LEGACY 64 is a new entity that was founded by leaders in a variety of disciplines who collectively have more than one hundred years of experience in their respective fields.

Below our biographies of each of our board members, click any of the portraits above to go straight to their sections.

A California native, Andrea was born in San Diego to a family of small business owners, policy analysts, social workers, and educators. Her passion for community-building and economic advancement through self-sufficiency is in her DNA; she has held numerous positions in government and non-profit organizations throughout the state of California. She is also the founder of her own non-profit, LEGACY 64, which provides free business education, financial literacy, job placement, and technical assistance to individuals and business operators from underrepresented communities.

After college, Andrea moved to the Bay Area and worked as a Financial Analyst for Bank of America where she was responsible for a variety of research tasks to inform investment strategy and make investment decisions for mid-size companies.

Andrea went on to work as a Senior budget Analyst for the University of California, Office of the President. Here, she reviewed State and Federal budget allocations, oversaw the permanent budget, forecasted future funding requirements for various educational departments and programs throughout the UC system, and utilized statistical modeling and funding formulations to determine cost allocations. She also translated financial data into detailed presentations and easy-to-understand financial reports for various department managers.

A proven advocate for underrepresented groups, founder Andrea Unsworth became an entrepreneur after an impressive career as a bond analyst for Moody’s Investors Service. After publishing numerous pieces over five years, she started a delivery-only dispensary in 2014 called StashTwist under the state’s Prop 215. Andrea launched the business with limited capital, cashing out her 401(k), and partnered with her father who was a high-school educated Marine that grew up a sharecropper in rural South Carolina. The delivery service became a case study on MSNBC’s “The Profit”, and became a model for other women and minorities interested in becoming business owners in the industry.

In 2015, Andrea co-founded Supernova Women, an organization that champions for the education and advancement of individuals most impacted by the War on Drugs in the pursuit of their entrepreneurial goals. Founded with the mission to foster community empowerment through education, advocacy, and network building, the organization fosters a safe space for and amplifies the messages of their constituents at the local, state, and national level. That same year, she led the Bay Area chapter of Women Grow, a national for-profit entity whose mission is to serve as a catalyst for women to influence and succeed in the plant medicine industry.

For the next year, she worked intimately with the City of Oakland and Elevate Impact to develop and design a successful commercial cannabis program that launched in 2019. She then worked for the City to issue the first round of Equity funding by processing and reviewing applications for the first (6) months of the program.

In 2018 Andrea launched her own consulting company, Tulip & Oak, with small business clients in all sectors of the cannabis industry. Her team was responsible for securing licenses in multiple jurisdictions. As a frequent speaker at national conferences, Andrea has successfully testified on behalf of cannabis regulation before the State of California.

In 2022, Andrea was the Assistant Director of the Oakland Equity Collective, a shared-kitchen and white-labeling facility that supports a cohort of Social Equity operators for 18 months at a time. OEC works to advance manufacturing and distribution opportunities for a rotation of equity manufacturers in the shared facility.

Andrea currently provides technical assistance to cannabis Equity operators in the cities of Oakland, Palm Springs, and Los Angeles. Most recently, she taught an online webinar entitled “Finance for Cannabis Equity Operators” through the City of Los Angeles’ Department of Cannabis Regulation.

Andrea has a B.A. from UCLA in Political Science and Sociology, and an MBA with a focus on Company Finance from USC.

Reese is a trailblazing entrepreneur who has made a significant impact in the cannabis industry. As the founder of Posh Green Cannabis Boutique, she has achieved the remarkable feat of being the first black woman to solely own a dispensary in San Francisco. With her vision and determination, Reese B has revolutionized the way people perceive and consume cannabis in the city.

Prior to her foray into the cannabis business, Reese honed her skills and expertise in the health and wellness sector. She worked for the Department of Public Health and UCSF, where she played a crucial role in ensuring the well-being of the people of San Francisco. Here, Reese performed a wide variety of professional duties in a service program of the Department of Public Health, functioning as a liaison between community residents and program staff.

Reese provided counseling and advice to patients regarding health problems and assisted in gathering and evaluating data concerning the program to which they were assigned. Her professional experience has given her a deep understanding of the importance of providing quality care and support to individuals.

With a passion for empowering her community, Reese opened the Job Corps – Treasure Island and served as the first Career Preparation Program (CPP) Specialist. The CPP was designed to prepare and ensure readiness of students for entrance into academic training, and career readiness programs. Reese was responsible for the successful implementation of the career preparation program that took place in the students’ first sixty days, and had a significant emphasis on promoting new student retention as students were most vulnerable to dropping out in the first sixty days.

Reese has demonstrated an on-going commitment to preparing young people for the workforce by modeling, mentoring and monitoring excellence. Driven by her passion for helping others, she saw an opportunity to combine her knowledge of health and wellness with the emerging cannabis industry. Reese founded Posh Green Cannabis Boutique in 2016 as a delivery-only business, with the aim of providing a safe and welcoming space for individuals to access high-quality products.

Working with the City of San Francisco’s Planning Department, Reese began the arduous process of launching her storefront dispensary. The process included filing for a change in land use, and completing a 2-year long CUP process. Ms. Benton reached out extensively to stakeholders in the community to support her and speak on her behalf during the public hearing. Despite the barriers to capital, limited resources, and negative public opinions, Reese finally launched her dispensary in June 2020 – two years after initiating the process.

Through Posh Green, Reese has not only created a successful business but also a platform to promote the benefits of cannabis in promoting overall health and wellness. Her dedication to her craft and commitment to serving her community have earned her recognition and respect in the industry.

Reese’s journey as an entrepreneur has been nothing short of inspiring, as she continues to break barriers and pave the way for those from underserved and marginalized communities. With her leadership, Posh Green Cannabis Boutique is set to become a household name in San Francisco and beyond. Her dedication and hard work have earned her recognition and respect from her peers and the community.

Alisha’s life has been dedicated to advocating for social justice and supporting those in need. Her career started in 2005, where she earned a Master of Social Work from the NYU Silver School of Social Work.

In 2023, Alisha became the Executive Director of Women of Excellence LLC; her team successfully secured a $2.5 million competitive grant from the City of Oakland. This funding was used to purchase property to establish a shared-kitchen facility, specifically designed to support low-income entrepreneurs and promote social equity within the cannabis industry. These business owners will all be verified social equity operators that were harmed by past criminalization policies and from underserved communities.

In 2017, Alisha co-founded Millennium Marketplace LLC, a state-licensed microbusiness. This venture focused on implementing a cooperative model and providing support to low-income equity small businesses seeking to enter the regulated cannabis marketplace.

Alisha’s involvement in the cannabis industry began in 2015 when she co-founded Green Boutique Collective (GBC). GBC operated as a Prop 215 Medical Marijuana Delivery service in California, prioritizing compassionate care for individuals suffering from chronic pain. Through this experience, Alisha gained valuable insights into the intricacies of cannabis business operations.

Since 2013, Alisha has also worked as a project manager, overseeing property renovations for various types of buildings in California, including single-family homes, commercial properties, and mixed-use buildings. Her exceptional skills in project management, creative problem-solving, and coordination with construction crews ensured timely and cost-effective project completion.

For over 25 years, Alisha has dedicated her passion and expertise to advocating for the rights and well-being of people with disabilities. Having been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy since childhood, she has actively participated in the approval process of In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) in California and the Regional Center of the East Bay. Her incredible advocacy work has made a significant impact on improving the lives of individuals with disabilities and ensuring their access to crucial support services.

Alisha was born and raised in the vibrant and diverse communities of Berkeley and Oakland, CA. It was during this period that she first developed her passion for social justice and community advocacy. Overall, Alisha’s advocacy work has not only impacted her own life but has also positively influenced her personal relationships by fostering understanding, support,and shared values.

Amber Meshack is the Director of the Business, Jobs, & Social Responsibility (BJSR) Division at Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA). LAWA is the City of Los Angeles public agency that owns and operates Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the fourth busiest airport in the world, as well as Van Nuys General Aviation Airport (VNY). LAWA established BJSR in 2018 to advance social responsibility and maximize access to business and career opportunities at LAWA.

As Director of the BJSR Division, Ms. Meshack is responsible for workforce and business opportunity programs including: ensuring delivery of inclusivity commitments for the $14B LAWA capital program, overseeing LAWA’S First Source Hiring Program, managing the small contractor development and bonding assistance program, and developing strategic partnerships for business and workforce development.

Prior to taking on the role of BJSR Director, Ms. Meshack worked on the LAX Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP), where she managed executive operations and procurements, including for the City’s largest ever public-private-partnership project, the $4.9B Automated People Mover, the largest contract ever entered into by the City of Los Angeles. As part of that effort, Ms. Meshack was responsible for developing the local hire, workforce, and small, local, and disadvantaged business contracting requirements.

Before coming to LAX, Ms. Meshack helped to establish the City of Los Angeles Neighborhood Council system and was an organizer with the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, “The Living Wage Coalition”, helping to establish local livable wages.