About Us

Ravi Bhatia is the Principal and Chief Investment Officer at VERANO CAPITAL PARTNERS, bringing a robust background from his time with Big 4 firms and Fortune 500 companies in strategic roles spanning Business Advisory, Transformation, and Corporate Development. His expertise extends to investing in both real estate and non-real estate ventures, where he has played pivotal roles in corporate strategy, transaction services, and advisory for sectors like Fintech, Healthtech, and Biotechnology.

Ravi holds an Executive MBA from UCLA Anderson, with a keen focus on valuation, due diligence, and capital strategies, which complements his work across industries such as Clean Tech, High Technology, and Healthcare. His professional interests are deeply aligned with his personal values, emphasizing social impact, sustainability, and health wellness. He actively advises early-stage companies and is involved in philanthropy, supporting organizations like the American Diabetes Association. Ravi's comprehensive approach makes him a vital advisor and investor for middle-market businesses looking to scale, with operations spanning from Orange County to international markets, aiding in cross-border expansion, investment banking, and strategic advisory services.

Jack Weinstein, associated with VERANO CAPITAL PARTNERS, is with nearly 20 years in corporate finance and investor relations, has served as CFO for Anthos Capital ($3.5B AUM), Henry’s Original (300+ employees), and Redbird Bioscience (eight-figure revenue). He advised on fundraising and M&A at GT Securities and managed corporate development for a billionaire-backed family office. Starting his career in corporate strategy at 20th Century Fox, he excels in corporate architecture, valuations, financing, team-building, and capital deployment.

David Morgenstern, associated with VERANO CAPITAL PARTNERS, is a seasoned finance professional with 35 years in financial services and portfolio management, brings extensive C-suite experience as former Director of Operations at a mid-sized mortgage company, managing $75-$100 million monthly volumes. He has raised billions for real estate and asset purchases. For the past decade, David has been an investor and advisor in the cannabis industry, facilitating debt, equity financing, and M&A transactions from $1 million to $200 million. Renowned for his leadership, he excels at identifying and delivering high-value opportunities.

Eric Marcus, associated with VERANO CAPITAL PARTNERS, specialize in providing debt and equity for commercial real estate properties nationwide in America. He creates financing structures that maximize returns based on risks associated with the specific investment opportunity. We specialize in identifying market driven opportunities for acquisitions of distressed real estate notes and properties..

Dhiraj Wohra, Partner at VERANO CAPITAL PARTNERS, has honed his funding and financing skills over two decades, delivering strategic financial oversight across global markets. His expertise has attracted millions in potential manufacturer outlays for IT and data products. Trustworthy in managing multimillion-dollar portfolios with direct board accountability, Dhiraj's acumen in investment strategy, coupled with his understanding of deep-tech advancements like AI, manufacturing, semiconductors/electronics and blockchain, makes him pivotal in securing and managing finances for tech-driven enterprises. His approach ensures not just capital acquisition but also its optimal utilization for exponential business growth.

Michael Thompson associated with VERANO CAPITAL PARTNERS, is a seasoned professional with over 35 years of experience in Private, Business, Corporate, and Commercial Banking. Known for his innovative approach to the industry, Michael has earned a reputation as a respected leader in the field due to his unwavering dedication to innovation.

Alejandro Luna, associated with VERANO CAPITAL PARTNERS, is the CEO and Founder of Lumex Trade. He has been an investment banker in NYC with 20 years of broad experience in trade finance, project finance, structured finance, privatizations, public-private partnership agreements, and corporate banking in Latin America, the US, and Canada.  Prior to starting Lumex Trade, Alejandro worked at Citibank, Willis, BBVA, and most recently at Bank of Tokyo (MUFG) covering a variety of trade finance products for the Latin American market.

Bérengère Ferrier, associated with VERANO CAPITAL PARTNERS and Revive Brands, is a seasoned brand strategist with more than 15 years of experience in advertising, corporate strategy, strategic planning, and working across cultures, Bérengère began her career at Airbus Helicopters before working at Saatchi & Saatchi (Publicis) and then founding Creavilia, her own strategy and marketing advising company in Los Angeles, in 2013. She is the cofounder of French Cluster and teaches innovation marketing at SUPAERO, a top aerospace engineering university. She has the experience to advise any company that wants to up its branding, from established multinational groups to startups.

Brendan Herley, associated with VERANO CAPITAL PARTNERS, is a well-regarded commercial banker with almost 30 years’ experience in trade finance, structured trade and syndicated loans, particularly in emerging markets.  Brendan regularly provides advisory services to clients and colleagues related to prevailing market conditions, potential risks and their impact on profitability.  He also participates in industry panel discussions. After starting his career with a forfaiting house (in London and New York) for 8 years, Brendan has held senior positions in 3 global commercial banks as well as business development roles for 3 growing trade fintechs.  He’s also served on ITFA Americas’ advisory board for over 17 years.