Meet our Director of Research and Development, Hilary Brown, who has been at SōRSE since 2019. Drawing on her extensive knowledge and experience working in the culinary industry as a chocolatier and product developer, Hilary and her team specialize in the application of our emulsion into products to ensure stability and design studies to increase a product’s success. Hilary also offers technical support to our customers as they integrate SōRSE emulsions into their production processes; her background in developing safe, consistent, and scalable products makes her a valuable resource for our customers. 

What drew you to SōRSE?

I had worked in the Cannabis industry for a few years prior to joining SōRSE, and wanted to get more experience in working with CBD and gaining a broader understanding of the industry as a whole. The first time I met the team at SōRSE, I was very impressed with their analytical capabilities and the deep knowledge base of everyone I met. The breadth of knowledge about the industry and the chemistry of both cannabinoids and emulsions among employees was incredibly impressive. SōRSE seemed like a great company to grow and learn with as the industry expanded. 

Prior to SōRSE, you worked in confections and owned your own company. What skills that you have developed over the course of your career do you find yourself drawing on in your current role?

I like to find ways to solve problems, whether it be a production issue, a dosing issue, or how to get ingredients to incorporate together in a smooth and delicious way. When I first started at SōRSE, I was brought on as a product developer.  My past experience and understanding of how to incorporate functional ingredients that have a strong or bitter sensory profile into products where you might not want all of those sensory attributes to shine through came in very handy. As I have continued to grow at SōRSE, my role has changed quite a bit, though a lot of my experience continues to be relevant in my current position. 

My focus now is understanding production processes, natural variation in those processes, and how to dig into a system to find control points to make the process as a whole run smoothly and more efficiently while retaining desired potency in the final product.

What do you enjoy about your role, and what do you find challenging?

In my current role, I work with a wide realm of current and prospective clients at SōRSE.  I enjoy being able to help a customer with some small part of their production process and watching them grow. Seeing their product on retail shelves and seeing how they market their product and message is something that I really enjoy.

In addition, there are a lot of areas of the cannabis industry that are still unknown. Through testing and trying to pick through current data, I enjoy the process of drilling down to what is happening with the cannabinoids, what might be degrading and why, and how interactions are occurring. All of those are challenges that I enjoy and keep me learning.

Describe a day in the life of Hilary at SōRSE. What are some of the projects that you are currently managing?

Every day brings something new, which keeps me on my toes. I am often working directly with clients to work through any incorporation or testing issues they may have, and talking through their production processes to find how to best incorporate our emulsions. 

We do a lot of work in understanding the interactions between ingredients, the breadth of cannabinoid and terpene interactions with each other, as well as the interactions of the active ingredients with the product packaging. Looking at what causes degradation of different cannabinoids and how to control it have been focuses of the work I have been doing with the team in my role. Currently this involves large scale stability studies of finished beverages under various conditions, as well as product packaging tests, which involves testing how much UV light can penetrate packaging. We are also testing new emulsions for stability over time that our Research and Development team have created.

Can you describe a project that you worked on this year that you are particularly proud of?

This year we completed a second study on aluminum can liners and their interactions with beverages containing SōRSE emulsion. We completed the first study late last year, and while we got a lot of great data, there were still quite a few questions about secondary interactions that were remaining. The secondary study allowed us to look at ingredient interactions and how they affected the active ingredients interaction with various can liners. Each study was 120 days long and involved hundreds of samples being testing. It was an incredible amount of work for my analytical team.

Can you share some thoughts on how the cannabis industry has changed since you started working at SōRSE? What are the growth opportunities you see on the horizon? 

I had worked in the cannabis industry before coming to SōRSE, when recreational cannabis first became legal in Washington state. Over the course of that time, I have found that change is really the only constant in this industry. I have seen the industry grow up a lot. 

I think we will see growth in discovering and expanding the functional uses of more of the minor cannabinoids and how interactions of cannabinoids occur. I also believe there are a lot of growth opportunities. We have seen a big push for method development for analytical testing. I am excited to see companies open up about their processes and become more interested in talking to other organizations in the same space about what works and does not work for them in the industry, as well as what difficulties they are having. I have seen many companies begin to work together to find consensus in the industry and fix issues that are occurring for most companies across the board, in regulation, testing, and otherwise. 

