Alumni Timo Espinoza: Herbalist and Business Owner

Every month we have the opportunity to touch base with a graduate of one of our certification programs. We call it our alumni series.

This month we’re hearing from Herbalist and CEO Timo Espinoza. He graduated in 2016 from our Foundations and Therapeutics certification program. After arthritis cut his metal working career short, Timo sought advice from his elders. That advice changed his life and lead him to a new career in herbalism.

Here’s Timo’s story:

Timo Espinoza: Herbalist and Cannabis Brand CEO

Timo! Tell Us About Your Journey to Herb School

My name is Timo Espinoza and I chose to attend Berkeley Herbal Center because there was a real sense of community within the school culture that made me feel welcomed and fostered my unique style of learning.

I was a sheet metal worker for over 20 years and nearing the end of my career, I was diagnosed with arthritis in my hands. This ailment prevented me from being able to continue working in my trade. I sought out advice from my spiritual elders and through that, my journey with herbalism began.

How did BHC impact your story?

Berkeley Herbal Center had a great impact on me being able to learn and retain information I could use for the rest of my life and to help those around me.

I was never the type of person to do well in a traditional school setting and the environment that BHC created to foster my learning style made my learning experience much more satisfying and successful.

The hands-on teaching style really contributed to my success in retaining information, I loved the outdoor activities (herbal walks, camping excursions and hikes). Those experiences were the highlight of my educational journey at BHC. 

What are you up to now?

I am currently the CEO and Co-Founder of Seventh Wave LLC, a licensed manufacturing, distribution and delivery cannabis company in California.

We source premium quality cannabis from Humboldt County and distribute our products statewide. We aim to educate the consumer about legacy, social equity and quality cannabis based on the experience of consuming.

You can check out our website www.seventhwavellc.com or find us on Instagram @7thwaveca!

Share an herb with us you love working with!

One of my favorite herbs is Cannabis! Cannabis has been an essential component to my healing journey and as I work with the plant I have been able to witness how resilient the plant truly is. My favorite thing to do with cannabis is to extract it and create topicals with what is produced.