Joann Kudrewicz, Co-Founder and CEO of Ravens View Genetics – Interview Series

Luckily for medical cannabis patients and the future of medical cannabis as a whole, there are numerous medical professionals with decades of experience who are now researching and working directly in the cannabis industry. One such medical professional with an impressive career in nursing and healthcare who has combined her extensive professional experience with deeply personal reasons to create a brand dedicated to studying the health benefits and genetics of cannabis is Joann Kudrewicz, Co-Founder and CEO of Ravens View Genetics.

What topics did you mainly study while attending the very prestigious NYU, and did you ever picture yourself working in the cannabis industry and becoming such a strong advocate?

I received my BFA in Drama with a Musical Theater specialty and eventually also received an MFA in Acting from UCLA. That was many years ago in my first stage of adulthood, but I consumed Cannabis for the first time in Washington Square Park as a freshman at NYU. While I fell in love with Cannabis all those many years ago, I am not sure that I even imagined a day when it would become legal let alone that I would work in the industry. 

I eventually found my way into the healthcare industry but no matter where I land, I tend to become involved in advocacy. This has been a natural progression of my leadership skills due to the challenging launch of this Industry in NYS and the impact it has had on the small farmers and local cultivators.

What were your first roles in the healthcare industry, and what would you say were the most vital lessons you learned during those first few years? 

After shifting from my career as an actress, I became a personal trainer and developed holistic health programs for my clients. Preventive health care was a foundational practice of my parents and our family which has impacted how I live my life to this day. As such, I found myself being hired to develop an alternative medicine program for a large corporate medical company and within a few years was promoted to VP of Operations and Business Growth and Development of the entire company. I worked directly with the President/CEO of the company to create a very large footprint in NCY, Westchester, and LI. After 7 years of my time there the company went on the market for sale, and I migrated to the Catskills to enjoy a different quality of life. 

It was, however, in those years of growing the Medical Corporation that I realized my true passion, business building. Healthcare was my first Industry and now Cannabis affords me that same opportunity to create something from the ground up in a highly regulated Industry.

What were your regular job duties while serving as a Registered Nurse at Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital, and what were some lesser-known responsibilities of the position that those outside the medical industry may not know about? 

After moving to the Catskills with plans to retire, I started to realize that I had more to offer. I thought that I wanted to become a midwife in keeping with my holistic health approach to women’s health. It was that focus that had me back in school at SUNY Delhi to become licensed as a Registered Nurse. I had just completed my licensure and was working at Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown when my boss in the city asked me to come back to help him build a new medical corporation in a different specialty. I had just had a very challenging day in the hospital taking care of patients and was ready to leave it behind for other opportunities. I think that all of us have some understanding of the role of a nurse, but I never appreciated the hard work and dedication of these professionals until I was asked to do the job. Long days on your feet, too many patients with high level acuities, little time for breaks or self-care, and the responsibilities of everything that the patient needs always. People come into the hospital at their most vulnerable times and it is the job of the nurse to soothe, educate, medicate, support, and bear witness.

Furthermore, what went into serving as a Clinical Instructor, and how did you combine “classroom knowledge” and “real-world practical applications” for those just entering the medical industry?  

One of the reasons why I love Administration is for the opportunity to mentor others into roles and positions that allow them to become their most actualized self. I had the opportunity while working in the hospital to also take on a part time position as a Clinical Instructor for an LPN program. I realized through this role that mentoring and educating are where I feel that my talents are best utilized. Often, I was practicing for the first time ‘real world’ nursing while I was teaching it. The tasks involved though are not the most challenging part of the teaching. It is meeting the needs of each student and being able to guide them through the emotions and stressors that come with this high-pressured educational experience.

What caught your professional interest about the vascular system and vein health? Are there specific problems or roadblocks to specializing in vascular health that other medical specialties don’t have to endure nearly as much?

My previous boss had found a very particular component of vascular health as a business model that made financial sense and was very straightforward in terms of testing and procedures. The outcomes were 95% positive, patients left happy, and their quality of life was much improved. I was able to create a large network of opportunities for patients to get tested and treated, which was very rewarding.

What were the defining moments that led to the creation of Ravens View Genetics? I would imagine the death of your daughter was quite a cornerstone moment towards the creation of the brand. 

When Nina passed away in 2015, I left my work in the city behind and came back to the Catskills full time to grieve with my husband, Michael. It was during that initial time of loss that we went to a medium to have a reading and she told Michael that when you see the black bird, it is a message from Nina that she is with you. 

