Feature Story
EmmaLeaf
Where Experience Meets Quality by Clayton Stallings, contributing writer
EmmaLeaf THC diamonds.
( Photo by Paul Schenck)
EmmaLeaf, a licensed cannabis manufacturer in Ashland, MO, was founded by Nick Peckham and Josh Oxenhandler, who are both long-time Columbia, MO, residents and members of the Boone County business community. Peckham is an architect and pioneer of“ Green” construction, and Oxenhandler is an attorney.
The company name, EmmaLeaf, was inspired by one of the founders’ grandmothers, named“ Emma.” She was a prolific gardener and ahead of her time by using plants and natural remedies for medicinal purposes and to improve general health.
EmmaLeaf originally applied for four licenses— one dispensary, two manufacturing, and one cultivation. Eventually, it was awarded its manufacturing license on appeal in March 2023. Soon after, while volunteering for a local nonprofit, the founders met their current CEO, Paul Schenck, and his wife, Lauren Kaufman, the director of culinary, who have kept their own last names because they have both built career-long reputations as cannabis consultants in different fields, with vast nationwide experience.
Schenck first started in Colorado in 2010 as a grower / trimmer, then developed expertise in genetics and breeding, commercial hydroponics and aeroponics, commercial grow, integrated pest management, and large-scale cloning. He later joined Colorado-based Love’ s Oven Bakery in 2014, starting as a dishwasher and working his way up through the ranks to eventually assume responsibility for all manufacturing operations. This is also where he met Kaufman. programs and standards. This led to Schenck’ s involvement in facility designs and commencements in six other states, while also ensuring Love’ s Oven licensees in other states followed their established standards. He also served as an industry expert for regulatory committees in Colorado, Wyoming( Hemp / CBD), and Florida.
Lauren Kaufman, director of culinary, is always working in the lab’ s kitchen doing R & D like dialing in new recipes, testing shelf life, and creating new, unique infused edibles the Missouri cannabis market has yet see— but will soon.
( Photo by Clayton Stallings)
Kaufman started her career as a pastry chef, graduating with honors from Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island with a bachelor’ s in science, Baking & Pastry Food Service Management. She returned to her hometown, Columbia, where she worked several jobs, including head bread baker, wholesale pastry chef, and head pastry chef, as part of opening a new downtown hotel.
Kaufman’ s interest in cannabis goes as far back as writing a college paper titled“ Marijuana in Baked Goods.” She moved to Colorado in 2015 to pursue a career in the cannabis industry with Love’ s Oven, the largest cannabis baked goods manufacturer at the time, working her way up to production supervisor, responsible for creating and producing both standard and seasonal products. Kaufman then took a role as a consultant for a food science company, learning the“ ins and outs” of the Natural Food CPG Industry. She later started her own consulting company, working with CBD and THC companies throughout the country to launch new products and troubleshoot formula and production issues for her clients.
EmmaLeaf’ s CEO, Paul Schenck, offers custom spec products to meet any needs, such as this granulated THC isolate.( Photo by Clayton Stallings)
24 February 2026
During Schenck’ s time there, Love’ s Oven developed fullfacility food safety programs, which both Schenck and Kaufman leveraged to build a consulting practice focused on food safety
In 2022, Kaufman and Schenck decided to relocate back to Columbia, where Schenck took a management role at Good Day Farm and ultimately served as director of operations before joining the EmmaLeaf team. Schenck has a working knowledge of cGMPs, Lean Six Sigma, ISO22000, 9000, 9001, MED and DHSS code, city and state health codes. He is HACCP, NEHA, and ServSafe certified.