Mark Gillilan | Founder & CEO, Kyoto Botanicals

Hi — I’m Mark, founder of Kyoto Botanicals, an independent Colorado-based wellness brand. A lot of my writing starts in the foothills on early-morning walks, when things feel quiet enough to actually think.

CPG & Hemp Industry Background

I have worked in CPG brand and product management since 2009, first at Nestlé USA, then Atkins Nutritionals, then as Director of Marketing at Charlotte's Web during hemp's early regulatory buildout in 2017-2018, and now as the founder and CEO of Kyoto Botanicals.

Regulatory & Product Experience

As a brand manager at Nestlé and Atkins, claims, packaging, and advertising compliance were part of my day-to-day work on the brand team.

At Charlotte's Web, I worked directly with outside counsel and our design team to make sure every claim, every supplement facts panel, and every piece of packaging cleared FTC and FDA rules before it went to print, writing claims and packaging copy myself. I also managed new product development end to end, including our topicals and gummies launches, coordinating product development, legal, and creative to get formulas designed, tested, and shipped to work for both customers and regulators.

With a degree in biology and a background in conservation biology, including fieldwork on endangered species research for the USGS, it was important to me to see the full product process. I made a point of visiting hemp farms directly to understand growing, drying, and biomass processing, and spent regular time inside the extraction and bottling facility learning formulation and production firsthand. To truly own a product and understand what is important for customers, I believe you must know everything about it.

Building Kyoto Botanicals

When I built Kyoto Botanicals, I applied all of my experience directly. I designed, built, and operated our first production facility myself, which was registered with the FDA and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, before moving production to third-party manufacturers. I created the bottling line with an equipment manufacturer, setting up a small-batch kitchen for formula mixing, sourcing every ingredient, managing every production, and submitting every batch for third-party lab testing.

I identified our testing lab and personally review every Certificate of Analysis before a product goes live. Every claim we make is evaluated against FTC and FDA guidance and years of claims experience. Absolutely nothing I do at Kyoto Botanicals is guesswork.

I care about making wellness feel less confusing and more honest, grounded in real routines, real constraints, and what actually fits into a busy life. I work tirelessly to bridge the gap between rigorous plant science and everyday wellness routines.

Guides I Have Written for Kyoto Botanicals

• CBD Buyer's Guide: How to Choose CBD and Pay a Fair Price
• The Hemp Ban and Your CBD: What Changes December 11
• Lab Results: Find the Lab Report for Your Lot
• Our Standards: How Kyoto Botanicals Makes THC-Free CBD
• CBD Gummies Compared: Price per mg, THC per Jar and Serving Size
• CBD Oil Compared: Price per mg, THC per Bottle and Carrier Oil
• CBD Price per mg Calculator
• Kyoto Botanicals FAQ

Awards

• 2026 BASA Awards: Best Entrepreneur of the Year, Best of America Small Business Awards. See the winners

Quoted In

Quoted as a founder and expert source in The New York Times, New York Magazine's Strategist, Inc., Quartz, The Food Institute and Medical News Today.

Podcast Interviews

For media inquiries, expert commentary, or brand assets, visit the Media & Press Resources page.

Find Me & Kyoto Botanicals Around the Web

• Muck Rack: Verified Media Profile
• Amazon Author Page
• Goodreads Author Profile
• LinkedIn Professional Profile
• Wikidata Founder Profile
• YouTube Channel
• Instagram — Kyoto Botanicals
• TikTok — Kyoto Botanicals
• Pinterest — Kyoto Botanicals