Up to that point, Michael had been exploring different opportunities to work in the legal Cannabis Industry and was looking into purchasing a farm in another State. We finally decided to wait for NY to legalize and in the interim, Michael became licensed for hemp and produced seeds for hemp farmers. This enabled us to become eligible for the AUCC Cannabis Conditional license in 2022. When we were strategizing our name and brand, we knew that we wanted to pay homage to Nina since she would very much have been a big part of this with us. We decided to use the ‘black bird’, the Raven, with Nina’s View above us. Genetics is the cornerstone and origin of the purity with which we grow and so Ravens View Genetics was born.

How does RVG properly operate under the values of “Passion, Purity and Precision”? As the New York cannabis industry grows in size and scope, do you find it more difficult to maintain those values?  

I always say that if you don’t have a passion for this you shouldn’t be doing it. It is a very difficult Industry, and you need to have that driving force to keep you going. The Precision speaks both to Michael’s intentionality about every aspect of the grow starting with the Genetics, as well as my attention to detail and insistence on quality in all aspects of the business. Purity is really the foundation of everything we do. It starts with the purity of the genetics, the growing practices (what we do and don’t use), the environmental sustainability both as reflected in the care of the land as well as in the choices for packaging, and the maintenance of the integrity of the whole plant profile.  This allows us to provide a product that includes real and rich terpenes and minor cannabinoids that contain the plant medicine while providing an old school nuanced experience. We grow for the Experience, not just the High!

I have had pressure from some or our team members to produce products that are leading sellers in the market, but we maintain a strong commitment to our ethos to ‘do no harm.’ My standards of self-care are high. If I won’t put something in or on my body, I will not put it into the market or ask anyone else to potentially compromise their own health. Ultimately, I believe that the consumers that share our values will find us in this ever-emerging market. I also believe that there is something for everyone and that as long as we stay true to our values we will continue to succeed. 

How does RVG commit to “sustainable and eco-friendly practices” while still remaining compliant with New York cannabis regulations? Does that commitment call for more expensive technology and cultivation supplies to ensure that green status?  

During the initial phase of creating our business plan we spent a lot of time researching sustainable practices, particularly for our ultimate plan to grow indoors. We live in the watershed area with 16 acres along the Delaware River and in our pre-Cannabis years have worked with the DEC to create a riparian buffer to protect the water source. We have solar panels and a hybrid vehicle. Michael is a former boy scout and nature lover and has always been an advocate for a clean and sustainable environment. We tend to go above and beyond what is required by NYS both in sustainability and compliance. When we first started sourcing packaging materials, I wanted only recyclable packaging produced in the USA. While it was at times difficult to find offerings that met my standards, we managed over time to find vendors and partners that match our standards.   

How would you describe Heirloom and Landrace strains to someone not too familiar with cannabis science? And what goes into ensuring that the cannabis strains grown by Ravens View Genetics are truly Heirloom or Landrace strains?

Cannabis plants have both male and female components. This makes it easy for them to be cross bred or hybridized. The work of stabilizing a new strain takes years but most products in the market don’t reflect that stability. There are many in the industry that will say that everything on the market is a hybrid and to some extent that is true. Michael has been sourcing for over 20 years, seeds that are of Landrace and Heirloom origin. He would describe Landrace strains as ‘point of origin’ ie: they are strains that are acclimated to the environment of their source and while they may have been ‘cultivated’ by the indigenous people of that region, they have not been adulterated or crossed. For example, our newly released Kashmir strain is a pure Landrace from the Himalayan mountains.

Heirloom strains as Michael defines them are strains that have been created/bred from pure strains, are minimally hybridized, and maintain the integrity of the whole plant profile. 

Both the Landrace and Heirloom strains are heartier and more resilient, more resistant to pathogens, and have very rich terpene profiles and minor cannabinoids, thereby offering a very nuanced experience that is well balanced with great legs. Less THC, greater high.

One of Michael’s missions is to work with these special strains in his seed bank while also maintaining a large percentage of them in perpetuity for future generations to access. His concern is that once cannabis becomes nationally monetized, we will lose these original genetics and the experience that comes with them.

What are some future plans for RVG to continue to educate consumers and grow Heirloom and Landrace strains? Would a federal cannabis reform cause the demand for those types of strains to increase?  

Now that we have transitioned to an indoor grow facility, we could deliver small drops of these very special strains. Strains, that given the NY state weather we are unable to grow outside. We will continue to educate across the State at all types of events and in classrooms and will take advantage of whatever opportunities NYS allows. We have become recognized for our purity in all things and will continue to ideate, innovate, and educate. We believe that an informed and well-educated consumer will ultimately drive the quality at the dispensary level and will become more aware of the difference between small craft NYS farmers and those from other states.

Thank you for joining us, Joann! For more information on Ravens View Genetics, please visit its website.