We guide cannabis operators through the most consequential moment of their business life — the exit. Built by operators who have been there.
Selling a cannabis business is unlike any other transaction. The regulatory complexity is real. The buyer pool is specific. The timing is everything. And the stakes — your life's work, your team, your legacy — couldn't be higher.
Most M&A advisors learn your industry from the outside. We built ours from the inside.
Harvest Advisory was founded by Sam Vanderveer — a senior cannabis executive with 20+ years of experience across retail, merchandising, operations, and commercial growth. Sam has led merchandising strategies across multiple national retail banners, driven multi million dollar annual revenue plans, and built relationships with top Licensed Producers across Canada.
Senior Cannabis & CPG executive. 20+ years of leadership across merchandising, retail, product development, and global operations. Merchandising and Operational roles within Fika Company, Sessions Cannabis, Oilers Entertainment Group, House of Marley & Best Buy.
The distinction between an advisor who has lived in this industry and one who learns it during your engagement is the difference between a good outcome and the right one.
| Traditional M&A Advisors | Harvest Advisory |
|---|---|
| Learn your industry during the engagement | Already knows your industry — we've lived it |
| Prioritize deal speed over deal value | Prioritize your outcome & manage critical timeline |
| Generic transaction frameworks | Cannabis-specific deal structures and buyer networks |
| Disconnected from LP and retail relationships | 50+ LP partnerships and 200+ store scale experience, strong industry relationships |
| Disappear after the deal closes | With you from first conversation to the final outcome |
Every engagement is principal-led, confidential, and structured around your outcome — not our process.
You've built something valuable. Honest valuation & full assessment — representing your interests at every step. No inflated numbers to win your business. Just the truth, and the network to act on it.
When time is short and options feel limited, you need someone who moves fast and knows the market.
Not ready to exit yet — but want to be? We work with operators ahead of a planned exit to improve revenues, margin quality, tighten assortment, clean up the books, and position the business to command a premium when the time comes.
Strong businesses deserve stronger positioning. We help operators fix what buyers will flag in diligence — revenue quality, pricing discipline, LP alignment, inventory productivity, and commercial narrative — before a process begins.
Every conversation with Harvest Advisory is strictly confidential.
Book a Confidential CallFour stages. One advisor. Complete discretion throughout.
Every conversation with Harvest Advisory is strictly confidential. We start by understanding your business, your goals, and your timeline — with zero obligation and zero pressure.
We give you an honest picture and assessment of your business in today's market. Just the truth — so you can make the right decision at the right time.
We leverage our network of cannabis operators, investors, and acquirers to identify the right counterparty for your deal. Not just any buyer — the right buyer.
We guide you through every stage of the process, due diligence, and closing.
Sam Vanderveer is a senior cannabis and consumer products executive with more than 20 years of leadership experience across merchandising, retail, product development, manufacturing, and global operations.
Most recently, Sam served as Vice President of Merchandising at Fika Cannabis — one of Canada's largest cannabis retail platforms — where he led national merchandising strategy across 18+ retail banners and a multi-province network. Before Fika, Sam held VP roles at Sessions Cannabis, Friendly Stranger, and the Oilers Entertainment Group, and served as SVP & General Manager at House of Marley, where he led global expansion to 80+ countries.
Sam has spent his career inside the businesses that others advise from the outside. That's the difference.
Speak with Sam →One to two pieces per month. Authority through perspective, not volume.