AN UNLIKELY STORYWhen I was 19, I was arrested for a crime I didn't commit. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and like 97% of arrests in America, I felt the relentless pressure of the system and pleaded guilty. Later, I became CFO of an eight-figure cannabis company, Founder of a game-changing non-profit, & CEO of a FinTech startup empowering cannabis legalization for both operators and regulators. These two lives rarely co-exist, something I learned after spending three years on Rikers Island and another in state prison. The day I left, I was happily ready for my future to begin... Or so I thought. I soon realized that when you're a convicted felon, you have no future.I couldn't get hired, get into college, or get an apartment. I realized that our (in)justice system only gives people with felony convictions two options: return to jail or die trying to prove their worth to society. Luckily, I found a third.A family friend suggested a name change to rid me of my so-called past. And after years of hefty attorney fees, my new name was official. I applied to a different university with my new identity, graduated summa cum laude, and was recruited by some of the top Fortune 500 companies across America. A person that society didn't want anywhere near a college diploma or corporate career... 🤔This made me challenge everything I thought I knew about systematic oppression, ultimately leading me to work in two industries driven by the people instead of large corporate systems — cannabis and decentralized finance. I vow to ensure these industries aren't monopolized as we've seen in traditional sectors such as telecom, banking, and tobacco. Instead, I want to help those from disadvantaged communities work independently and benefit from financial freedom. Staack is a financial technology startup servicing the cannabis industry, aiming to help over-policed communities become a part of America's innovation. After years of operating in the cannabis space with razor-thin margins and minimal data to make decisions, we knew to ensure social equity, we had to start at the source: banking, payment infrastructure, and compliance. 🏦Our goal is to get more legacy operators selling on the legal market, support a growing industry, and funnel taxes back into communities most impacted by the War on Drugs. Everyone wins. Whether it's cannabis reform or prison reform, our purpose is clear. Equity in both sectors has a long way to go. 💸It's time to help those who have no way to help themselves.