# Caleb Counts

> Caleb Counts is the Sacramento-based co-founder and CEO of Connected Cannabis Co., an operator whose career spans homebuilding sales, one of Sacramento's earliest dispensaries, city cannabis-policy work, cultivation R&D, and the expansion of Connected into a multi-state brand. His defining operating idea is unusually consistent: customer experience, genetics, and repeatable quality matter more than scale for its own sake.

- **Role:** Co-Founder and CEO at Connected Cannabis Co.
- **Organizations:** Connected Cannabis Co., Connected International Inc., Fruitridge Health & Wellness Center, Sacramento Alliance of Collectives
- **From:** Southern California, United States
- **Education:** California State University, Chico
- **Known for:** Co-created Biscotti, a Gelato 25 and South Florida OG cross that became Connected's flagship genetic line., Built Connected from a Sacramento retail and cultivation operation into a brand operating in California, Arizona, Florida, and New York., Helped organize Sacramento cannabis operators and worked with city officials on dispensary and cultivation rules before statewide adult-use legalization.

## Career timeline

- **1998-2003** — Attended California State University, Chico.
- **c. 2003-2008** — Worked for roughly five years in homebuilding and real-estate sales in the Sacramento area, including a role at Pulte Homes.
- **2008** — Incorporated Fruitridge Health & Wellness Center as a nonprofit mutual benefit corporation.
- **2009** — Opened Fruitridge Health & Wellness in Sacramento; Counts has described it as roughly the city's seventh dispensary.
- **2010** — Built a cultivation facility across from the dispensary with space split between production and R&D.
- **2013** — Returned to Sacramento retail with Luke Coleman as Collective Efforts reopened; this period became the foundation of Connected.
- **2014** — Began the Cookies-era partnership after meeting Berner and acquired access to Gelato genetics.
- **2015** — Developed Biscotti through a pheno hunt crossing Gelato 25 with South Florida OG.
- **2018** — Launched Connected as its own brand and established a long-term operating partnership with Alien Labs.
- **2019** — Connected raised a $25 million Series A.
- **2021** — Connected raised another $30 million in debt and equity financing for multi-state growth.
- **2022** — Connected entered Florida after establishing operations in California and Arizona.
- **2024** — Forbes profiled Counts and Coleman as co-founders of Connected, and GreenState documented Counts's role in Biscotti's development.
- **2025** — Connected announced an exclusive New York cultivation and distribution partnership with FLUENT at its Buffalo facility.
- **2026** — Connected and Alien Labs products were packaged and shipped from Buffalo, followed by an official New York debut; a California filing also documented a new Merced distribution, manufacturing, and cultivation project submitted by Counts.

## Achievements

- Co-created Biscotti, a Gelato 25 and South Florida OG cross that became Connected's flagship genetic line.
- Built Connected from a Sacramento retail and cultivation operation into a brand operating in California, Arizona, Florida, and New York.
- Helped organize Sacramento cannabis operators and worked with city officials on dispensary and cultivation rules before statewide adult-use legalization.
- Made cultivation R&D a formal part of the operation as early as 2010, later adding blind, numbered review sessions for phenotype selection.
- Raised $55 million in disclosed company financing across 2019 and 2021 rounds.
- Developed Connected's long-running partnership with Alien Labs and earlier licensing and promotion relationships with Berner and Cookies.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — FLUENT reported that its Buffalo cultivation facility had reached full operating capacity, supporting Connected's New York partnership.
- **2026-04** — Connected promoted its official New York debut with Counts and Alien Labs founder Ted Lidie in New York City.
- **2026-03** — A Grow World tour featured Counts, Connected's Sacramento culture, genetics, R&D, and the company's international ambitions.
- **2026-03** — FLUENT reported that the Buffalo team completed its first packaging and shipments of Connected and Alien Labs products during the first quarter of 2026.
- **2026-01** — California published approval materials for a Merced facility tied to an application submitted by Counts, with distribution, manufacturing, and 22,000 square feet of cultivation planned.
- **2025-08** — Connected and FLUENT announced an exclusive partnership to cultivate and distribute Connected, Alien Labs, and Smoken Promises in New York.

## Links

- Website: https://connectedcannabisco.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caleb-counts-9372366
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/connected_cc
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counts/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Connected-Cannabis-Co-262508320893136/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/caleb-counts
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-26