What infused product would you create for consumer use and why? 

You are asking this question during winter, and before coming into the cannabis space, my background is as a chocolatier.  I think I would have to say Hot Chocolate Bombs infused with cannabinoids? It’s a popular uninfused product, it’s a cozy for cold weather, and chocolate and cannabinoids go very well together. 

Can you share something about yourself that not many people know about you? 

I cannot for the life of me keep any plants alive. I currently have a small potted evergreen tree that I have had for the past three months….That is my record for the longest length of time that I have been able to keep a plant alive.

Employee Spotlight: Diana Eberlein

Meet Diana Eberlein, SōRSE’s VP of Marketing, an industry leader who is helping the cannabis market “grow up.” As the head of the Marketing team, Diana creates the strategy for the company’s brand positioning and promotional campaigns, including events (live and digital), advertising, and PR; her specialties are in brand development and strategic partnerships. In 2015, Diana moved to Seattle with other career goals in mind. When she discovered a passion for cannabis, her trajectory changed, which led her to SōRSE. Diana not only brings 10+ years of experience in marketing to her role, but a desire to educate consumers about the plant and its many applications, as well as a determination to move the industry forward.  Diana is the mom to Gherkin and Darby, two black cats who love to make appearances on Zoom calls with her team.

How did your career in marketing begin? Are there particular teachers or mentors you’ve had along the way who have influenced your approach to your work?

I changed my degree to marketing while attending Loyola Marymount University.  I enjoyed the classes, but campaign concepts and pitches came naturally to me – but I wouldn’t say I knew where that would take me either. 

 Looking back, which I realize now after working at countless startups, Dr. Fred Kiesner at LMU taught a Small Business Entrepreneurship course that I picked up on a whim my last semester of college.  It ended up being the class I not only enjoyed the most, but actually looked forward to – so much I even volunteered for his Small Business Development Center, which was based on campus.  I might not have realized the influence it had on me then, but his passion and energy for creating and supporting small businesses was infectious and I think I have carried that forward in my professional career. 

Marketing is an exercise in both analysis and creativity. Of the two, which do you enjoy more, and why? 

The reason I like marketing is that it allows me to tap into both.  Life is about balance, and so is marketing.  

Calculated Risk/ROI + Creativity = Success 

The trick is to be as specific as you can when defining “success.” 

I really took the fun out of that question, didn’t I?  

What drew you to SōRSE?  

I found SōRSE when I was first experimenting with cannabis and had just moved to Seattle.  I knew I didn’t want to smoke flower and I didn’t know a lot about edibles, but I had stumbled a product called Pearl Mixer, using SōRSE, that allowed you to dose any beverage, sauce, or yogurt/oatmeal so you didn’t have to change your routine to consume your desired dose. They also had created recipes for it, demonstrating how to use the product to improve your experience.  I shared the product with any friend interested in learning about edibles, and it was a hit, every time.   

Shortly after that, I connected with their in-house chef, Stacy Primack, and we collaborated on creating experiences for influencers and media.  At that point I was introduced to the CEO, Howard Lee, who was intrigued by my background in entertainment marketing and cannabis.   

I joined the SōRSE team a couple months later, and my first task was to rebrand SōRSE so they could tackle the B2B market – and here we are, the leading water-soluble technology working with cannabinoids, terpenes, and now hops!

What do you enjoy about your role, and what do you find challenging?  

 We run lean and mean; it’s the startup life.  I love that there are challenges at every turn, but that always isn’t as ‘fun’ as I’d like it to be.  The industries we operate in are always changing and evolving, so pivoting is something my team and I have gotten really good at.  As a result, I think the best part about my role at SōRSE is that I really am always learning and pushing myself outside of my comfort zone. 

Last year SōRSE pivoted to virtual events to continue engaging with prospective and current customers as well as people interested in cannabinoids.  What were some of your most memorable moments from those events? How did they shape the way you now look at live events? 

I walked into 2020 with a “locked and loaded” marketing strategy and fully booked calendar…that we completely scrapped as the pandemic hit.  We developed a virtual strategy to cover the following 3-6 months, thinking “Events will be back by then, right?” Nope.  We produced over 10 virtual activations in 2020, but the one that stands out the most was our 3-day virtual summit we hosted for our clients.  Not only did we produce 17 virtual presentations for this summit, but 17 different members of our team presented for over 9 hours of virtual content.  It was a true company-wide effort that made the event successful. 

