Staff

Gabriel Gaston is one of the original founders of SCC. Gabe was born and raised in the Chicago area. He attended Eastern Illinois University and graduated in 1999 with a degree in Marketing and Economics. For a long time, Gabe knew he wanted to head west. Immediately after graduating, he packed his bags and landed in Phoenix, Arizona. There he started his professional career working in the healthcare industry. Gabe built his own business in the industry but after eight years realized his time and effort would be better spent working firsthand with patients in need. Gabe has a genuine interest and respect for people. These traits are abundantly clear and make operating a compassion center his most important, personal endeavor to date.

Gabe is a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Wellington “Megaton” Dias. He actively competes and has medaled in numerous jiu-jitsu competitions including the Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship, American National Jiu-Jitsu Championship, Grappler’s Quest and the Arizona International Open, among others. Due to his love of children as well as teaching others, Gabe often volunteered training the kid’s jiu-jitsu class at Megaton’s. Jiu-jitsu has provided a spiritual outlet for both mind and body, offering a strong foundation to the helping of others. Gabe is extremely excited about what is happening in the state of Colorado regarding the use of medical marijuana. He hopes to make a positive impact on this rapidly changing industry and the patients affiliated with SweetLeaf.

Eric Kaufman is one of the original founders of SSC. His background in business is 20 plus years. Eric attended Arizona State University from 1984 through 1988. After graduating from ASU he began his career with Wolfe’s Corporation, a commercial general contractor. Eric worked his way up from the field to ultimately running the company, giving him the understanding of all facets of construction. Eric also founded the Real Estate Development arm of the construction company and personally spearheaded the development of multiple retail shopping centers. This is just a small portion of the business expertise Eric possesses.

In addition to Eric’s business background, he has trained in the martial arts for many years. He currently owns a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and is a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. His BJJ titles include two Arizona State blue belt Masters Champion and one Pan American Senior II Champion. Eric’s dedication to the martial arts has been a part of his life since childhood.

John Cabay comes to us from the Arizona desert where the air is dry and the sidewalk is molten. He leads an extremely active life, first growing up playing organized team sports and later transitioning into more individualized outdoor activities like cycling, yoga, scuba diving and most recently, jiu-jitsu.  After earning a degree from Arizona State University in business management with an emphasis in leisure and recreation, he worked for several years as a Recreation Coordinator for the City of Scottsdale. He loved working with the local community, programming fitness and wellness classes for all ages.  John then moved into the private sector where he spent 10 years managing the programs and operations for high-end health clubs.  John has worked in many aspects of sports, programming, wellness, fitness, and health related fields, and his experience translates well into his work at SweetLeaf.  He feels that “getting to know and developing relationships with patients is the best way to provide the highest quality care.”  John is thrilled to have an opportunity to apply his knowledge and passion for health and wellness for the greater good of the medical marijuana movement.

 

Nate grew up in the rural Midwest, the son of a Hospice Nurse.  He later moved to Colorado where he was trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine at the Colorado School of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Nate trained in Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine and Tui Na massage therapy.  Graduating with an MS in Traditional Chinese Medicine, he earned his NCCAOM Diplomate in Acupuncture and his Colorado license to practice.  Before becoming involved with SweetLeaf, Nate maintained a private Acupuncture practice in Lakewood, CO.  He was initially drawn to TCM through a combination of his own experiences with alternative medicine and his interest in the subtle energies of eastern martial arts.  Nate is available to answer any questions you may have about Traditional Chinese Medicine. Call SweetLeaf to schedule your appointment today!

 

 

 

Kelli is 23years old and originally from Aurora, Co. She spent about four years in Steamboat Springs and that is where her love for music, nature, and a general way of alternative healing started to grow.  This led her to the beautiful world of massage.  She left Steamboat Springs to attend the Denver School of Massage Therapy where she was trained in a range of modalities including Swedish Massage, Deep Tissue, Shiatzu, and many more.  Her love for her work allows her to truly individualize each massage, therefore creating the best healing possible for the client.  She truly is just a carefree, fun-loving person who loves what she does. Kelli started budtending with SweetLeaf after she became part of the SweetLeaf Wellness family. Kelli brings an amazing work ethic, a wonderful attitude and a wealth of expertise to the table.

 

 

 

Courtney is a Colorado native, born and raised. She grew up in the glorious southern area of Sedalia. After graduating early from high school, she pursued her career as a Hair Stylist.  She completed an Assistantship over the course of almost two years at two renowned salons in the Denver area utilizing all Hair and MakeUp skills possible.  She has independently owned and operated a personal salon chair for roughly four years and is still going strong.  She is currently featured at the Contage Salon Thursday through Saturday, right down the street from SweetLeaf – feel free to book an appointment by calling 303.777.8282 ! When Courtney is not creating fabulous hair or budtending at SweetLeaf she likes to paint, cruise around on her bicycle, long board with her dog Lulu and groove out to some Gorillaz or Wutang – and of coarse she has grown up snowboarding the mountains of Colorado.  Take her outside and she’s a happy girl!  Medical Marijuana has helped Courtney relieve mostly body pain.  She has been accident-prone her whole life; one incident being that she was hit and pinned by a car while walking.  Being on her feet all day and having to blow dry luscious locks has had quite the toll on her body. Cannabis cures her pain more effectively than pharmaceuticals. A couple of Courtney’s fav books – The China Study, Reefer Madness, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass And by her definition, “Some real sweet movies” – True Grit, Gonzo, Sucker Punch, True Romance, Suicide Kings

Arthur comes by way of spaceship from the heart of the Appalachian Mountains in Roanoke VA.  Born and raised in Roanoke, Arthur earned his first degree black belt in American Freestyle Karate at the age of 14 after 8 years of training.  As most adolescents, his interest switched from athletics to music and the arts.  Specializing in acoustic guitar, Arthur’s influences stem from everything from the Grateful Dead to Gillian Welch to the psychedelic rock phenom Tool.  After moving to Denver in June of 2011, Arthur is currently in  pursuit of a woodworking degree specializing in guitar building.  The emerging medical cannabis industry is a big reason Arthur came to CO.  He feels that cannabis has many benefits and that he can help bring further education about the plant to those who seek it.  Since becoming a budtender at SweetLeaf in Aug. 2011, Arthur has most certainly found an inner appreciation in helping the patients that come his way.

 

 

 

Nathan is 22 and a fourth-generation Colorado native.  Unlike many of his fellow native-born Denverites, Nathan chose to stay in the Mile High City to take advantage of the Denver city life with the majestic beauty of the untamed mountains just minutes away.  He began his experience in the medical marijuana field in February 2010, and despite early struggles, he stuck with the industry.  Eventually, he found his place with Sweet Leaf  after having been a patient for several months.  Nathan struggles with anxiety, nausea and general stomach problems, as well as back problems due to a dislocated disk in his spine when he was 17. Cannabis has been by far the most effective treatment for these ailments, leading him to receive his Marijuana Patient Registry Card in 2010.
Nathan discovered a love for music at the age of 14, and by 18 was writing song lyrics. At 21 he began learning to play the guitar, and now enjoys song writing regularly, both lyrically and instrumentally. Nathan is also fascinated by the concept of lucid dreaming, continually researching and testing new techniques in his personal oneironautical (“exploration of the dream world”) pursuits.

 

 

Nicole, a customer service veteran, recently retired from an 8 year career in the coffee making industry to pursue a job in MMJ.  She is very interested in working with MMJ businesses and patients for many reasons, the biggest being the innovation and modern nature behind the business.  Nicole is committed to being a part of this industry,
contributing to its growth, and to helping people live better.  A recent graduate from the University of Colorado Denver, Nicole earned a Bachelors of Fine Arts with a dual emphasis in Painting and Drawing, as well as a Minor in Art History.  She has a painting studio located in Boxcar Gallery (554 Santa Fe Drive), where she spends most of her free time.  Ever the academic enthusiast, Nicole is back in school earning a second bachelors in either biology or chemistry.  When she’s not working, painting, or studying for school, Nicole enjoys reading, playing video games, and watching movies with husband and kitty.

 

 

 

Laura