John Richter
Chief Operating Officer
John currently serves as Chief Operating Officer of Blue Star Dispensary Management. John got his start in 1997 while building a career in the mortgage banking business. He has directly been responsible for the origination, underwriting and management of over $10 billion in residential mortgage loan originations throughout the last 25+ years. In 2005, John founded Western Residential Mortgage in Phoenix, AZ and served as its President/CEO. John was responsible for the day to day operations of the company and in 24 months, Western grew to 150 employees in 5 offices throughout the United States, while funding over $750 million in mortgage loans.
From 2012 until 2018, John served as CEO of Alliance Home Loans in Phoenix, AZ and helped grow the company from $60 million a year in production to over $1 billion annually. Alliance had over 10 offices in 5 states while lending in over 30 different states in the country. Currently, John is a Partner and CEO of WAM Mortgage in Phoenix, Arizona.
John has also been involved in the legal cannabis business in Arizona for the last 10 years. First, John was an initial investor and partner in two licensed dual cannabis licenses that both had operating dispensaries and cultivations. John served on the Board of Directors of both Dispensaries until one of the businesses was sold to Trulieve in 2022.
John is one of two partners in Baked Bros Manufacturing. Baked Bros is currently the #2 highest selling cannabis gummy company in Arizona and can be purchased in over 80% of all licensed dispensaries in the state. Baked Bros currently offers an effects-based line, a live hash rosin line and owns the BRIX brand of gummies.
John is also the Managing Member of SSCE Holdings and JR3 Holdings. SSCE and JR3 are both investment companies with heavy focuses on asset-based lending in Arizona. Investments have included short term bridge loans on residential and commercial real estate, warehouse lines of credit to hard money lenders, loans on credit card receivables, account receivable financing, equipment loans and many loans to cannabis businesses. John is also a licensed Mortgage Loan Originator in the State of Arizona.
John is also Managing Member of Flying E Ranch Holding LLC. The Flying E Ranch is a 25-room guest ranch that sits on over 1,200 of deeded acres in Wickenburg, Arizona. John and his partners purchased the property in 2018 with the intent of growing the guest ranch into the best western-themed outdoor destination in the United States and developing some of the property into single family residential units.
John’s origin is Victor, New York, a graduate of The State University of New York at Fredonia, where he was captain of the men’s basketball team. He is also a Life Member and former President of Executive Council Charities in Phoenix.
