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October 11, 2026 · compliance

Leah Kollross Speaking Engagements: Events, Compliance in Focus

Leah Kollross speaking engagements about Cannabis operations

Leah Kollross moderated a panel at NECANN Minnesota 2026 on May 14 to 15, 2026, and spoke at the 2026 Flourish Investment Forum on May 12 to 13, 2026. Both appearances are listed on official event programming pages and confirmed through posts from her brand, 23rd State. Stay tuned for additional 2027 speaking engagements to come, where she’ll be breaking down payroll compliance.

TL;DR:

  • Her speaking centers on payroll, benefits, human resources compliance, and beverage research; at investment focused forums, she connects product decisions with regulatory and financial systems.
  • She brings at least 16 years of payroll, tax, and benefits experience, serves on the NCIA Human Resources Committee, and founded 23rd State.
  • Organizers should allow six to twelve weeks or longer and include audience size, format, honorarium range, target date, and audio visual needs in booking requests.
  • Conference recordings, if released, generally appear on event platforms weeks after closing, while podcast interviews are available through their hosting platforms.
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Roll With Paid provides payroll and HR solutions for high-risk industries, with compliance support tailored to cannabis businesses.

Table of Contents

Upcoming and Recent Speaking Engagements

Leah’s calendar centers on two confirmed spring 2026 dates, backed by a trail of podcast and interview appearances that show how her stage presence has grown over the past two years.

The NECANN Minnesota session places her in a moderator’s chair, a role that fits her operational background: she tends to steer conversation rather than deliver a single-voice pitch. The Flourish listing frames her differently, as a speaker whose remarks connect product strategy to regulatory and financial systems, which makes sense for a forum built around investment decisions rather than retail marketing.

For recaps and context after either event, 23rd State has published a post covering both appearances, including themes discussed and the local setting for each session. That page is a reasonable first stop if you missed the live session and want a summary before tracking down a recording.

If you’re attending either conference, check the event’s own exhibitor directory for booth numbers tied to 23rd State or Sprout Cannabis, since brand presence at a booth often runs alongside the stage schedule. Session recordings, when conferences choose to publish them, typically show up on the event’s platform weeks after the show closes rather than immediately.

Her Core Topics and Speaking Formats

Leah’s sessions tend to return to the same handful of themes regardless of the stage: HR and compliance systems, payroll and benefits infrastructure, evidence-based research in cannabis beverages, and regulatory transparency. She has publicly argued that the cannabis beverage sector has a credibility problem that real-world research, not marketing claims, is positioned to close, a point echoed in industry commentary on the beverage credibility gap.

  • Moderator: Steers panel discussion, as at NECANN Minnesota, pulling practical answers from a mixed group of operators and regulators.
  • Speaker/panelist: Delivers a focused perspective tied to a forum’s theme, as at Flourish, where investment and policy framing dominate.
  • Podcast guest: Covers background, mission, and operational lessons in a longer, conversational format.

Her 16-plus years of operational experience in payroll, tax, and benefits shapes a style that leans on systems rather than slogans. Where a typical cannabis panel drifts toward branding, she tends to redirect toward compliance mechanics and what actually holds up under audit.

Pro Tip: If you’re organizing a panel around Leah, build in quick-fire policy questions and pair her with a regulator or finance-side panelist; that combination plays to her strength of translating technical compliance issues into practical business impact.

How to Verify a Session and Request a Booking

Checking a date or requesting Leah for an event both start the same way: with the official event page.

  1. Start with the event’s own programming page (NECANN Minnesota or Flourish, for current dates) to confirm session time, room, and listed panelists.
  2. Cross-check against 23rd State’s event posts, which often add context the conference page leaves out, such as session framing or related appearances.
  3. For past appearances, check podcast episode pages directly. The Potent. Podcast and Herbal Profiles both host their episodes with Leah on their own platforms.
  4. For a booking inquiry, prepare an event brief covering your audience size, preferred session format (moderator, panelist, or podcast-style conversation), honorarium range, AV needs, and your target date.
  5. Submit that brief through the event’s official contact channels, send us a message through our contact page, or through 23rd State directly, since that’s the brand most consistently tied to her speaking schedule.

Conference bookings tend to need real lead time. Plan for six to twelve weeks or more between your initial request and a confirmed slot, especially for larger industry conventions where programming locks early.

Pro Tip: Include your AV setup details (microphone type, screen size, whether the session streams) in your first message. Panelists with operational backgrounds, like Leah’s, often ask about technical specifics before confirming, so answering that up front speeds up the booking conversation.

Microphone and camera set up before a conference

If you’re attending rather than booking, the simplest way to connect is in person: visit the Roll With Paid booth if one is listed in the exhibitor directory, or catch her after a panel, when most speakers and moderators stay for a few minutes of hallway conversation.

Credentials That Back Her Stage Presence

Leah’s authority on cannabis HR and compliance topics rests on a specific, checkable record rather than general industry experience.

  • She holds membership on the NCIA Human Resources Committee, a credential tied directly to the HR and compliance themes she covers on stage.
  • She founded 23rd State and has operational roots at Sprout Cannabis, both referenced in the brand’s own event posts and interview features.
  • Her public remarks consistently connect back to payroll, benefits, and compliance infrastructure, the same territory our own work at Roll With Paid addresses for cannabis employers who need HR compliance support built for dispensaries and cultivators.

Real-world research, not marketing claims, is what closes the credibility gap in cannabis beverages.

Why Her Stage Work Matters to the Industry

We think Leah’s insistence on treating cannabis growth as an infrastructure and compliance problem, not a marketing exercise, is exactly the framing our own clients need more of. Too many operators chase growth before their payroll and HR systems can support it, and that gap can become apparent during audits.

If you’re attending NECANN Minnesota or the Flourish Investment Forum this year, we’d encourage you to catch her session and ask about the compliance side of her story. For employers building out multi-state cannabis operations who want a parallel resource on audit-ready payroll processes, our team is glad to talk through what that looks like in practice.

— Leah Kollross

FAQ

What events has Leah Kollross confirmed for 2026?

Leah is confirmed to moderate at NECANN Minnesota on May 14 to 15, 2026, and to speak at the Flourish Investment Forum on May 12 to 13, 2026. Both dates come from official event listings and brand event posts.

What topics does Leah Kollross typically cover on stage?

She focuses on HR and compliance systems, payroll and benefits infrastructure, and evidence-based research in cannabis beverages. Her remarks generally frame industry growth as a problem of regulatory transparency and operational systems rather than marketing.

How do I book Leah Kollross for a speaking engagement?

Reach out through an official event contact channel or through Roll With Paid directly with an event brief covering audience, format, honorarium range, and AV needs. Conference-style bookings typically need six to twelve weeks of lead time, so starting early improves your odds of landing a confirmed slot.

Where can I find recordings of her past sessions?

Podcast appearances, including The Potent. Podcast episode 23 and the Herbal Profiles interview, are hosted directly on those platforms. Conference session recordings, when published, usually appear on the event’s own platform weeks after the show.

What credentials support Leah Kollross’s speaking authority?

She serves on the NCIA Human Resources Committee and founded 23rd State, with operational roots at Sprout Cannabis. Both credentials tie directly to the HR, compliance, and beverage-research themes she speaks on.

Sources

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Roll With Paid. is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. This article summarizes Minnesota law as of August 2026 and is general information only. Tip arrangements are fact-specific; before changing a policy, consult employment counsel or contact DLI Labor Standards at 651-284-5075.

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