Meet our Manager of Process Engineering, Emily Skrobecki, who brings over three years of experience in the cannabis and hemp space as an Analytical Chemist, along with an academic background in Chemical Engineering with an emphasis in biochemical processes. Emily’s knowledge and enthusiasm for her work makes her an amazing brand ambassador. She believes strongly that there is no “I” in teamwork, and this ethos is evident in the way she collaborates with the SōRSE team.
How did you get started at SōRSE?
Prior to SōRSE, I was working at an edibles company. My last company brought in Scott (CSO at SōRSE) to do a presentation, and it opened up my eyes to the emulsion technology world. Months later, I met him again at a Cann-STEM meetup where he was presenting. We started talking about working together, and he encouraged me to come to SōRSE. Funny enough, I was hesitant at first because I was well aware of how chaotic the 502 industry is and already had plans on leaving this industry.
After consulting with my parents and close friends, I decided not to leave the industry because it’s a once in a lifetime experience, particularly watching cannabis become legal — medicinally and recreationally — and now going through a huge growth period. Now, one year later, I am so happy I took this job. I’ve had endless opportunities to play in the lab and shape myself into the scientist and engineer I wanted to be. I feel appreciated and seen as a knowledge source, and I am happy with the team we’ve created. I firmly believe that the science drives the integrity of our product.
What is Cann-STEM?
Cann-STEM is a cannabis science group that I started, for people like me, to meet and talk about the industry’s scientific progression. At that time, the industry was still so new that most “discoveries” were being kept a secret due to the illegal/closet thinking tendencies when cannabis was a federal crime.
Cann-STEM was made to promote the development and sharing of cannabis scientific knowledge through the collaboration of cannabis research, innovation, and technology. The group has speakers to come talk with us every month about what they were working on and share their knowledge.
What have been some of the significant moments in your year here?
One of my first projects at SōRSE was to create a powder formulation that would have similar water-soluble properties of our liquid, but also be easy to process with high yields. I worked closely with Scott and Michael Flemmens (VP of Science at SōRSE) for guidance in creating this challenging monster. Long days, weeks, and months were put into this project, but all became worth it in the end. Long story short, creation and commercialization has been my most significant moment here thus far. Scale-up is usually a long process, and man, we commercialized that product in less than 10 months. What a record!
In your time at SōRSE, what are you most proud of?
I’m really proud of how the company, and the people within the company, have grown in one calendar year. We all have been pulled and stretched in many directions, but we have grown so much from it. We failed — a lot — but failing is good. If you are not failing, you are not learning. One of my favorite phrases, both in the workplace and my personal life is, “there is always room for improvement.”
What do you love most about what you do?
I love the challenge of someone saying, “I want to put CBD in this.” People have crazy ideas for products – and there are endless opportunities to help people get their idea off the ground. I am happy to be on a team that explores these ideas and does insane things in the lab.
Can you share a fun fact that not a lot of people know about you?
One of the most important things in my life is spending as much time in the ocean as possible. My goal is to be in the ocean at least once every day. As of right now, I am close to once a week! Baby steps…
