Board Member ยท The Forgotten Prisoner
Chuck Cuda
Board Member
"Redemption, resilience, and second chances."
Chuck Cuda experienced incarceration early in life and rebuilt his path through faith, discipline, and determination. Today he is a Kansas City-based author, entrepreneur, commercial real estate leader, cannabis executive, and philanthropist, and a member of the Board of The Forgotten Prisoner.
Elevation Cannabis: 5 to 26 licenses across 3 states
$4 million+ raised through the OPES Charitable Foundation
Recognition, Coverage & Public Record
Independent sources and public records. Listing does not imply endorsement.
About Chuck
Chuck is the founder of OPES Commercial Real Estate, where he has personally completed more than $440 million in transactions and helped build one of the Kansas City region's top-performing brokerage firms.
He has built and scaled businesses across real estate, construction, healthcare, professional employer organizations, and cannabis. As CEO of Elevation Cannabis, he helped lead the company's growth from five licenses to 26 across three states, in both medical and adult-use markets.
In 2018 he founded the OPES Charitable Foundation, which has raised more than $4 million for cancer research, multiple sclerosis initiatives, paralysis therapy and research, autism programs, and local families and organizations in need. Its signature Green Tie Gala, which he chaired in 2019 when it donated over $280,000 to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, supports medical research and community causes. He has also supported Blood Cancer United, the Tommy Simone Memorial Foundation, youth athletics, and mentorship initiatives.
Why He Serves
Chuck brings business leadership, cannabis industry experience, philanthropic vision, and lived experience with incarceration. His personal journey connects him directly to the mission of The Forgotten Prisoner and gives him a deep understanding of why advocacy, opportunity, and second chances matter.