus of the Federal Reserve System, Pam has visited over 1600 banks or credit unions in a supervisory or consulting capacity, and worked with tens of thousands more as a technology partner over her 30+ year career. She has also served in C-level roles in banks ranging from startup/de novo stage to global organizations.
Tamara Totah
FOUNDER & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF FLATIRON VENTURE PARTNERS
Tamara is the Founder and CEO of Flatiron Venture Partners, a New York and Denver based venture capital firm focused on investments in seed-stage technology businesses. She brings years of entrepreneurial experience and financial knowledge to successfully identify companies providing the infrastructure and the technology to new, nascent industries. After graduating The Wharton School of Business, Tamara began her career as a private equity investment professional at Goldman Sachs & Co. Prior to founding Flatiron Venture Partners, Tamara was the CEO of The Flatiron Group, an executive recruiting firm focused on finding investment professionals for global private equity firms and hedge funds.
Ben Burke
SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER
Ben Burke is a Senior Software Engineer at Green Check Verified. Ben has over 10 years of software development experience, ranging from small business applications and content management to lending and payment processing. Ben is driven by his goal of creating amazing digital experiences for both customers and developers.
Beth Doris
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT REPRESENTATIVE
Beth is a Business Development Representative at Green Check Verified. She is tasked with nurturing relationships to encourage educational conversations about successful cannabis banking programs, and she works closely with the sales and marketing teams to extend their efforts. Most recently, Beth spent 12 years in the financial services software industry focusing on surveillance/compliance and advisor compensation systems. Adjacent to these experiences, she has been following the cannabis industry and was instrumental in hosting cannabis business networking events in Connecticut. Beth lives in Connecticut with her husband Michael and has 3 college-aged girls and two puppies, Sherman and Pearl.
Brendan Ryan
MARKETING SPECIALIST
Brendan Ryan is the Marketing Specialist at Green Check Verified. He is a B2B marketing professional with a passion for graphic design. Brendan has several years of experience running digital marketing campaigns utilizing PPC, SEO, CRM, Social, and Email Marketing. Prior to Green Check, Brendan worked in finance before shifting his career to marketing at a B2B marketing agency. He holds an MBA from the University of Southern New Hampshire.
Brent Wallace
INTEGRATION ENGINEER
Brent is an Integration Engineer at Green Check Verified, where he creates and maintains connections to other cannabis-related software products and platforms. Brent has over ten years of full-stack development experience in a diverse set of industries and technologies.
Brett Puffenbarger
VP OF MARKETING, CANNABIS
Brett Puffenbarger is the Vice President of Marketing for the Cannabis Division at Green Check Verified. Brett is a cannabis professional with experience across a broad range of the “green rush.” Brett is also the Co-founder and Managing Partner of Good Highdeas, a bespoke advisory and consulting company. Brett has marketing and sales experience across a wide variety of industries. He is also passionate about PR and holds his Master of Arts from Full Sail University.
Bri Lesh-Siminitus
IMPLEMENTATION MANAGER
Bri Lesh-Siminitus is an Implementation Manager at Green Check Verified with nearly a decade of experience in the cannabis industry. Prior to joining Green Check, Bri assisted in the implementation of cannabis banking programs and managed relationships between cannabis-related businesses, financial institutions, and financial technology. She also brings expertise in the management of dispensaries and is passionate about helping cannabis industry professionals gain access to compliant and transparent banking solutions.
Casey Reese
IMPLEMENTATION MANAGER
Casey is an Implementation Manager at Green Check Verified with nearly two decades of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to joining Green Check, Casey successfully implemented compliant AML and cannabis banking programs. She brings extensive expertise in risk management and program development, and she is excited to partner with financial institutions to develop comprehensive cannabis banking programs.
