Meet MFNY‘s founders, Michael Kandhorov and Natalia Kaminskaya:
Tell us about your product(s). What do you make or sell, and what should people know about it?
We craft single-source cannabis – live resin and live rosin vapes and concentrates, infused pre-rolls, tinctures, and gummies – out of our state-of-the-art, CGMP-certified facility in the Hudson Valley, New York. Our “Fire In, Fire Out” philosophy is simple: if you start with the highest-quality material, you end up with the highest-quality products. But more than that, every MFNY product is designed to spark creativity, helping people unlock new ways of thinking, making, and connecting, in true New York style.
Please introduce us to the people behind the brand.
MFNY was co-founded by husband-and-wife team Michael Kandhorov and Natalia Kaminskaya, both first-generation Americans who embody grit, resilience, and the belief in the American Dream. Michael left a successful real estate development business, and Natalia left a thriving career in luxury real estate and high-end hospitality, to go “all in” on cannabis. Together with an experienced and diverse team, we’ve built MFNY into one of New York’s leading cannabis brands while raising our two kids, which we like to joke makes MFNY our third child.
What inspired the launch of your brand? Was there a defining moment or problem that pushed you to create it?
When the 2018 Farm Bill passed, we saw an opportunity to merge our love of the plant with our backgrounds in business, real estate, and hospitality. What started as Hemp Farms of New York evolved into Marijuana Farms New York (MFNY) when the state legalized adult-use cannabis in 2021. We believed, and still believe, that New York deserves its own homegrown, high-quality cannabis brand that represents the innovation, creativity, and diversity of the state and the people who call it home. With a farm and facility just an hour north of the city, we committed to a single-source model that could elevate New York’s cannabis culture and make all New Yorkers proud. Our mission: to be the cannabis brand of New York that sparks creativity and brings people together — Ever Upward™.
What makes your brand stand out? From product quality to brand story—what sets you apart in the industry?
We’re single-source. That means we grow, harvest, and process everything ourselves, giving us complete control over quality. We control the whole journey, so we can hold (literally) unequaled standards. Our Riverway™ mark is a promise of authenticity: if it says 100% live rosin or live resin, it is – no shortcuts, no dilution. We champion consumer education (ask to see the COA) and push design forward, sophisticated packaging, and inclusive color systems for easy shopability, and are designed with New York’s creative culture in mind. From limited-edition Bagelhole pre-roll drops to collaborations with NY creators, MFNY treats our packaging and partnerships as canvases to ignite culture.
Walk us through your process. Do you grow, source, or extract in a unique way?
It all begins with genetics. We carefully select cultivars best suited for their terpene profiles and the products we intend to produce. We harvest at peak ripeness, fresh-freeze flower for live products, and use meticulous preparation methods that preserve flavor and potency. Both our solventless and butane labs are designed for precision, from low-temp washrooms to optimized workflows. We recently launched our Riverway™ line of live rosin and live resin premium cannabis vapes and concentrates – extracts derived from fresh-frozen cannabis to preserve the plant’s natural cannabinoids and terpenes – to help consumers differentiate authentic live products from misleading alternatives on store shelves. Every step of our process, from washing and pressing to curing and whipping, has been refined through R&D so consumers experience the full spectrum of flavor, aroma, and effect.
What challenges have you faced as a cannabis brand or entrepreneur, and how did you overcome them?
Everyone told us we were crazy for getting into cannabis. Then the pandemic hit, and the pressure to give up was intense. At one point, we had an offer to sell — and almost everyone around us said we should take it. But we trusted our intuition and stayed the course. Navigating New York’s complex regulatory environment hasn’t been easy either, but we leaned on resilience, creativity, and the support of our team and community. Today, being among the first operators to bring legal, regulated cannabis to New Yorkers makes every challenge worth it. Our advice: don’t start with a logo, start with a solid infrastructure (real estate, operations, SOPs) that will allow for creativity and quality scale.
What’s next for your company? Any new products, partnerships, or big goals on the horizon?
We just launched Riverway™ Live Rosin, our premium solventless line, with a statewide tour to educate consumers about what real live rosin is (and isn’t). We’re also expanding our creative collaborations, from limited-edition packaging and products to accessories and more with New York designers. Looking ahead, our goal is to continue setting the standard for cannabis in New York while helping build a sustainable, responsible industry that all New Yorkers can be proud of. We’re elevating cannabis while keeping it authentically New York.
