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About Us
Simple Solutions
At Enlightened Ag, we are committed to delivering innovative solutions for the environmentally controlled agricultural sector. With over 30 years of experience in this field, we began by refining existing products to enhance their performance in alignment with the scientific principles of plant growth.
Mark Buddemeyer
Founder
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Mark Buddemeyer is a veteran cultivator and industry leader with more than a decade of experience designing, launching, and optimizing high-performance cannabis facilities. He has been at the forefront of large-scale cultivation innovation, overseeing the development of advanced indoor grow operations that now yield over 1,400 pounds of premium flower monthly.
Mark’s expertise spans crop steering, nutrient optimization, integrated pest management, and labor-efficient cultivation models. His work has driven exceptional gains in quality and efficiency, including doubling production yields to 1.425 grams per watt, increasing THC levels from 17% to over 30%, and elevating terpene content to 2.5–4%. He has authored comprehensive Standard Operating Procedures that guide cultivation teams from strain acquisition and cloning to harvest, curing, and compliance—setting the gold standard for scalable, consistent results.
Internationally, Mark has consulted with the University of the West Indies and the University of Technology in Jamaica, where he played a key role in shaping the early framework of the country’s regulated cannabis industry. His regulatory expertise culminated in the authorship of proposed legislation adopted by Jamaica’s Cannabis Licensing Authority.
In addition to his cultivation and regulatory accomplishments, Mark is passionate about education and community engagement. His leadership and commitment to knowledge-sharing have made him a respected voice in both local and international cannabis communities.
Michael Torretti
Founder
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Michael Torretti is an accomplished entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in cannabis operations, facility design, and retail management. His career began in the early days of Colorado’s legal cannabis industry, where he co-managed South Park Hydroponics, a renowned supplier of hydroponic and cultivation products. Michael’s work has spanned multiple facets of the cannabis sector, including designing efficient grow spaces, streamlining cultivation workflows, and implementing innovative solutions to meet the needs of modern growers.
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As a co-founder of Enlightened Ag, Michael brings a hands-on approach to product development, combining his deep understanding of agricultural science with technical ingenuity. His work focuses on integrating hardware and software solutions that address key industry challenges, such as sustainability, compliance, and operational efficiency.
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Michael’s passion for advancing the cannabis industry extends beyond technical innovation—he is committed to fostering collaboration and education among growers and operators. His expertise in business development and his ability to anticipate market trends have helped establish Enlightened Ag. as a forward-thinking company dedicated to the future of controlled-environment agriculture.
Andy Zhou
Founder
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Andy Zhou brings over 30 years of experience in software and hardware engineering, manufacturing, and product development, with a particular focus on scaling innovative technologies in China. His extensive background spans industries such as electronics, IoT systems, and industrial automation, where he has successfully overseen the design and mass production of complex hardware solutions.
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Introduced to the Enlightened Ag. team through a mutual connection at MJBizCon in 2022, Andy immediately became a vital contributor to the company’s technical advancements. Leveraging his deep knowledge of global supply chains and cutting-edge manufacturing techniques, he has played a key role in optimizing the design and production of Enlightened Ag's groundbreaking products.
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Andy’s collaborative approach and technical expertise ensure that every product meets the highest standards of quality, reliability, and efficiency. By bridging the gap between design innovation and large-scale manufacturing, he has helped position Enlightened Ag. as a leader in delivering advanced solutions for the controlled-environment agriculture industry.