From expulsion to extracts: How this company doubled profitability in one year

In this episode of The HR Sucks Show, Katrina sits down with Kevin Koby and Jack Peat, the Co-Founders behind Abstrax Tech, to unpack the unfiltered journey of building a cannabis science company from the ground up.

From Jack's rebellious school days (read: expulsions) to doubling EBITDA through culture—not just spreadsheets—this episode is packed with real talk, hard lessons, and a surprising amount of laughter.

We get vulnerable about leadership blind spots, dig into the stigma surrounding cannabis, and even ask: If Abstrax were a cannabis strain, what would it be?

Whether you’re a founder, leader, or just someone who’s trying to make sense of scaling without selling your soul, this one’s for you.

🔍 What You’ll Learn:

• The unconventional origin story of Abstrax Tech
• How putting people first drove exponential growth
• One leadership decision they’d double down on—and one they’d rethink
• The challenges of hiring in the cannabis industry
• Why team culture is way more than ping-pong tables and pizza parties
• The one rule they'd pass on to future entrepreneurs

💬 Memorable Quotes:

"Most people think EBITDA growth is all about the numbers. For us, it started with the people." – Kevin Koby "I was expelled from school... and now I’m running a multi-million dollar company. There’s a lesson in that." – Jack Peat "If Abstrax were a strain, it’d hit smooth but sneak up on you. Just like us."

🔗 Connect with the Guests:

Website: www.abstraxtech.com Kevin Koby (LinkedIn): linkedin.com/in/kevin-koby-0a17411b2