Shane Terry
Marijuana Experience
Shane Terry is the CEO and co-founder of TapRoot Holdings, Inc, whose subsidiaries operate marijuana operations in Nevada, Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Germany and Spain. Mr. Terry also serves on the Board of Directors at GB Sciences Inc, a publicly traded cannabis company. Mr. Terry’s marijuana experience stems from owning and managing 3 dispensaries, 5 cultivation and 5 production facilities in state-regulated markets. As the founder of TapRoot Consulting Group, Mr. Terry aided in the development and operations of legal cannabis companies throughout the United States, Europe and South America.
Mr. Terry has continued his industry leadership as a speaker and panelist at industry trade events throughout the US and Canada, and his companies have received accolades for their industry leadership to include being nominated for Cannabis Economy’s 2015 CannAwards as “The Most Game Changing” company in the Southwest United States.
Mr. Terry is also a member of the Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA), National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA), the Nevada Dispensary Association (NDA), Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), Americans for Safe Access (ASA), and the ArcView Group.
Work with Government Agencies
Shane Terry is a decorated, service-disabled veteran of the U.S Air Force with 15 years of service as an Officer and F-16 fighter pilot including earning two Air Medals for combat action over Iraq and Afghanistan while leading his team to three Air Force Outstanding Unit awards from 2006-2009.
Mr. Terry served five years at Nellis Air Force Base, NV, where he was handpicked to instruct at the US Air Force Weapons School, a PhD level leadership course for the top 1% of the Air Force’s warfighters. Mr. Terry was recognized for his executive leadership and nominated as the #1 Flight Commander in the nation’s largest command of over 137,000 personnel.
Mr. Terry also brings unique security experience by obtaining a Top Secret security clearance and was appointed the project lead for the Air Force’s first nuclear weapons testing program in the F-16 while addressing the Chief of Staff’s #1 priority of Nuclear Security.
Mr. Terry deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he led 50 pilots into combat in Iraq. Mr. Terry supervised the execution of over 2,200 combat flights, and was ranked #1 of 28 pilots by his Executive Leadership. While serving in South Korea, he was recognized as the #1 of 86 Future Air Force Leaders while integrating multi-national military operations in South East Asia.
Previous Business Operations Experience and Education
Mr. Terry’s leadership as Flight Commander and Supervisor of Flying provided him with unparalleled experience in strategic planning while supervising 28 weapons systems over 100 daily missions with $5B in resources and over 1000 personnel. Mr. Terry’s ensured OSHA safety compliance and accident prevention as the Chief of Flying Safety, overseeing 7,850 flight missions in Nevada, the US’ largest flying safety program.
As Chief of Weapons, Operational Testing and Evaluations, from 2009 to 2011 Mr. Terry was instrumental in developing methods to evaluate and assess some of the government’s top defense contracts. While responsible for $1.76B in assets and over 150 personnel, Mr. Terry was voted the #1 Instructor of the Year by his peers.
Seventeen lifetime awards ranking him #1 out of over 4000 peers summarize the achievements of Mr. Terry’s Air Force career. Mr. Terry continued his education from the US Air Force Academy to currently pursue a non-graduate Certificate in Product Development and Innovation online at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and certificates in Operations Management and Strategy, Marketing, Corporate Finance, and Financial Accounting at the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania.
Community Involvement
Mr. Terry was elected to serve as President of the Nevada Dispensary Association, a 501(c)6 organization representing the largest majority of dispensary owners in Nevada and influential in shaping Nevada’s current marijuana program. Mr. Terry is also the current Executive Director and founder of Cultivate Community, a 501(c)3 community development organization in Nevada. Mr. Terry founded Cultivate Community with local legislators and civic leaders to identify community properties in need of economic development and empowering local artists to be agents of change within their community.
Outside the cannabis community, Mr. Terry serves on the Board of the Las Vegas Art’s District and is a proud mentor within Big Brothers Big Sisters, the nation’s largest volunteer mentorship program for disadvantaged teens. Mr. Terry is also active in the Las Vegas Downtown Project, the Reset Project and the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, which has focused efforts on economic and cultural growth in Southern Nevada.