About Us
The Team
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Derek has been formally trained in tax accounting at PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) and Deloitte Tax LLP and has approximately a decade of professional taxation experience. Additionally, he is a Certified Public Accountant and has helped clients throughout the United States.
Derek first became intrigued in the Cannabis tax space in 2010 when cannabis was on the ballot for legalization in California. What he found most interesting was tax code 280E which disallowed individuals and businesses to deduct ordinary and necessary business expenses. Unfortunately, California wasn't ready for full legalization so he put his interests on the back-burner. In 2015, seeing the growth of this industry from the amount of revenue Colorado was able to generate re-sparked his interest in this space and he decided to start California Cannabis CPA. His goal is to help individuals and companies in this space identify and apply tax and business strategies to increase their cash flow while making sure they are in full compliance with all applicable rules and regulations. |
Natalie Rasmussen, EA
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Natalie is an Enrolled Agent with 21 years of experience in the tax accounting field. Her experience includes all areas of taxation, accounting and planning. With an Enrolled Agent Certification, Natalie is a federally-authorized tax practitioner who has technical expertise in the field of taxation and is empowered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to represent taxpayers before all administrative levels of the IRS for audits collections and appeals.
Based out of Las Vegas, Nevada, Natalie can usually be found in her off time enjoying everything that this spot in the desert has to offer: hiking, shows, great restaurants and gym-time with the love of her life. |
Kevin Bee, CPA
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Kevin has been focused on delivering quality financial statement audits with exceptional service to businesses of all sizes since 2002. He leverages technology and deep experience to get the job done efficiently and add value while he's at it.
He tailors the audit procedures to fit your unique business and needs, and delivers a report that investors, lenders, regulators, or anyone you choose to show the report to, can rely on. Audit is also an opportunity to add value by seeing further and deeper into your business. You can discuss, in confidence, your business issues and strategies with him. Kevin's goal is to support the growth and acceptance of your legal cannabis business by delivering quality audits that anyone can rely on. |
Miguel Centeno, EA
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Miguel is a 6-year veteran of the Big Four, with experience across IRS controversy, institutional audits, and provisions as well as in preparing state and local tax returns for over 30 jurisdiction. His roles required engagement across various operations roles at Fortune 500 companies, as well as immersion with various accounting systems. Miguel now specializes in small businesses accounting and tax and enjoys surfing in his hometown of Redondo Beach.
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Kym Brake, EA
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Kym is an Enrolled Agent based in Orange County, CA with over 15 years of accounting experience. She has her Bachelors of Art in Accounting from California State University - Fullerton and is finishing her Masters in Legal Tax Studies at University of San Francisco.
She became interested in the Cannabis community due to her special needs daughter who has epilepsy. She has seen so many families whose children have struggled with all types of medications and then shown such significant improvement with their seizures and cannabis oils. She hopes one day it will be the solution she is looking for to help her daughter become seizure free. In her spare time she loves to play poker and soccer with her friends and enjoy sunbathing at the beach. |
Chris Russell, CFP®
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Chris has a passion for helping business owners succeed. He developed a keen interest in entrepreneurship while working with his father in their family business before heading to college at the University of North Carolina (Go Heels!). Chris has many years of experience providing financial services to entrepreneurs as a trusted advisor and has worked with several of the largest, most-awarded Registered Investment Advisors, serving clients across the country. He is excited to bring his knowledge and expertise to Cannabis entrepreneurs.
Chris has been a long-time follower of the Cannabis industry and moved to California to become more involved in the space. As California legislation progressed, the need for financial services in the Cannabis industry became evident. His goal is to consult with Cannabis entrepreneurs as a trusted partner to grow their business and maximize their profits. |
Charlena Berry
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Charlena offers Professional Business Services on behalf of the Cannabis Industry. Located in Boca Raton, Florida, she provides consulting, documentation, and business strategy services to clients pursuing entry into the cannabis business in the State of Florida or Michigan.
Her experience spans from writing Marijuana Business Plans for Commercial Cultivation Facilities, Processing Centers, and Dispensaries. Additionally, she has experience operating a Medical Marijuana Endorsement Clinic in the State of Michigan where it has been legal since 2008. Prior to entering the cannabis industry, Ms. Berry worked at Fortune 500 manufacturing and retail companies Whirlpool Corporation and Office Depot Corporation. Some of her career highlights include planning and executing large scale merger efforts to transition Point of Sales systems. She was an Omni-Channel sales manager overseeing over $300M in eCommerce/retail business, and she designed new processes for manufacturing and inventory planning in the consumer goods space. A Southwest Michigan native, she holds a Master's Degree in Supply Chain Management from Michigan State University. She is passionate about helping form the processes and procedures that will shape the future of the Cannabis industry. She specializes in writing Cannabis Business Plans, researching local policies required for licensure, writing Cannabis Inventory Control Documents, Security Plans, Dispensary Operating Procedures, Cultivation Operating Procedures, and any other document that may be required for your state application. |
