Board of Directors

Benjamin Kovler founded Green Thumb Industries Inc. in 2014. He has been Chairman since 2014 and Chief Executive Officer from 2014 through year-end 2017 and since August 2018. Benjamin is frequently featured as a cannabis industry thought leader in media outlets such as Bloomberg, Barron’s, Business Insider, CNBC and Forbes. He has served on the boards of directors of Springbig, Inc., a cannabis marketing platform since January 2018, and The Cann + Botl Company, a privately held cannabis-infused beverage company, since December 2020. He is also co-founder of Invest For Kids, a not-for-profit organization that hosts an annual investment ideas conference to benefit underserved young people in Chicago.. Founded in 2009, Invest For Kids has raised nearly $18 million, 100% of which has supported over 75 organizations dedicated to improving the lives of Chicago’s youth. Benjamin is also on the board of the Providence St. Mel School and the Academy for Global Citizenship. Benjamin brings his extensive experience managing complex operating companies and deep commitment to philanthropy. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy, politics and economics from Pomona College and a Master of Business Administration in accounting and finance from The University of Chicago.

Anthony joined Green Thumb in 2015 as it was planning to expand outside of its home state of Illinois. Anthony is an investor and entrepreneur, having purchased a manufacturing business in 2005 that he helped grow into one of North America’s largest manufacturers of wall décor.

Prior to this, he worked as a principal investing associate for a $1.5 billion private equity firm and as an M&A analyst for an investment bank.

Anthony is an active supporter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, the Drug Policy Alliance, Marijuana Policy Project, and the Special Operations Warriors Foundation.

Anthony graduated magna cum laude from Bucknell University with a degree in finance and a minor in mathematics.

Wendy Berger has served as a Director since February 2015. Since 2004, Wendy has served as a principal of WBS Equities, LLC, a real estate development company that specializes in ground-up construction, renovation, development, sale and leaseback transactions and acquisitions. From 2000 to 2004, Wendy held leadership positions in enterprise planning and program management at Orbitz, the travel website founded in 2000. From 1995 to 1999, Wendy co-founded and was Chief Operating Officer of Neoglyphics Media Corporation, one of the country’s first website development companies. For over 25 years, Wendy has been involved in the real estate business as a lender, property manager, broker and consultant, as well as an investor. She began her career at American National Bank and Trust Company of Chicago (a subsidiary of First Chicago, now JP Morgan Chase) in Commercial Lending and spent several years as a principal with Berger Realty Group, an 80-year-old family-owned real estate business, where she focused on residential and industrial property management and development. Wendy brings decades of experience in strategic planning, execution and exits for rapid growth start-ups, in addition to a tenured career in real estate, development and transactions. Wendy earned her Master of Business Administration in Finance and Real Estate from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. She received a Bachelor of Science, cum laude, in Finance and Marketing from Syracuse University.

Richard Drexler joined the Green Thumb board as director in October 2022. Richard is a proven financial executive with vast management and board experience. He currently serves as Chairman of the Audit and Finance Committee at Bison Gear and Engineering, a global supplier of power transmission equipment. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board at Quality Products, a manufacturer and distributor of products for aircraft ground support equipment for the military and hydraulic machine tool markets. During his leadership, Richard orchestrated strategic changes that pulled the company out of debt and resulted in significant positive cash flow. Richard also served as Chairman, CEO and President of Allied Products Corporation. During his leadership of Allied Products, Richard was responsible for the overall strategy, planning, policy, direction, and focus of the company.

Richard has held board or senior advisory roles at several multi-million dollar manufacturing and product companies, including Traush, Kenrich Holdings, Inc., Pro-Gard LLC and Restoration Cleaners LLC. In addition, he has been involved in over 50 private equity transactions from real estate to water treatment. He brings expertise in the categories of EBITDA growth, operational excellence, profit optimization, margin expansion, restructuring and consolidation, strategic planning and corporate governance.

Richard graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting.

Jeff Goldman joined as a director in October 2022. Jeff brings expertise in sustainable business practices and brand-building, having operated and scaled multiple consumer packaged goods (CPG) businesses. Under his leadership of Carol’s Cookies, Inc., a family-owned business founded in 1979 by his mother, Jeff delivered double-digit growth annually by successfully partnering with Fortune 500 companies such as Whole Foods Market, Sprouts and Sysco Foodservice. He cultivated relationships with local suppliers to grow their company which produces over 8-million cookies annually.

In addition to his leadership role with Carol’s Cookies, Jeff served as Vice President of Reed-Union Corporation, former owner and marketers of the top selling automotive appearance product in their category. For over 20 years, Jeff led domestic as well as international sales helping to make their Nu Finish brand the top-selling brand in their category in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. Jeff called on Fortune 100 companies such as Walgreens, Target, Walmart and AutoZone to enhance the partnerships in Reed-Union’s fourth-generation consumer packaged goods business. Jeff oversaw the company's advertising budget totaling over $30,000,000 over two decades. In addition, he assisted in purchasing/sourcing projects, new product development, brand management, sales and marketing as well as retail merchandising. In 2018, Jeff orchestrated the sale of the company’s brands to Energizer Holdings.

Jeff graduated from Tulane University summa cum laude with a B.A. in Psychology. He currently lives with his wife and two daughters in Deerfield, IL. Jeff is an active member of the board of directors of the Judd Goldman Adaptive Sailing Program which helps teach 1,000 people with disabilities annually how to sail on the open waters of Lake Michigan. The Goldman family is also heavily active with the Gastro-Intestinal Research Foundation, Scleroderma Foundation, Shirly Ryan Ability Lab (formerly the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago), and Tulane University's Goldman Office of Student Accessibility. When he’s not attending dance shows, tennis matches, or field hockey games, Jeff can be found playing soccer, paddle tennis, or 16” softball.