Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Certification
Additional Information
Timeline
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Michael Sasgen

Michael Sasgen

Chicago,IL

Summary

Success in any industry is built on consistent, high-impact habits—and Michael Sasgen has spent 14 years developing and refining the systems that drive growth in cannabis cultivation, sales, and business operations. From optimizing production processes to scaling wholesale distribution and building market trust, his expertise lies in compounding small improvements into exponential results.

Overview

12
12
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Independent Cannabis Cultivation Consultant & Wholesale Broker

Self-Employed
02.2019 - 08.2024
  • Developed scalable, repeatable systems to optimize production, minimize waste, and increase profitability for licensed cannabis cultivators and brands
  • Identified high-demand cultivars and advised clients on strategic production planning, reducing excess inventory and ensuring high-margin product sales
  • Implemented operational efficiencies that allowed clients to focus on growth without excess risk, aligning production with real-time market demand
  • Scaled wholesale brokering from 100 lbs per month to over 2,000 lbs, leveraging strong industry relationships and strategic market insights
  • Worked with top-tier cultivation and retail brands across California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Nevada, and Michigan, ensuring sustainable, long-term success
  • Operated under NDAs to maintain confidentiality and protect proprietary business strategies

Founder & Director of Cultivation

[Private Indoor Cultivation Operation]
08.2020 - 04.2022
  • Proved that success is system-driven by designing and running a three-level urban cultivation facility, achieving five harvests per year
  • Developed and implemented SOPs for cultivation, post-harvest processing, and facility operations, ensuring efficiency and consistency
  • Utilized organic Integrated Pest Management (IPM) methods, demonstrating that high-quality, clean cannabis could be grown without synthetic inputs
  • Managed and trained employees, creating a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence
  • Tracked profitability per cultivar, proving that even small adjustments in strain selection and methodology could have a compounding impact on revenue
  • Successfully sold the operation in April 2022, passing on a fully optimized, scalable business model to new owners

Design Consultant & Sales

Tegridy Farms
Nevada City
03.2019 - 09.2020
  • Designed and implemented a scalable farm infrastructure for a 40-acre sun-grown cannabis operation, improving efficiency from day one
  • Led all aspects of cultivation, from strain selection and propagation to full-season and light-deprivation techniques, ensuring year-round production
  • Built a quality-first sales strategy, ensuring that the farm’s output consistently met market demand and secured premium pricing
  • Optimized post-harvest processes, reducing losses and maximizing the value of each yield

General Manager & Founder

Redwood Farm & Garden
Leggett
08.2016 - 01.2019
  • Founded, built, and scaled a community agricultural hub, transforming it into a million-dollar business serving regional growers
  • Implemented customer-first strategies, growing from zero customers to over 100 farm accounts and establishing Redwood as a trusted industry name
  • Created custom soil blends, ensuring that local growers had access to optimized products that improved yield and quality
  • Built a wholesale distribution network, becoming the go-to supplier for high-quality inputs and supplies
  • Represented the business at the Emerald Cup (2017 & 2018), expanding reach and solidifying its reputation in the industry

Biotech Specialist

U.S. Department of the Interior
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
05.2015 - 12.2015
  • Applied ecological restoration principles to rebuild over 1,000 acres of endangered oak savanna habitat
  • Trained new team members, ensuring knowledge transfer and operational consistency in ecological conservation projects
  • Gained certification in Wildland Fire Chainsaws & National Incident Management, reinforcing expertise in land management and sustainability

Restoration Ecologist

Integrated Lakes Management
Waukegan
03.2012 - 06.2013
  • Implemented targeted restoration strategies, ensuring that natural ecosystems could thrive in a sustainable, self-sufficient manner
  • Designed and executed prescribed burns, utilizing data-driven decision-making to optimize land restoration efforts

Education

B.S. - Environmental Science

University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
01.2009

Skills

  • Systems Thinking
  • Operational Efficiency
  • Cultivation
  • Genetic Optimization
  • Wholesale Brokering
  • Market Strategy
  • Sustainable Agriculture
  • Organic Agriculture
  • Business Development
  • Growth Planning
  • Data-Driven Decision Making
  • Team Leadership
  • Process Optimization

Certification

  • Master Gardener Certification, Michigan State University Extension, 01/01/14, Present
  • S-212 Wildland Fire Chainsaws & IS-700 National Incident Management System

Additional Information

Success isn’t built overnight—it’s a product of small, smart decisions made consistently over time. Michael Sasgen has spent over a decade perfecting his approach to cultivation, sales, and business development, focusing on habits that drive results. He has applied data-driven decision-making, systemized operations, and strategic problem-solving to every project he’s touched, proving that the right approach, consistently applied, leads to exponential growth. If you want predictable, repeatable success in cultivation, sales, or operations, the best step you can take is building the right systems from day one—and that’s exactly what Michael does.

Timeline

Founder & Director of Cultivation

[Private Indoor Cultivation Operation]
08.2020 - 04.2022

Design Consultant & Sales

Tegridy Farms
03.2019 - 09.2020

Independent Cannabis Cultivation Consultant & Wholesale Broker

Self-Employed
02.2019 - 08.2024

General Manager & Founder

Redwood Farm & Garden
08.2016 - 01.2019

Biotech Specialist

U.S. Department of the Interior
05.2015 - 12.2015

Restoration Ecologist

Integrated Lakes Management
03.2012 - 06.2013

B.S. - Environmental Science

University of Iowa

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Michael Sasgen