Matt Hawkins is the Founder and Managing Principal of Entourage Effect Capital (EEC), a venture capital firm focused specifically on investing in the legalized cannabis industry. EEC is one of the longest-tenured, largest, and most-respected cannabis investment firms in the United States. Hawkins was previously Partner and President of a private real estate investment company that acquired REO and NPL from banks and financial institutions across the country, with a particular interest in multifamily residential and self-storage assets. In addition, he has an extensive background in both turnaround management and private equity. Hawkins is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin.