About Ignite It

Jason is a passionate entrepreneur and founder of Benzinga, a content ecosystem that makes information easier to consume. Benzinga's mission is to connect the world with news, data and education that makes the path to financial prosperity easier for everyone, everyday.

At the end of 2021, Jason sold a majority interest in Benzinga to Beringer at a nine-digit valuation. Benzinga currently serves over 25 million readers in over 125 countries each month. Jason has been quoted throughout the media in places such as CNBC, Globe and Mail, Fox Business, NPR and The Wall Street Journal.

Jason invests in startups, some of which can be seen at HelloWorldVC.com. He enjoys speaking about overcoming obstacles and helping people achieve more than they ever thought possible.

Patrick Lane is an accomplished executive with over a decade of experience leading revenue strategy, corporate partnerships, and event-driven media initiatives across the financial, fintech, and cannabis industries. Most recently, Patrick served as Executive Vice President of Sales & Partnerships at Benzinga, where he helped scale the company's enterprise sales operation and monetization strategy — overseeing B2B advertising, affiliate and event sales as well as the company's live event productions.

During his tenure at Benzinga, Patrick held several leadership roles and was instrumental in launching and expanding the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference, one of the most prominent investor summits in the cannabis sector. He also helped grow cornerstone events like the Benzinga Global Fintech Awards and the Cannabis Market Spotlight series.

Patrick's superpower lies in his unconventional path: before stepping into the business world, he trained and worked professionally as a stage and screen actor. That background honed his instincts for presence, communication, storytelling and empathy — qualities that now fuel his effectiveness in sales, team leadership and high-stakes deal-making.

As CEO & Co-Founder of IgniteIt, Patrick is focused on building a future-forward platform where executives, brands and investors can connect, grow and get deals done.

Elliot Lane is Co-Founder and President of IgniteIt, a media and events company focused on delivering unique, valuable insights and connections to executives and investors in emerging and niche markets.

A University of Kentucky graduate with a Bachelor's degree in Music, Elliot began his career in the arts before moving into hospitality and ultimately financial media. At Benzinga, he grew from BDR to Senior Vice President, where he helped build and lead the company's cannabis business. In 2025, Elliot and his co-founders acquired the business and launched IgniteIt.

Today, he leads the company's cannabis events strategy, building it into a national industry leader while curating experiences that connect business, capital, community and culture.

Javier Hasse is a reporter with over a decade of experience covering cannabis, hemp, CBD and psychedelics. He is a Co-Founder of IgniteIt, Editor-in-Chief of High Times Magazine, Co-Founder of the Spanish-language site El Planteo and a Senior Contributor at Forbes. He previously served as Managing Director of Cannabis at Benzinga, and his work has appeared in CNN, Rolling Stone, MarketWatch, Playboy, Chicago Tribune, CNBC, Yahoo Finance and Entrepreneur.

His first book, Start Your Own Cannabis Business, was an Amazon #1 bestseller, and his latest, A Guide to Medical Cannabis — co-authored with IgniteIt Managing Editor Nicolás Rodríguez — was published in November 2024 by Hachette's Sheldon Press.

In May 2026 he was named International Journalist of the Year at the Business of Cannabis Awards in London, after taking Cannabis Journalist of the Year at the 2024 Emjays International Cannabis Awards. He has been named among the High Times 100 most influential people in cannabis.

Nicolás Rodríguez is Managing Editor at IgniteIt, where he covers the business, finance and policy of the cannabis industry. He has written more than 1,500 articles for outlets including High Times, Benzinga and El Planteo, with a focus on public markets, regulation, M&A and emerging technologies across the cannabis and hemp sectors.

He holds an MPhil in Public Policy from The New School and has been growing cannabis for more than 25 years.

Rolando García is Chief Economics Columnist. He spent a decade studying the economics of Argentine farmland before turning the same tools on cannabis. He holds a PhD in Economic Development, is a postdoctoral researcher at CONICET, and teaches economics and economic history.

He has published academic work on the cannabis crash in the US and Canada, advised multilateral bodies including the IDB, and co-authored cannabis industry reports and two books. His journalism has appeared in Benzinga, High Times, El Planteo and Revista THC among other outlets.

He loves geography, reads in four languages and is currently outnumbered at home by a toddler, a newborn and an English bulldog.

A.J. Herrington is a freelance journalist specializing in cannabis, hemp and psychedelics. His reporting has appeared in Forbes, High Times, Cannabis Now, HEMP and other national and industry publications, where he covers cannabis policy, business, science and culture.

Drawing on years of experience covering the legal cannabis industry and a background as a home cultivator, A.J. specializes in stories that help readers understand a rapidly evolving landscape. He is a graduate of San Diego City College and an alumnus of Oaksterdam University.

Ismena Sckmunck is an anthropologist with postgraduate training in marketing and experience working with diverse audiences across digital communication, social media and audience analysis.

At IgniteIt, she combines cultural insight with data to help cannabis industry stories reach the right people across platforms, challenging the algorithm and improving performance.

She believes in the best of both worlds: she wants the perfect photo of her overpriced coffee, but if it doesn't perform well, she probably won't order it again.

Jelena Martinovic holds a Bachelor's degree in Archaeology and works as a writer covering business, investing and the cannabis industry. Before joining IgniteIt, she wrote for Benzinga and Insider Monkey, where she covered financial markets, public companies and industry trends.

At IgniteIt, she focuses on cannabis news, market developments, regulation and the business side of the industry. Her background in archaeology gave her a strong foundation in research, critical thinking and attention to detail — skills she now applies to reporting on financial markets and an industry that is constantly evolving.

Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, reading about history and visiting archaeological sites whenever she has the chance.

Cori Sickman keeps IgniteIt's events running. She manages attendee registration and ticketing, coordinates with venues, production partners and vendors, and is usually the person on the other end of the phone when a registration needs fixing before doors open.

She works across both IgniteIt's cannabis conference and Market Spotlight series and the RazMania Midwest Festival, handling the logistics, systems and day-of details that decide whether an event runs smoothly.

Emily Lehmann is the Event Manager for IgniteIt — and she can't wait to see you at one of our upcoming spotlights or conferences.

Emily lives in Minnesota, and has for all of her life outside of her New York City college days at Eugene Lang. Before her time at IgniteIt, she was the Client Relations Manager and Scholarship Coordinator for Benzinga's Events and the Education Director for Masquers Theatre Company.

She can be found teaching theatre camps every June through her local school district community education program.