 In terms of how it impacted our view of live events, I think we all learned that virtual will never completely go away.  There will always be a virtual component for those who can’t attend, and knowing how to best present when an in-person experience is not an option is something all event producers need to consider whether it’s lighting, camera angles, coordinating samples in advance, etc. 

Can you share some thoughts on SōRSE’s expansion into the brewing industry? What growth opportunities do you see on the horizon? 

Our goal is to be the leading water-soluble technology for functional ingredients, so expanding beyond cannabinoids was always part of our plan.  Cannabinoids are particularly difficult for product developers to work with, and we learned a lot while innovating on our process and adding additional solutions based on the industry trends and client needs. This enables us to apply our technology to other functional ingredients with more efficiency.  Water-soluble hops solutions are a direct result of our experience, combined with our technology’s versatility. 

The demand for infused ‘better-for-you’ products isn’t a fad; this is what consumers expect from brands.  As a result, SōRSE will continue to apply our technology to other functional ingredients that improve the quality of consumers’ lives. 

Aside from all that, we now work with cannabis (CBD & THC) and beer brands – and that’s pretty cool!

Can you share something about yourself that not many people know about you?  

I’m pretty much an open book when it comes to “my brand,” so there probably isn’t much that people don’t know about me.  What does surprise people about me is that I grew up very shy and didn’t come out of my shell until my first “rebrand,” which was when I started college. 

I moved a lot growing up because of my father’s job, and when college was approaching, my parents knew I was extremely anxious about moving away and starting over again.  That was when my dad said something to me I’ll never forget: “You know, the best thing about college – everybody’s new.  You can be whoever you want to be the second you step onto that campus.”

And the rest is history. 

Employee Spotlight: Lee-Ann Loser 

Meet Lee-Ann Loser, SōRSE’s VP of Brewery Product Lines; she leads SōRSE’s growing presence in the brewing industry, working with hemp, hops, and other functional ingredients. As VP of Brewery Product Lines, she draws on the knowledge and experience she gained working for Sierra Nevada Brewing Company where she led their Experiential Marketing team. After five years at Sierra Nevada, Lee-Ann took the leap from craft beer to cannabis where she served as a Brand Manager for Privateer Holdings. Her knowledge and intimate understanding of the craft beer industry has proved invaluable as SōRSE expands its offerings to different sectors in food and beverage.    

What drew you to SōRSE?  

When I met the SōRSE team, they clearly had the same ethos that I’ve adopted in my career, including doing the hard work to provide the highest quality product and valuing customer relationships.  The quality program and regulatory attention is world class – as it needs to be in this industry.  

What do you enjoy about your role, and what do you find challenging?  

The people and the complexity.  The intelligence in any given room at SoRSE blows you away.  I’ve learned so much in my first year at SōRSE Tech, from bits of chemistry to best business practices to food regulation.   

In start-up world, there are infinite paths forward.  It’s a challenge to not default to past solutions, but instead allow for growth by remaining open to hearing many different avenues to solve a customer problem.  

Over the course of your career, what have you learned about building relationships with customers and consumers alike? What skills do you find yourself drawing on most at SōRSE?  

Over the course of my career in the food & beverage industry, I’ve learned first and foremost, your goal is to make your customers’ businesses more successful.  While we love being innovative and proposing new products to our customers, we never want our customers to buy products that don’t add value to their consumers.  

Can you share some thoughts on SōRSE’s expansion into the brewing industry? What are the growth opportunities you see on the horizon?  

SōRSE has created a superior water-soluble technology and uniquely applied that in the Cannabis space.  Now, looking at the beer industry, we can apply this tech to solve long-standing challenges like haze stability or fading hop aroma.  It’s such an exciting time to be here and be presenting these innovations to brewers! 

Can you share something about yourself that not many people know about you?  

 I’ve attended over 300 weddings in my life!  In my early career, I worked in high-end wedding planning and venue management.  I’ve been present for a lot of moments that range from heartwarming and wholesome to downright crazy and absolutely hysterical.  Needless to say, when it came my turn, I eloped! 

