Biography
Hunter Friedland is the Founder and CEO of Cirona Labs, one of New York’s leading cannabis companies. He launched the business during his final semester at Cornell and has since grown it into a team of over 100 employees generating $25M+ in annual revenue. The company operates a 45,000-square-foot facility in Rochester, NY, where it manufactures and distributes a portfolio of cannabis and functional wellness products across its consumer brands.
Under Hunter’s leadership, Cirona Labs has scaled from an early-stage startup into a vertically integrated operator navigating one of the country’s most highly regulated industries. His experience spans building high-performing teams, raising capital, developing brand strategy, launching new products, and managing complex manufacturing operations.
A 2019 graduate of Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration (now the Nolan School of Hotel Administration), Hunter was deeply involved in Cornell’s entrepreneurship community as a student, including through Elab and the Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship. He’s excited to give back to the programs that were instrumental in shaping his path as a founder. Outside of work, Hunter lives with his fiancée, Natalie, and dog, Paris, and loves to eat great food, travel, and golf.