Cherie LaFlamme
DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT
Cherie LaFlamme is the Director of Product at Green Check Verified, where she leads the user experience, development, and execution of the strategic product vision. Representing the voice of our clients, she aims to create a cannabis banking experience that is simple, effective, and even delightful. Cherie has worked in product management and marketing for 15 years, with a specialty in SaaS-based security and compliance solutions for financial institutions. She holds an MBA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Christina Brady
CUSTOMER SUPPORT SPECIALIST
Christina Brady is Customer Support Specialist at Green Check Verified. Christina’s background includes extensive experience with a multi-state cannabis management company, as well as roles in retail management and business development. Christina is from Chicago, currently living in Denver with her three year old daughter, and enjoys music and volleyball.
Connor Hart
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST
Connor Hart is a Business Development Specialist at Green Check Verified. In this role, Connor will work closely with cannabis-related businesses to pair them with financial institutions to solve their banking and business needs. His ultimate goal is to create lasting relationships with Green Check partners. Before this role, he spent over a decade in retail management with an attitude focused on the customer’s experience and outcome. Connor completed his Bachelor’s degree, with honors, in Business from Arizona State University.
Craig Carlson
SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER
Craig Carlson is a Senior Software Engineer at Green Check Verified, where he specializes in serverless backend development and cloud architecture. Craig has over 8 years of development experience working in a diverse set of industries including health care, video games, and the Department of Defense; coalescing in a security and performance driven, full stack skill set. Craig has a BS in Computer Science from the Colorado School of Mines.
Daniella Chasse
DATA MARKETING ASSOCIATE
Daniella Chasse is the Data Marketing Associate at Green Check Verified. In this role, Daniella works closely with the marketing and business development teams to support outreach to banking and cannabis business partners while increasing brand awareness. Previously, Daniella completed a Fall 2020 internship at Green Check where she was instrumental in helping build out the company’s database and create digital campaigns. Daniella is a recent undergraduate of Southern Connecticut State University School of Business with a concentration in Marketing.
David Sullivan
SENIOR AWS ENGINEER
David Sullivan is a Senior AWS Engineer at Green Check Verified, where he specializes in infrastructure management and security. David has over 10 years of experience in cybersecurity, networking, system administration, compliance, and cloud computing with both AWS and Azure working within the private and public sectors. David has a Bachelors Degree in cybersecurity and networking from the University of Maryland Global Campus.
Elle Beal
SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER
Elle comes to Green Check Verified with over 9 years of development experience. Most recently, Elle was a Senior Software Engineer for ProjectMark and BitGo. Prior to that, she honed her skills in Silicon Valley starting as a Front End Developer and traveled up the engineering gauntlet to the senior levels. She studied at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh where she received her BS in Industrial design and has design experience in multiple disciplines.
Eric Palmer
DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS ENGINEER
Eric Palmer is a DevOps Engineer on the software development team of Green Check Verified. Eric works diligently to ensure that the quality of the code we produce meets and exceeds our customers’ expectations. Having many years of testing, automating, and developing various software solutions under his belt, Eric brings a valuable skill set to the team.
Erik Sapp
DIRECTOR, CLIENT SUCCESS
Erik Sapp is a Strategic Account Manager at Green Check Verified. He is passionate about supporting clients through their digital transformation journey to deliver financial results. Prior to joining Green Check, Erik served as a Military Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Army, and he filled numerous consulting and project management roles in the financial services and banking industries. He holds an MBA from the University of Georgia.
Frank Kich
LEAD SOFTWARE ENGINEER
Frank Kich directs and supports the engineering team as Lead Software Engineer. Frank’s career reflects his passion for working with closely-knit teams to engineer software that forms the bedrock of startups’ product lines and carries them through exponential growth. Prior to Green Check Verified, Frank was a Senior Software Engineer at Arcos LLC, where he engineered software solutions for major utility companies that helped them quickly and efficiently respond to power outages and other emergencies.
Jake Hollinsaid
CLIENT ADVISOR
Jake Hollinsaid is a Client Advisor at Green Check Verified. He comes to the company with over 6 years of experience consulting and coaching organizations through Human Capital Management (HR Payroll) software implementations & transitions. He also has 2 years of experience in the startup world launching a Healthcare Real Estate GIS Modeling Platform. Additionally, Jake specializes in organizational change workflows, strategic partnerships, and contract and negotiation. He currently calls Chicago home and is a graduate of North Park University.
Jenniffer Fraley
MARKETING OPERATIONS MANAGER
Jennifer Fraley is the Marketing Operations Manager at Green Check Verified. She has 15 years of marketing experience across several functions, bringing a well-rounded perspective of marketing and the operations needed behind the scenes to GCV. Most recently, she’s spent the last four years working for Boveda in marketing, events, and operations roles. Jenniffer holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Hamline University.
Jody Ferry
PRODUCT DESIGNER
Jody is a Product Designer at Green Check Verified and brings over 15 years of experience designing software products. He’s passionate about design and the central role it plays in transforming businesses into customer-centric, digitally-empowered organizations. Jody works diligently to design insightful data-driven product features that are modern, consistent, and simple to use for all of our customers.
John Gadea
HEAD OF PROGRAM COMPLIANCE
John Gadea is the Head of Program Compliance at Green Check Verified. His background is in regulatory oversight and legislation with the state of Connecticut including 13 years as Director of State Drug Control. He oversaw the development, implementation and oversight of the Medical Marijuana Program as well as the state Prescription Monitoring Program. John is the owner of Rotes LLC , a consulting company. John is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and is a registered pharmacist. He is fluent in Spanish and Catalan.
John Szevin
INTEGRATION ENGINEER
John Szevin is the Integration Engineer for Green Check Verified. He is responsible for creating, maintaining, and supporting our integrations with leading Cannabis POS systems. Prior to joining the Green Check team, he worked to maintain critical integrations for US Utility companies.
Julie Mott
DIRECTOR, PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATIONS
Julie Mott is the Director of Program Implementations at Green Check Verified. She has over two decades of experience working for banks and credit unions in operations, retail and lending. Prior to joining Green Check, Julie was VP, Deposit Operations Manager for a Rhode Island based, $1.3B institution. She is committed to ensuring exemplary service and support to each of Green Check’s partner financial institutions.
Kevin Hart
FOUNDER & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Kevin Hart is the Founder & CEO of Green Check Verified. Kevin brings four decades of enterprise software experience as part of his founding vision for Green Check. He has worked in the C-Suite for a variety of software companies with global clients and partners, and he has led two companies to successful exits with publicly traded companies, as well as another to an IPO. With decades of experience at the helm of venture backed companies, Kevin has brought together an unmatched team to help him lead Green Check to its leading position in the cannabis financial services market.
Leigh Vadas
DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER SUCCESS
Leigh Vadas is the Director of Customer Success at Green check and has over 15 years of experience in Software and Technology Services. She’s spent the last 6 years building out Customer Success programs for a variety of SaaS companies in Denver, where she lives with her husband and two dogs. Leigh holds a BA from the University of Colorado Boulder and an MBA and MS International Business from the University of Colorado Denver.
Linnea McWhirter
IMPLEMENTATION MANAGER
Linnea McWhirter is an Implementation Manager at Green Check Verified. With nearly a decade of experience at three of the world’s largest financial institutions, she brings her expertise in customer risk analytics, enhanced due diligence, and transaction monitoring to each client engagement. She is a passionate advocate for financial inclusion and is excited to partner with financial institutions to develop comprehensive cannabis banking programs.
Mario Diana
FRONT END DEVELOPER
Mario is a Front End Developer at Green Check Verified. Mario began his technology career as a software tester before progressing to full stack development. Mario has developed software for a diverse set of industries, including utilities, financial regulatory compliance, and specialty retail. Most recently, he worked at ARCOS LLC as an iOS developer.
Matt Fitzgerald
VP, ENGINEERING
Matt is the head of the Engineering team at GCV. Matt has over two decades of experience in the IT arena with a focus on technical alignment strategies in complex environments, enterprise road maps, integration and information processing from data sources, data visualization and reporting, database administration, and delivery of high-end solutions. Most recently, he was leading the Database Operations and Business Intelligence groups at Dynata (previously Survey Sampling International) — the world’s largest first-party data and insights platform.