Meet Jerry Bryan, SōRSE’s Associate Scientist on our R&D team. Jerry joined the company in 2019; he started as an intern while wrapping up his degree in Biology at the University of Washington. After graduating, Jerry started working for the company full time, tapping into his experience doing lab work in college for his role at SōRSE. Jerry is currently responsible for developing formulations that allow the delivery of functional ingredients in water-based systems and evolving SōRSE platforms. While Jerry may be one of the youngest members of the Science team, he is an out-of-the-box thinker who brings great value to the company because of his curiosity and his work ethic. Jerry was actively involved in the formulation of SōRSE Clear water-soluble CBD emulsion, which was launched in November of 2020.   

When did you start becoming interested in science? Were there any particular courses in college that you took that stood out? What about the field intrigues or excites you?       

I have always been interested in science from the first time I mixed baking soda and vinegar in elementary school. During my freshman year at University of Washington, I started working in a plant biology lab (Bendich lab), and that’s where I started to gain a passion for science and research.    

My favorite courses at UW were Plant Classification/Taxonomy and Organic Chemistry. Plant classification was fun because it made going on walks a lot more interesting once I was able to recognize plant families, and also gain an overall appreciation for the plant world. Organic Chemistry helped me visualize and understand how chemicals interact at a molecular level, which helps me in my current work.    

What excites me about the field of science and research is that you can learn something new every day. While research can be frustrating and tedious at times, I am always motivated by the next ‘ah-ha’ moment and the opportunity to learn something new. I am also excited to be a part of a company that is an innovator and pioneer in the cannabis/ingredient industry.    

How did you come to work at SōRSE? What was your first year like?   

Near the end of my final year at UW, I applied to every research job opportunity I could find and I discovered SōRSE. I even started working part time at SōRSE for about a month while I was still in school. My first year at SōRSE was nothing short of a deep dive on many aspects of the company. I got to work with Production and the Operations team and learned how to make large batches of finished material, made many finished beverages in product development, learned analytical tools to assess emulsion stability, and I also got to work on developing new SōRSE emulsions. Learning a little bit from each department allowed me to take a 100-foot view when developing products, and consider every aspect of a product before finalizing it.    

What do you enjoy about your current role at SōRSE, and what’s been challenging?     

I enjoy that I get to push the boundaries of what we think is possible in the cannabis and ingredient world. It’s also very rewarding to see something that I formulated on store shelves.      

At the same time, pushing those limits and boundaries is a very challenging task. Making something that no other company has commercialized means that I don’t have a reference point to work from; in essence, I have to start from scratch and come up with the concept myself. At those times, I have to trust my theoretical knowledge and keeping trying new things until I get the desired outcome.       

Describe a day in the life of Jerry at SōRSE. What are some of the projects that you are currently involved in?   

A day in life at SōRSE for me consists of ideation, research, bench work such as making emulsion or product development and helping prep/ship out R&D samples to customers. I am currently working on a lot of custom emulsions for specific customers.    

(I have a long list of specific projects I am working on, but my manager says they are top secret.)    

Can you share some highlights from your time at SōRSE?     

My biggest highlight so far at SōRSE is commercializing our Clear CBD formulation. When I talk about pushing the boundaries of what we think is possible, this is a prime example. This is a product that our customers have been requesting for a while. None of our competitors had successfully brought a successful clear CBD emulsion to market, nor was it obvious how to accomplish this task. This took over 100 iterations to get it right. Even when we thought we were almost done formulating, issues didn’t cease. I am proud to say we now have a Clear CBD emulsion that can be scaled up for production, has minimal sensory attributes, is robust with temperature changes, and can go into various beverages and applications without stability issues.    

If you could, what product infused with cannabinoids would you create for consumer use?      

A MiO-style THC product that has a pump mechanism, allowing easy dosing of 10 mg of THC. (MiO is a liquid beverage mix used to flavor water and other beverages.)   

Can you share a fun fact that not a lot of people know about you?    

I play keys and guitar for fun, and jam/make music with Trevor, our Shipping Manager, every week.    

Meet Tim O’Neill, VP of International Markets, who joined the SōRSE team in 2019 after serving as an officer in the British Army for ten years, where he took on a broad range of roles, from policy to counter-insurgency operations. Tim leads SoRSE’s international business development and is responsible for creating strategy for global expansion and building relationships with clients in Canada, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific. 

