A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and a recipient of the UC Berkeley Alumni Scholarship, Vinayak Shastry holds a bachelor of science in electrical engineering and computer science. He co-founded the California cannabis brand Ember Valley in 2017, establishing headquarters in Los Angeles and cultivation facilities in Shasta County. Vinayak Shastry became the chief executive officer of Ember Valley in January 2019 and took brand products to market three months later.

Ember Valley’s original cultivation facility occupies 40,000 square feet and can produce 12,000 pounds of cannabis per year. Under Vinayak Shastry’s oversight, the company opened an additional 60,000-square-foot cultivation facility in December 2019. Together, the two Ember Valley facilities can produce 27,000 pounds per year.

In addition to leading the production and sale of a cannabis brand with a wide range of phenotypes, Mr. Shastry offers a full line of consumer THC extracts. Ember Valley is also preparing to launch a THC beer.