Adrienne is a well-respected visionary in Nevada’s entrepreneurial scene. She’s the creative force behind Element & Western States Hemp, digging deep on current issues and avenues and exploring opportunities that others have yet to imagine. Nevada Business Magazine and the Reno Gazette Journal are among the many publications that have paid tribute to her spirit and skills. She is one of the owner’s of an AQHA breeding program that produces sound, working class horses for cattle ranching operations. She is responsible for the development of new products and brand identity. She values relationship building, and it those varied and long standing relationships that she’s brought together that lend Element the edge when it comes to innovation and market potential. In addition to being a mother of three boys and the owner of multiple businesses, she is the executive director of Nevada’s oldest summer festival.
Joe Frey, CCA
COO and Founder
Joe Frey is a life long, 4th generation farmer whose primary passion lies in sustainable and regenerative agriculture. He’s a leading member of the western states cover crop council, and an active farming partner with the Savory Global Network. As the acting COO of Western States Hemp, he’s planted and harvested more varietals of hemp than any other farmer in Nevada, and has extensive experience with both CBD and industrial post processing. He holds a bachelors in aeronautics from Embry Riddle, and when he isn’t running the farm, he is often cultivating his other career passion as a Lear jet captain. He’s an active father of four, and a avid community activist.
Sam Sneed, Ph.D
Animal Nutritionist & Biochemist
Sam Sneed is an experienced animal nutritionist with an extensive history in animal science, biochemistry, and agriculture. While his primary scope of work has been developing feed and nutrition programs for hogs, beef cattle, and dairy cattle, he’s spent years working on various supplemental formulations for horses to support health and mitigate chronic problems. Sam’s expertise and industry relationships have helped the Element team find the best ingredients as well as the production facilities to assist in the manufacturing of first to market hemp derived supplement products. Sam resides on his farm just outside of Nashville with his family, all of whom are actively involved in fox hunting, United States Pony Club, and various equestrian competitive events.
Rich Grondin
Biochemist & Cannabinoid Specialist
Having 35 years of experience as a chief chemist with a focus on analytical inorganic geochemistry, Rich Grondin began new and groundbreaking work involving cannabinoids in 2015. With the passing of Nevada’s medical cannabis program, he began in depth cannabis research that led to the pivotal development and execution for the infusion and manufacturing process of the Cantabs product line. Development of a simple one step non-toxic conversion of CBD to Δ-9 THC and Δ-8 THC. (Patent No.: 10941131). He’s experienced in in-house HPLC analysis of production and research products. His background experience includes extraction, distillation, chromatography, chemical synthesis and instrumental analysis of organic and inorganic compounds, minerals and metals. Rich works on product development for Element, with a specific focus on cannabinoid formulation, delivery, and suspension.
