At age 12 Keston saved his lunch money to purchase hair clippers because he didn’t have enough money to afford a haircut. The two-and-a-half-month sacrifice resulted in being hungry but was the single most important decision he would make in his adolescent life. Keston learned to cut hair and marketed his skill set to amass a following of clients amongst friends and others from word of mouth. This quickly evolved into working at a local barber shop as an independent barber during the weekdays and managing the barbershop during the weekends.

Keston was able to identify a problem and create a solution which then presented an opportunity for himself that would not have otherwise existed. The barbershop served as the catalyst that helped develop Keston’s sales and customer service skills. He would learn inventory management, how to balance and maintain a budget, and most importantly how to run a brick-and-mortar business.

In his early 20s, Keston would learn a plethora of trades while working in the construction industry, eventually becoming a lead on-site Foreman. This experience would prove to be beneficial when Keston decided to seek a career in television and film production. Keston would later monetize his self-taught photography and videography skills to establish Keston Karter LLC in 2007 and acquire multiple film and TV trades that would help secure partnerships with media giants such as NBC Universal and Viacom.

Working in the Los Angeles film industry, Keston was introduced to Cannabis during the height of California’s legalization boom. Upon returning to New York, he utilized his construction experience to develop and build an indoor, environmentally controlled grow house. He would continue to refine and improve his newfound love for cannabis horticulture and tap into his business and sales experience to establish and build the infrastructure for a complete, vertical, seed-to-sale cannabis operation. A chance encounter with the law quickly halted any aspirations to continue participating in the legacy cannabis industry. Despite this setback, Keston managed to persevere and went on to establish and run multiple successful businesses such as The Solar Specialists, a renewable energy company established in 2016.

Keston co-owns 2428 Productions, a full-service production company consisting of up to 45 employees, servicing clients ranging from the general public to international corporations. Keston also co-owns Cracked Digital Solutions; a brick-and-mortar retail cell phone business providing new and used cellphones and electronics; as well as repair services to the public.

Now, Keston is the Founder & CEO of Of The Earth Canna, New York’s soon-to-be Premier Dispensary for Cannabis Culture & Lifestyle. OTEC consists of a team of six uniquely diverse executives working alongside Keston to establish, build, and operate a state-of-the-art, modern 5,000 sq. ft. dispensary, in one of the busiest, most robust cities on earth; New York City!

“Although the path to get here today has been unorthodox, ultimately, every experience has been a driving force that has instilled characteristics and values that have prepared me for precisely what’s in front of me. The opportunity to be one of New York’s first dispensary owners, who can help pioneer the expanding cannabis industry to provide opportunities for those who desperately need them would be as fulfilling personally, as it would be professionally.”  ~KM