Published on 08/07/2025
In May of 2025, Cultivators and Innexo hosted another successful Operational Excellence Training (OET), a hands-on program designed to enhance medical cannabis cultivation techniques. The training immerses participants in real-world scenarios, allowing them to apply new skills directly to live cannabis plants, simulating a complete production cycle in a medical cannabis facility.
Among the attendees were Keith Calleja and Ivan Yatskevich, both owners of social clubs. Keith is the president and cultivation officer at Sprawt CHRA in Malta, while Ivan is starting his own cannabis social club in Germany. We asked for their insight on the Operational Excellence Training and its impact on their cannabis social clubs.
Keith’s cannabis harm reduction associations (CHRA) Sprawt holds license #001 and has been in operation ever since legalization in Malta. Ivan made the big shift more recently, deciding to start a cannabis social club in Germany this year. An exciting and meaningful new chapter!
The OET first appeared on Keith’s radar at Mary Jane in Berlin last year after he was referred to Cultivators by a mutual friend. “After getting in contact with Kjell, Sonny, and Dominique, we felt confident to go ahead with the OET,” Keith explains. Ivan first came across the training through LinkedIn. “What convinced me was learning how to grow high-quality cannabis that improves people’s well-being directly from experts in the field. Especially Dominique’s general engagement showed a strong commitment to the community”.
For Keith, the practical sessions were incredibly insightful, “Going through each step of the production cycle and having a dedicated practical was very insightful. The pruning of mother, cloning, and the greenhouse experiments were very exciting”. Ivan adds that the training was a lot of fun! As Ivan is starting up his club, seeing a real facility for the first time with dedicated rooms for propagation, genetic preservation, flowering, and drying was impactful.
Additionally, both Keith and Ivan agree that learning science-based cultivation techniques and debunking common myths helped to complete the puzzle of knowledge they had already gathered. “The training discussions were refreshingly practical and data-driven, moving far away from bro science”, said Ivan. The training also focuses on creating new connections. As Ivan puts it, “The informal chats during breaks and evenings were also memorable, sometimes even deeply personal, as we shared stories and experiences. Besides cultivation, we also had insightful conversations about cannabis legislation in countries like the Netherlands, Malta, and Germany”.
Keith and Ivan agreed that the hands-on experience was incredibly valuable. According to Ivan, alternating between theoretical and practical sessions improved his learning experience: “It was great to actually inspect mother and flowering plants, take cuttings, transplant, scout for pests and diseases, and handle harvesting and trimming. That kind of practical exposure brought everything we’d learned to life”.
Both attendees practiced techniques they want to implement at their facility. Keith: “I will be trying hard to implement no-veg technique and inter-canopy lights, I think it will help me a lot”. Ivan was impressed by the practical sessions about taking cuttings. “We will definitely be using the propagation methods we learned, especially the hormone-free approach and avoiding humidity domes”.
We were happy to hear that both Keith and Ivan would stay involved with the OET. In fact, Sprawt has already booked spots for the next session! Ivan added that the OET is a fantastic opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, learn from professionals with diverse backgrounds, and develop a shared understanding of cultivation practices. “The Acceleration Day was fantastic for networking and learning from experts; it was a great addition to the OET!”.
Thanks, Keith and Ivan, for sharing your thoughts about the OET! We were happy to host you and look forward to seeing you back.
Interested in Operational Excellence Training? Find more information here.
Stay updated; follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn!