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rbor Vita8 Board Member Glenn Esterson has long had a passion for farming. After developing a love for it at 13, he would go on to live on farms and eventually deeply engage in Mycology studies at the FMRC (Florida Mushroom Research College). Then, from 2005-2011, he created and piloted North Carolina’s largest shiitake mushroom farm, Smokey Bowl Family Farm. In 2009, he co-founded the North Carolina Mountain Mushroom Co-Op with a colleague. It took off, having amassed 300+ additional local farmers by the time of Glenn’s exit. 

From there, Glenn would go on to a storied career in real estate, specifically focused on affordable housing and the manufactured housing space. By this time, he’d already received a degree in Ski Business & Development at Sierra Nevada College in Lake Tahoe. This resort development training pairs well with his superior marketing background, including sales, strategy, and implementation. As such, he runs two successful companies in the real estate investment world: The Mobile Home Park Expert, an Manufactured Housing Community Advisory Business; and The Esterson MHC Team of Marcus & Millichap, a Manufactured Housing Community Brokerage team. Glenn and his team are consistently among the top 3 national brokers for investment sales of Manufactured Housing Communities in the United States, selling $100,000,000’s worth of parks per year. He’s even authored the aptly titled Mobile Home Park Manifesto, a best seller. 

Glenn also has a wealth of experience in the cannabis space. In 2016, he began investing in the industry; today, he’s involved in 15 related companies, whether individually or through a fund. Much like Arbor Vita8, Glenn appreciates the vertical integration offered by a community of cannabis properties. We’re eager to see the new heights his expertise will enable in our community of hemp pioneers!