Oscar Velasco-Schmitz is a Seattle-based entrepreneur with a diverse background in the tech, cannabis, and hospitality industries. He is best known as the co-founder of Dockside Cannabis, one of the most successful cannabis dispensaries in Washington state, which he co-founded with friends and colleagues in 2011.
Prior to his foray into the cannabis industry, Oscar owned and operated a popular restaurant in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. He also worked at Microsoft as a software engineer for several years, where he honed his skills in software development, project management and systems development.
His contemporary interests and efforts include systems & business strategy development, engagement and development of policy, regulation, institutional & societal normalcy, culture, research and industry strategy at municipal, state, national, and international forums. He consults and advises institutional and private clients across industries and markets in US, Latin America, Canada, EMEA, and Oceania.
Oscar is a founding board member of the Coalition for Cannabis Standards and Ethics (CCSE), and a founder and board member of The Cannabis Alliance. He is a founding member of the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) and helps organize leaders of academia, policy, and business to convene for national and international conferences, forums, and mobilizations.
In 2011 Oscar co-founded an award-winning and nationally certified medical cannabis access point, Dockside CO-OP; and since the passage of Initiative 502 in Washington State, he has co-launched multiple state-licensed retail stores under the design/architectural award-winning and media-recognized brand, Dockside Cannabis.
Oscar holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in Linguistics and Education from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Outside of his professional pursuits, Oscar is a devoted husband and father, residing in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood with his family. He enjoys exploring the Pacific Northwest’s great outdoors, cooking for friends and family, adventure traveling and participating in community events and causes.