OUR TEAM
Finding Inspiration in Every Turn
Meet The Team
Anthony "Tony" Johnson (Owner)
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania now staying in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Served in the US Marine Corps straight out of High School and then became Sheriff’s Deputy in Loudoun County. Tony now works as a General Manager in the car industry and is an active investor in the stock exchange and businesses in the Virginia area.
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A colleague from the Car business had introduced the idea of getting into cannabis investments, as Tony is an avid investor. From starting his investment journey more than 20 years ago, including stock securities and investing in other businesses, he is fond of the technology sector in both his stock portfolio and companies he invested in.
While personally never indulging in Cannabis, Tony was a big history buff and found the history of hemp in china. Quickly realizing that CBD and hemp becoming federally legal would give him a chance to work in a completely new industry that he was only able to read about before, Tony began searching for Virginia Cannabis Companies emerging in the area.
“Cannabis becoming more normalized, allows individuals to try CBD and THC without damaging their reputations”
“Making it legal brings everyone the freedom to explore alternative and cheaper medicines that work.”
Eric Spanbauer (Founder & Owner)
From Silver Spring, Maryland to Occoquan as a child. Went to NVCC Loudon with a major in Horticulture Technology through the Val and Bill Tillett Scholarship fund, where he was the president of the horticulture club. He fell in love with growing plants when Eric decided to start his home garden in High school, growing tomatoes and peppers for 3 years, where he practiced growing techniques such as soil health testing and cross pollinating.
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As Hemp became legal he jumped on the opportunity to work on a 2 Acre farm where he grew and managed a commercial CBD Hemp Flower Grow operation. Where he met Brett Gauthier. The two quickly sprang into action and started leasing their first farm in Montross, Virginia in 2021.
Eric entered the realm of cannabis, with the idea of helping people. Understanding the benefits of Cannabis on his mental health during his gap year in college, helping him break through stressful times, he wanted to bring the same sense of relief and serenity to everyone. His passion for serving his community has sparked Eric to spend a lot of his free time volunteering and being active in our local community, including helping out at local charities such as House of Mercy.
“Cannabis is more than just a plant, it’s a catalyst for positive change”
“Cannabis has the power to contribute to the wellbeing of individuals and communities if we embrace it’s healing power”
“Together we can break down stereotypes, promote wellness, and build a community that embraces the benefits of this remarkable plant.”
Brett Gauthier (Founder and Owner)
Born and raised in Bristow, Virginia; Brett attended the local school Patriot High School and got his Business Management degree from Northern Virginia Community College in Manassas, where he also played on the NVCC club hockey team. With a background in gardening with work at the Merrifield Garden Center and Management experience in the restaurant industry.
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While on a gap semester from College. Brett was able to travel around Europe where he was able to meet locals and experience traditions. His first experience with Cannabis was here where he was able to see the love and community that’s able to ignite so quickly. Learning that cannabis can help with mood regulation, and overall mental health, he jumped into finding ways to share this with others.
Brett currently operates as East Coast Collective’s Chief Agricultural Officer, with experience handling over 5000 plants covering over 5 acres the last 3 years. He enjoys being able to control what he consumes and tagged along with his love for tending to and nurturing his plants really sparked Brett to take his hand in the cannabis industry. Brett like’s to spend a lot of time with his plants.
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“Cannabis means community”
“Cannabis is a plant that is able to bring people from diverse backgrounds together, without even needing to know the same language as one another, it’s truly a remarkable sight to witness”
“I live my life and treat my work with the golden rule, treating others as you would want to be treated, and treating my work as a continuous learning journey."
Coe DeBus (Owner)
Born in Fairhope, Alabama to Fairfax County, Virginia, Coe attended Lake Braddock and Northern Virginia Community College with a major in Horticulture Technologies. At NVCC, he met Eric in class, which led him to joining East Coast Collective in their first Commercial CBD Hemp Biomass operation in Montross, Virginia.
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Initially studying Biology to further his knowledge in health exercise sciences, he soon changed his path when Hemp became federally legal. He explored and studied the cause and effects of CBD on muscle and joint pains which furthered his curiosity on the topic. His background in anatomy and physiology, paired with his passion for growing and nurturing plants which stem from his gardening days of working in landscaping led him to look for opportunities in the CBD hemp space.
Coe had grown up playing Soccer all his life including as a captain for Lake Braddock’s Men’s Soccer Team. Growing up with early mornings and late nights of constant practice, he soon realized there had to be a solution to the aches he experienced everyday after practice. During
his time at VCU, Coe had his first injury that took him away from the game where he broke his ankle. He was able to use his knowledge from researching the topic and use CBD to get through his physical therapy faster. Noting that the balms helped the pain subside, which made him truly believe this is a solution to getting our athletes back on the field faster.
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“We should look at Cannabis as an alternative. It offers a natural approach to health and wellness.”
“There’s too much evidence on the benefits of CBD in healing muscle pain for us to not talk about it”
Jae Kwon
Born in Seoul, South Korea and raised in Fairfax County, Jae had graduated from Lake Braddock High School with an ambition to help his community. Growing up doing work in his local churches, he found a love for serving at an early age.
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Initially meeting Coe in High School, they both had studied Biology and Health Sciences throughout. Jae went on to study Business IT in college, where he was able to meet up with Coe, Eric, and Brett after their first harvest to help with marketing and outreach.
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With a background in sales and management, he helped the team grow to the size it is now on a farm 3x as large, with operating facilities and now a growing brand in the heart of Virginia.
“Marijuana’s backlash is starting to go away as we see more and more people being introduced to the world of potential benefits.”