Matt Guess
CLIENT ADVISOR
Matt Guess is Client Advisor at Green Check Verified. He comes to Green Check with experience serving investment bankers, laws firms, and accounting firms. His role is to work with financial institutions that are considering starting a cannabis banking program or looking to improve an existing program. Matt’s extensive startup experience helps the Green Check team to consult with key stakeholders and find the best solutions for clients. Matt is married to Melissa and has one daughter, Margot, who loves to make guest appearances on company Zoom meetings.
Meaka Brown
CANNABIS BANKING REGULATORY SPECIALIST
Meaka Brown, a Cannabis Banking Regulatory Specialist at Green Check Verified, is tasked with maintaining the compliance structure for the cannabis banking program for financial institutions. After a decade of working in Boston law enforcement, she transitioned into the cannabis industry, working closely with cannabis dispensaries and studying Cannabis Medicine and Education. She is an Herbalist, Canna-Educator, and Canna-Consultant that spends her spare time advocating for Cannabis Medicine and for Social Equity in the Industry. Hailing from Boston, she enjoys plant walks, medicine making, and cooking with her husband and three children.
Meng G
SENIOR BACKEND ENGINEER
Meng is a Senior Backend Engineer at Green Check. He has almost a decade of experience developing enterprise-grade software for Fortune 500 companies. At Green Check, he is responsible for building top-quality software for the backend system that connects with the front end and other integration systems.
Micah Fields-Pelt
DIRECTOR, CLIENT SUCCESS
Micah Fields is the Program Development Manager at Green Check Verified with almost a decade of experience in the financial services and sales industry. Micah has successfully implemented compliant cannabis banking programs for financial institutions across the U.S and managed business portfolios exceeding 100+ million. Prior to joining Green Check, Micah spent time as AVP/BSA Officer at an Arkansas-based financial institution.
Mike Kennedy
CO-FOUNDER, CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER
Mike Kennedy is a Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Green Check Verified. Mike’s background is in helping community financial institutions leverage technology to better manage their compliance and risk functions, and he has helped hundreds of institutions develop and implement bespoke compliance programs. Prior to co-founding Green Check Verified, Mike helped scale Continuity, the first SaaS-based compliance management system for community financial institutions.
Milena Paz
QA ENGINEER
Milena is QA Engineer at Green Check Verified. She has over a decade of expertise in software engineering. She has achieved ISTQB certification and served as a technical editor for a published book on E2E web testing with Cypress, exhibiting her extensive knowledge in software. Prior to joining GCV, Milena served as a software QA engineer for companies in a variety of industries to include retail and healthcare.
Mirjan Neza
QA ENGINEER
Mirjan is a QA Engineer at Green Check Verified. He runs and develops tests focusing on supporting our software’s overall quality and integrity. He has multiple years of experience as a software engineer at JCrew and more recently at Kargo.
Mukesh Kshatriya
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Mukesh is Chief Financial Officer at Green Check Verified. He is a highly entrepreneurial, seasoned Finance and Business Development professional with over 25 years of progressive experience in business management, finance, accounting, taxation and auditing at Ernst & Young in both public and private sectors. Mukesh has held several senior executive management and finance positions in Technology, Cannabis, Financial Services, Real Estate Development and Distribution sectors. He has been actively involved in structuring transactions and raising capital in both private debt and equity. His education includes a Bachelor of Commerce & Finance from the University of Toronto and a Chartered Accountant Designation from the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Paul Chesek
CHIEF GROWTH OFFICER
Paul Chesek is the Chief Growth Officer at Green Check Verified. With skills in Business Development, Consulting, Management and Software as a Service (SaaS), he is an experienced leader with extensive experience in the information technology and services industries. His strengths are in building, organizing and retaining teams to grow and scale businesses across regions and service lines. Most recently, he served as the AVP of Mid-Market and Managed Service for Traction on Demand, a SalesForce Company.
