Eastern Washington native Katie Stem started her first business at age 22 while in the Americorps VISTA entrepreneurial division. A graduate from Carleton College in 2002, majoring in pre-med and literature, she has extensive business and management experience, as well as more than 10 years of laboratory science background.

While working for Washington State University and Oregon Health & Science University, she experimented in the fields of physiology, pharmacology and neurology using natural products and pharmaceutical interventions for human diseases. In 2010, she completed her degree in traditional Chinese medicine and became a nationally-certified licensed herbalist and acupuncturist. Stem’s skills as both a scientist and herbalist are invaluable to Peak in formulation, R&D, and educational outreach.

A medical cannabis patient since 2004, Katie has been heavily involved and connected within the community since the early days. Her battle with Crohn’s disease led her to explore alternatives to dangerous biologic and immunosuppressive drugs. Cannabis has been a powerful tool to manage her disease and she is a passionate educator and advocate within the industry. Stem maintains an acupuncture and herbal medicine practice in Portland that she’s had since 2010.