Cannabis Industry Conference - Virtual (C65082)

Luis Plascencia is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in Illinois. His firm specializes in IRS Representation Services and Financial Statement Services to small businesses to mid-size businesses and non-profit organizations. Mr. Plascencia is a member of the faculty at Harold Washington College, one of the City Colleges of Chicago. Luis is the current Chairperson of the Illinois CPA Society (ICPAS) Legislators Tax Guide Task Force and previously served as the Chairperson of the ICPAS Tax Practice and Procedures Committee. Mr. Plascencia has served on multiple ICPAS Committees and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Committees. Mr. Plascencia currently serves on the state board of accountancy, Illinois Board of Examiners. Luis is a frequent speaker at ICPAS and AICPA Continuing Professional Education events. He is also a frequent guest on the Chicago Legal Clinic Immigration Issues Show where he discusses tax issues that affect immigrants. He is an avid distance runner and cyclist. Luis is a charity runner for Organization for Autism Research – Run for Autism and has volunteered his time to Chicago Area Runners Association and local running clubs

Marc A. Claybon, J.D., LL.M | Principal | Crowe LLP Denver, CO

Mr. Claybon has nearly 25 years of tax experience equally split between public accounting and private industry. His industry experiences include leading a private equity company’s tax group, tax counsel at a Fortune 50 company, and director of tax planning, tax controversy and transfer pricing at a Fortune 200 global energy company. Mr. Claybon is Crowe’s Cannabis Industry Tax leader and advises on complex industry tax matters, such as §280E and business structuring, for a wide range of organizations, including medical and adult-use dispensaries, cannabis and hemp growers, seed to sale integrated operations, ancillary products manufacturers and service providers, cannabis industry private equity funds, as well as individual investors. Mr. Claybon frequently presents at industry conferences on various cannabis tax topics.

Mr. Tarapchak has served as EVP Finance & Corporate Controller of Verano Holdings since 2022. Prior Verano Holdings Mr. Tarapchak has served in various accounting and finance roles Including VP Corporate Controller and CAO of II-VI Inc., Corporate Controller of Reynolds Group Holdings Limited, CFO of National Materials L.P. and Senior VP and Corporate Controller of Navistar International Corporation. Mr. Tarapchak has a B.A. from Wittenberg University and an MBA from The Ohio State University. He is a CPA and serves as a board member of the Illinois CPA Society.

Nathan Summers is a Principal in the Assurance and Accounting department of Miller, Cooper & Co., Ltd. and possesses experience serving middle market, privately-held companies of all sizes. He is the head of the firm's Cannabis audit and accounting practice, working with various publicly traded and private cannabis firms since 2014. In addition to serving clients, Nathan is actively involved on Miller Cooper’s recruiting committee that evaluates experienced hires and campus candidates. He has been with Miller Cooper since 2006.

Mr. Summers has a diverse client base and specializes in audits and accounting service engagements for cannabis companies, manufacturers and distributors, construction companies, service businesses, technology companies, and retailers. He is also involved with general business consulting, internal control reviews, due diligence engagements, and financial accounting special projects. In addition, Mr. Summers works on audits for Miller Cooper’s employee benefit plan clients. Mr. Summers also has expertise in litigation support. Current responsibilities on assignments are to provide ongoing assistance with management, as well as the responsibility of supervising the audit fieldwork and financial statement preparation.

Mr. Summers earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Accounting Science degrees from Northern Illinois University. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Illinois CPA Society. Mr. Summers is also an original member of the Cannabis Industry Member Forum Group and the Cannabis Content Advisory Group of the Illinois CPA Society and has given several presentations at various conferences on cannabis-related accounting issues.

Neil Prasad is a partner in the Assurance Services Group in the Chicago office. He leads the National Cannabis Industry Group and the Capital Markets for the Midwest, and is a member of the Retail & Consumer Products, Technology and Transaction Advisory Service groups. Neil is a trusted advisor to his closely held entrepreneurial and investor backed private clients. He applies his several years of operational experience in private industry to guide and advise clients with cash flow management; financial projections and forecasting; and understanding and applying complex accounting topics such as revenue recognition, purchase accounting, debt and equity transactions, and stock based compensation arrangements. He also has more than 25 years experience consulting clients with SEC policies, practices and procedures, and providing assurance services to pre-IPO and publicly traded companies. Neil’s extensive experience includes working with companies through initial public offerings, secondary offerings, comfort letters, reverse mergers, going dark or going private, as well as various other 1934 Act reporting requirements and related transactions. Neil works with clients throughout the United States and internationally providing financial statement audits (U.S. GAAP and IFRS), reviews, compilations, agreed upon procedures, cost certifications, and other attest services in the manufacturing, distribution, retail, e-commerce, entertainment, technology, life science, publishing, broker dealer, and various service industries.