Sidney Quitorio, CEO and Co-Founder of Purple Rose Supply and Native Leaf Co. – Interview Series

One interesting group of professionals making the career transition into cannabis that is certainly worth getting to know is a variety of engineers. Given the large amount of transferable skills and vital experience that engineers bring to this nascent industry, their success and subsequent innovations aren’t too surprising. One such software engineer who has co-founded two successful cannabis accessory brands is Sidney Quitorio, CEO and Co-Founder of Purple Rose Supply and Native Leaf Co.

What initially caught your interest about software engineering, and why did you decide to attend San Jose State University? What computer science subjects did you primarily study while attending?

I’ve always been good at math and science, and having a cousin who was an engineer definitely influenced me. Coming from an immigrant family, higher education was more about economic progress than self-actualization.

At San Jose State, I covered all the computer science fundamentals: programming, data structures and algorithms, discrete math, along with the core engineering courses like calculus and intro to engineering.

During your internship with RedPrarie and apprenticeship with Zappos, what were the most important lessons in software engineering that you learned that became greatly useful in your career later on?

Zappos was a huge learning experience for me. The most important thing I picked up was how to solve problems which involves breaking problems down step by step to find practical solutions. A big part of that process is knowing how to ask the right questions, which is crucial to truly understanding the problem before diving into solutions. On top of that, I got hands-on experience gathering product requirements from stakeholders, which really helped me understand how to build solutions that fit real needs.

Because you were employed with them for a considerable time, what were your regular duties with LendUp, and how would you say that software engineering for financial services companies differs from other industries and business types that you previously did software engineering/computer science work with?

As a software engineer, my main job is to solve business problems through code. That means asking the right questions to get to the root of the issue—not just what people think the problem is. It’s all about breaking the problem down, designing a solution, and dividing the work into manageable tasks.

While this process stays pretty consistent across industries, financial services add another layer of complexity. There’s always the weight of knowing that a mistake could have serious financial consequences for people, which means extra caution and compliance are key.

Because the world of real estate is oftentimes such a roller coaster, regardless of what city or state market you’re discussing, how would you describe working with Zillow? Did the common ups and downs of many real estate markets impact your role as Senior Software Engineer, or not so much?

Working at Zillow was actually a lot of fun. I wasn’t really affected by the typical ups and downs of the real estate market since I was mainly focused on building APIs and infrastructure. My role was pretty insulated from market changes.

What inspired and encouraged you to start both Purple Rose Supply and The Native Leaf Co.? Because of the previous size and stability of the industries and businesses that you previously worked with, did you have concerns about starting two companies that could be considered cannabis ancillary?

Software engineering was fun and definitely challenging, but I just didn’t feel passionate about it. I’ve always loved learning and problem-solving, but the work itself didn’t inspire me. Some of my coworkers would code on weekends just for fun because they genuinely loved it, and seeing that passion made me realize I wanted to find that for myself.

That’s why I started Purple Rose Supply. I’m passionate about breaking limits, and when I saw that cannagars were being marketed as something only for the 1%, I knew I had to change that. I hate gatekeeping and unnecessary limitations, and if I can break down a barrier, I’m going to do it.

Moving into the cannabis industry was definitely a learning curve. I was pretty naïve about how restricted marketing would be, especially since we’re not plant-touching, but I learned quickly.

What is Native Leaf Co. doing differently when it comes to producing hemp wraps and why would you say that hemp wraps are a preferable material to papers?

We’re not producing Native Leaf anymore, but I still think it was one of the coolest products out there. We took whole organic hemp leaves and made a wrap out of them—kind of like what Backwoods does with tobacco. Instead of grinding the leaf down into paper, we slow-cured it, which made for a much smoother and less harsh smoking experience. Honestly the best wrap that ever was.

What type of products does Purple Rose Supply create, and why is the CannaMold a special product for smokers who regularly use cones? What benefits does a cannabis cigar-like wrap provide over a traditional cone or rolling paper?

At Purple Rose Supply, we make products that break barriers. Whether someone wants to enjoy a cannagar without paying the high price of a premade one or needs a way to roll despite limited dexterity, our CannaMold makes it possible. It helps anyone create a slow-burning, premium roll that hits consistently and never runs.

Anyone who smokes rolled cannabis knows that mastering airflow is the key—too tight and it won’t hit, too loose and it falls apart, off-balance and it runs. The CannaMold is designed to give consistent airflow every single time, so you get a smooth, reliable experience.

Despite being in very different industries, how have your career and experience in software engineering from LendUp and Zillow been useful in creating two smoking accessory brands?

I use my engineering mindset every single day, whether it’s at work or in my personal life. The problem-solving skills I developed early in my career are just part of how I think now—I couldn’t turn them off if I tried. I’m always breaking down problems and finding solutions, and that approach has been a huge asset in building and running both brands.

Even though Native Leaf and Purple Rose Supply are smoking accessory companies and not directly plant touching, what issues have you faced when it comes to properly advertising the brands on Meta-owned and other similar digital platforms?

Even though we’re not plant-touching, Meta doesn’t make it easy for us. We have to be super discreet with our social media posts and anything we put on Facebook. One wrong move and we risk getting banned, so we’re always careful about how we present our products.

How would a federal cannabis rescheduling impact smoking accessory companies such as Native Leaf and Purple Rose Supply? Because of the association with cannabis usage, would the brands’ operations change very much or not?

It’s hard to say exactly how federal cannabis rescheduling would play out, but I’m hopeful it would open up more access to financial services, which has always been a challenge for us—even though it’s been getting a bit better. I’m also optimistic that it could bring more money into the industry, which has been struggling for the past few years.

Thank you for joining us, Sidney! For more information on Purple Rose Supply and Native Leaf Co., please visit their respective websites.