Legal Cannabis
Young America Capital is a nationally-recognized broker-dealer and investment bank providing companies and investors with advisory services across a focused range of disciplines. With deep industry and transactional experience spanning over 30 years, our advisory team is acutely aware of the rapid convergence occurring in Legal Cannabis landscape. We focus our advisory on proprietary, independent and sound advice, first class execution and superior results by understanding transformative industry dynamics.
Service Offerings:
MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
Our cumulative industry experience and advisory expertise enable us to customize innovative transactional and strategic solutions for the clients we serve. Our team has an extensive track record in exclusive sale advisory and buy-side transactions. We seek to leverage our senior-level industry relationships and analytical expertise to identify and articulate transactional synergies that maximize value in the sell-side process. We also advise on the acquisition and sale of distressed businesses and assets, including identifying opportunities across sectors for value-enhancing consolidation opportunities.
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PLACEMENT OF EQUITY & DEBT
Our professionals have a high degree of market insight having lead consumer and retail sell-side capital markets teams at bulge bracket institutions over more than 20 years. We have extensive experience in the placement of private equity and debt leveraging a wide network of both retail and institutional clients. Capital is typically deployed to finance growth initiatives, make strategic transactions, provide liquidity to shareholders, and restructure or stabilize the capital structure.
STRATEGIC ADVISORY SERVICES
Maintaining a high level of confidentiality, we have served as advisors to boards and special committees on a wide range of options, especially concerning strategic solutions that will minimize potential losses and provide a suitable recovery structure for the client, fund managers, and secured lenders.
PUBLIC MARKET ADVISORY
With extensive IPO and secondary transaction experience, we work with management teams to form a comprehensive strategy to articulate positioning and differentiation that results in heightened investor appreciation of the story and thus increasing value and impact in the institutional investor market.
FAIRNESS OPINIONS
We provide Fairness Opinions under FINRA Rule 5150 relating to transactions between affiliated entities wherein conflicts of interest could arise between related parties.
SENIOR COVERAGE TEAM
Peter Formanek, CEO, CPA
With 30+ years of transactional experience advising fund managers, family offices and companies. Previously worked as CFO and Deal-Flow Originations Analyst at Southern Cross Group ($2B+ AUM PE fund manager), and Financial Analyst at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, and Spear, Leeds & Kellogg. Recent cannabis experience includes managing the $65M sale of a Florida Super License to Harvest Health & Recreation and participation in all of YAC’s cannabis engagements. Peter has a BS in Accounting, and MBA in Finance from the University of Bridgeport. FINRA licenses 7, 24, 28, 50, 63, 79 and 99.
Valerie Bowman, Head, Cannabis Team
25+ years of experience in real estate at JLL, CBRE and C&W. Prior to YAC Val completed the $135M sale of a PA super license and handled several leases for Canadian LP’s. Valerie graduated from Skidmore College and holds a Masters of Commercial Real Estate from CoreNet. As an EVP for Main Line Executive Realty she is able to transact real estate requirements throughout North America. FINRA licenses 63 and 82. Philadelphia, PA.
David Bunzel, Managing Director, Cannabis Investment Banking
30+ years of experience in the financial services industry including asset management roles at Jet Equity Partners (L/S equity), Aletheia Research and Mgmt (L/S equity), Irvine Partners, Nob Hill Capital and EF Hutton Asset Mgt. David has an MBA in Finance from NYU, and a BA in Economics from the University of Michigan. FINRA licenses 7 and 63.
Don Jackson, SVP, Cannabis Investment Banking
30+ years of experience executing capital raises, asset management and M&A deals for Salomon Brothers, UBS, Nomura and Prudential. Cannabis experience includes successful capital raise advisory roles with www.ShoProductsTeam.com and www.MyInsa.com. Don has a BA and MBA from Columbia University. FINRA licenses 82 and 63.
Bill Marcus, SVP, Cannabis Investment Banking
30+ years of experience in institutional sales at NewEdge, Bear Stearns, and DLJ. Founder of www.GreenTableGlobal.com and www.greenaxs.com Bill has a BS from Syracuse University School of Management and attended the Harvard Business School MBA program. FINRA licenses 3, 7, 24, 30 and 63.
Omar Brown, Managing Director, Cannabis & Hemp Investment Banking
30+ years of experience in financial services at Merrill Lynch & Co, Bank of America, Cowen & Co, BTIG and RedTail Capital markets. Omar received his BS in Economics from Amherst College. FINRA licenses 7, 63 and 24.
Sean Santa, VP Cannabis IB
20+ years of experience. Prior to joining YAC, Sean helped build Washington DC’s largest restaurant group. Focusing on cannabis infused food and beverage products, bioscience and biotechnology cannabis, and psychedelics. FINRA license 63 and 82.