Sonny Moerenhout
Managing Partner
Sonny has been consulting growers for years on cannabis cultivation in countries where medicinal cannabis is legalized. His cultivation experience and expertise is strengthened as result of his involvement in trials at Wageningen University.
Not surprisingly, Sonny holds a master’s degree in plant science from Wageningen University with greenhouse horticulture as his specialization. He understands the importance of working together with the pharmaceutical, horticultural & hobby industry in the cannabis sector. Through his experience in his extensive network he learnt that cultivation expertise is a crucial factor to make growing facilities a success.
Pim Molenaars
Managing Partner
Pim was responsible for the cannabis business within one of the leading corporate companies in the ancillary industry. Over the years, he has seen the industry evolve from small scale, ‘underground’ operations to high tech growing facilities which comply to medicinal standards.
Nowadays, the cannabis industry faces challenges such as legal compliance, medicinal quality standards (GMP and GACP), finding skilled people, and obtaining cultivation knowledge. Pim has been dealing with these challenges and readied the internal organization to serve the global cannabis market. While doing this, he has become a true cannabis professional in the industry with a strong network.
Tim van Hissenhoven
Cultivation Consultant
Born and raised near the city of Mechelen, in Belgium’s main greenhouse vegetable‑growing area. As the son of a tomato and lettuce grower he literally grew up between the plants in a greenhouse. That’s where his passion for plants and greenhouse growing originates.
Mainly specialized in hydroponic growing of leafy vegetables and herbs in open field, greenhouses or closed environments, and plant propagation. Currently consulting and supporting projects all over the world in different climate zones (like Japan, India, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and North America).
Richard Kooijman
Cultivation Consultant
Richard has been working in commercial horticulture for over 20 years since graduating with a Masters in Horticulture in 1997. He is a very experienced tomato grower with exceptional knowledge of pests, diseases and their control, plant nutrition and fertigation strategies.
He has both BASIS and FACTS (UK) qualifications and is a DAFM approved Pesticide Advisor (Ireland). Richard has been consulting both cannabis and tomato growers in recent years, and enjoys coaching growing teams to help them reach their fullest potential. Nowadays Richard works as a senior consultant for Cannabis Cultivators.
John Dol
Cultivation Consultant
John has been running cannabis and vegetable farms for years. He developed facilities from the technical drawing board to successful growing operations in the USA. John started over 25 years ago in the horticulture sector and moved from technical maintenance manager to Director of Operations.
John has designed multiple indoor and greenhouse cannabis facilities for leading companies in North America. As VP of Cultivation he managed up to 12 grow facilities over 10 different states. John’s expertise will help you develop strategies and facilities to drive success for the future by improving efficiency, increasing yield and driving down cost today.
Brady Green
Cultivation Consultant
Brady was the head grower and vice-president of cultivation for one of Canada’s largest cannabis companies. Brady has designed several state of the art GMP cannabis facilities from the ground up and has consulted on multiple other greenhouse, indoor facilities and outdoor production around the globe.
His growing style ranges from small scale organic to highly technical hydroponic, always maintaining a high-quality product. Brady’s expertise will help you design a facility and implement processes to maximize efficiency and create a high-end product.
John Verhoeven
Consultant Recycling & Waste Streams
John developed and implemented waste stream solutions in the horticulture & cannabis industry worldwide. He worked for one of the leading suppliers of consumables in the horticultural industry. As a result he has strong understanding of the legal requirements of waste disposal.
The cannabis industry has specific challenges since the waste classification of cannabis requires tailor made, approved solutions. John’s success relies on his expert knowledge, built up during a 30-year career in waste/recycling management, his international project management skills and a very strong network in the industry. John has a proven ability to come to waste solutions for all stakeholders.
Rens Michielsen
Legal compliance consultant
Rens has developed and implemented compliance protocols for suppliers in the cannabis industry. He worked for one of the global suppliers of consumables in the cannabis industry. As a result he has strong understanding of the legal requirements of being active in the cannabis industry.
The cannabis industry has specific challenges since the complexity of the regulatory landscape and the undergoing rapid developments of legalization.Rens brings compliance protocols in place for both growers and suppliers, your customers, your staff and other stakeholders in order to enable compliant services. Rens’ his success relies on his expert knowledge, legal background and expertise the cannabis industry.
Tom Moerenhout
Cultivation Consultant
Tom is a highly experienced eggplant grower and was running his own greenhouse company in the Netherlands till end of 2018. After he sold his company he got frequently asked for advise because of his 35 years of growing experience. Today he is consulting growers with daily operations such as climate control, crop maintenance, nutrition and other cultivation topics. He is specialized in eggplants (aubergines) and has also been growing tomato and cucumbers.
Joris Tielen
Research Intern
Joris grew up in Sevenum, a small village in North-Limburg, after which he moved to Wageningen for his studies in Land- and Watermanagement and Plant Sciences. By his family background and by growing up in a rural area, he was inspired by the agricultural sector and the environmental challenges this sector is facing nowadays.
Joris will perform research on the open field cultivation of hemp during his time at Cultivators and by doing so contribute to Cultivators’ ambitions and knowledge for the future in this area.
Ygor Nieuwenstein
Research Intern
Ygor grew up in Valkenswaard, a village in North-Brabant, after which he moved to Eindhoven for his studies in International Business at the Fontys University of Applied Sciences. From family background involved with international travel and sales which has let him to follow the path of international business.
Ygor will identify the opportunities of a cannabis infused drink in the UK or European market during his time at Cultivators. His vision is that the cannabis industry should be managed by people that care for the well being and quality of this extraordinary plant. By joining Cultivators, he has taken a step towards realizing this vision.
Mexx Holweg
Research Intern
Mexx was brought up in Angerlo, a village in the Achterhoek, Gelderland. After obtaining a BSc in Applied Plant Research he decided to specialize in MSc Plant Sciences (specialization Greenhouse Horticulture) at Wageningen University & Research, during which he researched the effect of light intensity and blue light on medicinal cannabis.
For many years Mexx believed in the pharmaceutical potential of cannabis, and hopes to fulfill his social-role by contributing to the industry’s development. During his time at Cultivators he will focus his research on the propagation of medicinal cannabis, with the goal of standardizing parts of the cultivation.
Donis Bernal
Research Intern
Donis is a student from Panama, during his BSc research thesis he was part of the 1st Vertical Farming Project in a Controlled Environment in Latin America at “Urban Farms”. Subsequently, he conducted an academic internship specialized in Vertical Farming in the Center of Environment, Health and Field Sciences in Chiba University, Japan.
Currently, he is a MSc Plant Sciences student (specialization Greenhouse Horticulture) at Wageningen University & Research, during which he studied the effects of photoperiod on floral yield and cannabinoid content of medicinal cannabis. At cultivators, Donis will developed a business case model for cannabis growing systems, as well as how plant architecture affects final floral yield. By doing so, creating a viable business plan for cannabis investors and growers.
