With an extensive background working with senior levels of government, stakeholders and the
private sector, Barinder Rasode has mastered skillful leadership by finding common ground to
encourage respectful, informed dialogue on diverse issues to tackle emerging challenges facing
BC’s future.

Previously, Barinder served two terms as an elected Councillor for the City of Surrey and served
on the Board of Directors for British Columbia’s largest health authority, Fraser Health . With the
emergence of Canada’s Cannabis Industry, Barinder founded National Institute of Cannabis
Health and Education (NICHE) in 2017 to promote evidence-based research and education
about cannabis. Shortly after she became the Editor-in-Chief for BotaniQ Magazine , a cannabis
print magazine with a large social footprint and the following year she co-founded
CannabisWise a seal of cannabis standards to go above and beyond the current Health Canada
requirements.

Most recently Barinder co-founded Grow Tech Labs (GTL) in 2018 after identifying a need to
help the pre-legalization cannabis community navigate the post-regulated space through an
expedited process that focuses on innovative technology and strategic partnerships. She was
later appointed CEO and has led the company to several successful partnerships and aided the
establishment of the BC Small Cannabis Producers and Processors Co-Op.

While Barinder’s professional career continues to embolden the cannabis industry, she has
rapidly become one of Canada’s most notable cannabis influencers. Her verified Twitter account
has over 10.5K followers, 21.8 likes while her LinkedIn boasts over 7500 contacts and her
Facebook personal and professional page has over 9,300 friends and 3,000 likes. Barinder is a
regular speaker on cannabis panels, podcasts and radio.

In addition to her work in the cannabis space, Barinder is a fierce advocate of women’s rights,
having co-founded a unique series of conferences, SheTalks , each featuring 16 inspirational
women who share stories of leadership, transformation, innovation, and how to succeed in
today’s rapidly changing world.

Among her many accolades, Vancouver Magazine ranked her as one of the 50 most powerful
people in Vancouver.

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