Tim enjoys the challenge of working in this burgeoning marketplace, especially as global consumers show increased interest in products infused with cannabinoids.  While he may live thousands of miles from the SōRSE headquarters in Seattle, Tim is an integral part of our sales team as the company expands to new markets around the world.  

What drew you to SōRSE? What intrigued you about the position?    

I crossed paths with our CEO, Howard, when I was looking at options outside my current role and he was looking for options for SōRSE outside of the US. It was clear that it was an opportunity to move into a brand-new role in a brand-new industry. It was an exciting prospect and a chance to really shape the position and make it my own. It was made clear that I’d be expected to be a self-starter, to make my own decisions and manage my own time; coming from the rigidity of my current organization, this sounded like the perfect job! It took four weeks from being offered the role to starting out as the newest member of the team.   

Prior to SōRSE, you served as an officer in the British Army for ten years. What skills that you developed in your time in the military do you find yourself drawing on working for SōRSE?  

I spent a lot of my time in that role operating ‘at range’ and trying to solve new and complex problems with only the resources that I had available.  I also needed to anticipate requirements for my time and my commanders, and prepare as best I could for uncertainty. It was all about trying to deliver results on time to the best of my ability and with the tools available.  My time at SōRSE has been no different. 

What do you enjoy about your role, and what do you find challenging?  

Working 8,000 miles and eight time zones away from the company office in Seattle has its challenges, but I’ve found the team I get to work with every day have taken it in their stride, and I try and use it to my advantage wherever I can.  The team I work with loves what they do and universally wants the company to do great things, which we are. 

Working with CBD on in a global marketplace has its challenges — one of them being regulatory differences. Despite the challenges, what are the growth opportunities that you are seeing internationally? How do you see people’s perceptions of cannabis changing? 

 Public perception and support for the legalization of cannabis products is only increasing everywhere you look. The ‘Post Prohibition’ era is coming everywhere; it’s just a question of when. People are preparing accordingly, and there is a lot of excitement around what that could look like.  People are being cautious and examining opportunities, but the pieces are already being moved into place. 

 Can you describe some significant/meaningful moments in the time you have worked at SōRSE?  

Coming from the Army, and with little practical business experience, the last few years have been full of ‘firsts’ for me. I secured our first international order. Seeing that through from making the sale, helping with regulatory compliance, shipping, clearing customs and delivery was really satisfying. The fact that the customer was thrilled with SōRSE Technology and just how much better it was than the alternatives made me realize I was a part of something special.   

What are your work goals for 2021 and your personal goals?  

I’d like SōRSE to get in at the ground floor of every new legal hemp market in the world, as the best provider of emulsions for food and beverages.   

As a family, we are preparing for my wife to coach the Great Britain Rowing Team at the Olympics in Tokyo this the summer, and between a four-year-old, a Labrador and three chickens, I think I’ll have plenty to occupy me once I clock off for the weekend! 

Can you share something about yourself that not a lot of people know?   

I once accidentally crossed the border from Kuwait into Iraq on a jet ski. 

Meet Loni Mowbray, our Quality Control Manager, one of SōRSE’s newest team members, but a seasoned veteran of the food and beverage industry. Loni joined the company in 2020 and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her role in managing product standards. Loni has been working in the food industry since she was a teenager, and today develops food safety and quality programs for SōRSE. She’s excited to be part of an industry that is constantly evolving and changing, helping implement processes that ensure that products powered by SōRSE are of the highest quality possible.     

What compelled you to pursue a career in food safety? How did you get to where you are now?  

I had seen the movie “Outbreak” when I was 12 or 13, and it was really the first thing that ignited my desire to “do science.” I kept driving towards that through the Running Start program where I was able to take classes at my local community college and use the credits towards my high school diploma. Part of the Running Start program was a “learning into action” requirement, where I needed to find work in my potential field, and there weren’t a lot of science-related jobs in Mount Vernon, Washington at the time.  As a result, I ended up getting a job at Advanced H2O as a Quality Control Technician for bottled water and sparkling beverages. After gaining that experience, I had the opportunity to work for several different food manufacturers – Nature’s Path Foods, Da Vinci Gourmet (which became Kerry Food and Beverage), then to Stockpot Soups which was a subsidiary of Campbell’s, then back to Da Vinci when a quality assurance (QA) lead position had opened up.

At that point, I’d been working in QA for about five years and felt confident in my ability to be a QA manager, but I was lacking the necessary education. I enrolled at Washington State University with the intention of changing career paths to go into medicine and earned dual Bachelors’ degrees in Microbiology with a Medical Technology emphasis and Genetics/Cell Biology. I was hoping this would lead me to a career as a med tech, but in the end my degrees took me back to the food industry. I eventually worked my way through Trident Seafoods and Coca-Cola as QA Supervisor, to being offered the position of Ivar’s Quality Control Manager, where I focused on training, food safety, and food quality issues.

In the food and beverage industry, we learn new things every day; new issues pop up, and some old issues don’t get resolved. My feeling is, I want to make myself valuable by finding solutions to these problems and communicating the results to all levels within the company, with the end goal of developing a robust food safety culture.     

What drew you to SōRSE? What intrigued you about the position?   

A year or so ago, I hit a point in my career where I had found my place in the food industry, yet I was rethinking what I was doing and the direction I was headed. At the same time, I had started using cannabis and was interested in the science behind it and the different ways that it helps people. Compared to other industries, cannabis is brand new, and a lot of people who work in it know a lot about cannabinoids and extraction but not a lot about quality assurance or food safety, especially in the edibles space. I kept my eyes open for a QA manager position, and eventually saw one open at SōRSE. I was a little daunted because it seemed very chemistry-heavy and highly technical, but I went for it and applied. After a full day of back-to-back interviews, I knew that the SōRSE people were MY people. From the interviews I could see how super-smart, driven, and motivated the team is. I was thrilled when I was offered the job.    

What do you love about your role, and what do you find challenging?  

I love that, since day one, I have been in a state of constant learning, though the curve has been steep at times. There was a lot to figure out up front; I asked a lot of what I thought were inane questions, but I needed to get grounded in the science and the data. I’m learning more about cannabis than I ever expected, and I’m ecstatic to have the time to research. Topics like the Entourage Effect are really fascinating, and it feels good to take the skills and experience I have and make a positive impact on the business. It’s also great to be working for a company where people are legitimately happy I’m here; often in the food industry, the QC manager is the person people avoid because they feel as though the person in that position is more of a hindrance than a help. At SōRSE the level of appreciation my colleagues have expressed is a testament to how my work is being perceived, and how I am truly contributing to the quality of what we are doing here. I also love being able to see the positive impact our work is having in the industry, and helping people understand why quality control is so important in terms of legitimizing our products through gathering data, planning, creating processes and documentation. Once you get the processes in place, it’s just a matter of doing daily monitoring to make sure you are getting the results you want.  

One of the challenges I have in my role is switching between creating, planning, and executing programs for QC and being able to react in a moment’s notice if an issue arises. I to keep an ear out for what is happening in the lab and be ready to stop what I am doing to help out. Switching gears like that has helped me develop my ability to prioritize and find new tools to get things done.   

What do you think a consumer should know or be aware of when they are purchasing infused products?   

Consumers should definitely do some homework on the products they are interested in buying, who is making them and with what ingredients, and buy products from retailers that they trust. They should request documentation like the Certificate of Analysis (COA) on the product they are purchasing so they can be sure the potency on the label is accurate and that it has been tested for residual pesticides amongst other things. They can also look into the labs where the products are tested to make sure they are legit and are on the up and up. If the lab is reputable, then the results should be accurate, and consumers can trust the numbers. If consumers are going to dispensaries to purchase products, they shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions about how the products are tested for potency and safety. Consumers should also avoid brands that make medical claims – that is a huge issue with the FDA, since cannabinoids have not yet been approved as a food ingredient and as such any claims made have no federal scientific backing.  

 Can you share something about yourself that not a lot of people know?   

For me personally, one of the worst things about the social distancing required by the pandemic has been no karaoke. Karaoke has always been a huge outlet for me, and I really miss going with my sister. My three favorite songs to sing are “Cornflake Girl” by Tori Amos, “Misery” by Pink and Steven Tyler, and “Zombie” by the Cranberries. My favorite karaoke bar was a place in Kent, Washington called the Golden Steer; the KJ was an absolute rock star! I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to get down there again, once it’s safe to do so.