Paul Dunford
CO-FOUNDER, VP OF KNOWLEDGE
Paul Dunford is Co-founder and VP of Knowledge at Green Check Verified. Paul has extensive experience leading digital transformation initiatives predominantly in the healthcare and retail verticals. Previously he was retained by a Fortune 100 insurance company to design and implement a sophisticated solution for managing their field sales teams. At Green Check, Paul leads the compliance team that designs cannabis banking programs for financial institutions. Paul is an active member of the cannabis banking regulatory community, contributing to trade publications and speaking virtually and in-person across the country on the subject.
Peter Su
SVP, NATIONAL RELATIONSHIP MANAGER
Peter Su has 20+ years of banking experience under his belt with stops at HSBC, Signature Bank, Dime and East West Bank. He has grown a de novo cannabis banking program from the ground up, as well as joined a developed cannabis banking program with an eye to go national. He is currently on the Banking and Financial Services committee of the NCIA, and chairs the B&FS committee for the NYCCIA.
Robert Phelps
VP OF MARKETING, FINANCIAL SERVICES
Robert Phelps is Vice President of Marketing for the Financial Services Division at Green Check Verified. A B2B marketing and content specialist, he has over a decade of experience focusing on U.S. financial institutions, banker education and financial technology. Prior to joining Green Check, Robert led the marketing efforts of an AI-focused fintech startup serving community banks and credit unions. He previously worked as Director of Marketing for FinXTech and Bank Director, the leading educational resource for C-Suites and boards of directors at U.S. banks.
Ryan Fujiwara
SENIOR BACKEND DEVELOPER
Ryan is a Senior Backend Developer, he comes to Green Check with over 13 years of experience developing enterprise level software applications for a vast array of industries from bio-tech, agri-business, auto rental and ride sharing, e-commerce, and others. Ryan also has his BS in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology from Illinois State University, where he then went on to work on the Human Microbiome Project and the Cancer Genome Atlas Project at the Genome Institute at Washington University School of Medicine. Ryan is also a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and he is also a licensed pilot.
Scott Bobbitt
PRODUCT MANAGER - INTEGRATIONS
Scott joins Green Check with 11 years of professional experience across varying industries including robotics, mechanical engineering, and cannabis. Scott is an empathic technical strategist whose initiatives focus on building robust integrations while delivering pleasing digital experiences.
Shane Sarty
VP, SALES
Shane Sarty is the Chief Growth Officer at Green Check Verified. Shane has more than 18 years of consulting and business development experience working with financial institutions. Over the course of his career, he has helped launch the world’s largest Salesforce.com consulting practice (acquired by IBM in 2016) and has launched and grown multiple SaaS solutions in the space. Shane’s direct experience in developing solutions sales strategies within the financial services sector via close strategic relationships helps drive our multi-prong go-to-market initiatives.
Staci Firios
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
Staci is the CMO at Green Check Verified, responsible for marketing strategy, lead generation, communications initiatives, and branding. She has more than 25 years of marketing experience, the majority of which has been in financial services and fintech. Most recently, Staci was the CMO of Tier1 Financial Solutions promoting its several brands. Staci holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Stacy Litke
VP OF BANKING PROGRAMS
Stacy Litke is VP of Banking Programs at Green Check Verified with decades of experience in the financial services industry. Time spent in retail, lending, operations and technology — and from the seats of a community banker, fintech executive and consultant — has provided Stacy with a comprehensive view of the industry. Prior to joining Green Check, Stacy was SVP of Operations for a Massachusetts based, $900 million institution. Today, she uses her collective experience to help financial institutions with compliant cannabis banking programs.
A GREAT PLACE TO WORK
THE ONLY THING
MISSING IS YOU
Green Check Verified is an equal-opportunity employer with a team of talented individuals from across the country. Interested in joining our diverse team of dedicated professionals?