Laura Trujillo
Co-Founder/COO
Amanda Terpstra
Co-Founder/CEO
Laura Trujillo and Amanda Terpstra are the powerhouse duo behind BestBüds. What started as a college friendship at Fairleigh Dickinson University, where they pushed each other on the soccer field, has evolved into a shared passion for bringing the benefits of cannabis to others. After years of navigating their wellness journeys — Laura finding relief for PTSD and Amanda using cannabis to recover from sports injuries — they decided it was time to turn their personal experiences into something bigger.
Today, they combine Amanda’s strategic, business-minded approach with Laura’s creativity and marketing expertise to create a welcoming space where customers can explore cannabis with confidence. While their soccer days helped form the foundation of their teamwork, Laura and Amanda’s focus now is on educating their community, breaking down stigmas, and offering high-quality cannabis products. They’re passionate about showing people how cannabis can be a powerful tool for mental and physical relief, just like it was for them.
Brittany Ortega
Meet Brittany, BestBuds General Manager!
Firmly rooted in the certitude that collaboration is the heartbeat of progress, Brittney Ortega is dedicated to cultivating an environment that uplifts and supports her team, while also working with them to create a sustainable community. With years of experience spanning several industries under her belt, Ortega has consistently found that genuine daily joy exists in the human-to-human experiences that are often so much more profound in our industry. Whether helping a new employee feel like they can confidently hit the ground running on their first day or helping a customer find the product that can make that life-changing difference for them, the desire to connect and collaborate across various backgrounds and perspectives is a consistent driving force. Outside of her professional endeavors, Ortega is an activist, an artist, and a proud community member. Originally from California, she currently resides in Philadelphia with her partner and their two cats.
Rose Speero
Meet Rose, BestBuds Inventory Manager!
She is from New Jersey and lived in the Caribbean for the past 4 years. There, she learned about cannabis as a sacred plant and symbol of peace, healing, and community. Since moving back to New Jersey and earning her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Rowan University, it has been her goal to bring these attributes to New Jersey’s cannabis industry. Rose says, “not only is this beautiful plant a bridge between communities, but also a tool that can be harnessed to help with mental, physical, and spiritual health!” She looks forward to growing within this industry as it continues to flourish, and is honored to do it at BestBuds!
Kyle Zbikowski
Meet Kyle, BestBuds Store Manager!
His passions have always laid between cannabis and the arts, and he looks forward to bridging the gap at BestBuds. Growing up as a New Jersey resident, he has been involved with the medicinal cannabis program since a young adult. Since then, NJ has been slowly moving towards getting rid of the “stigma” regarding the medical/recreational use of cannabis! Kyle’s goal is to educate as many people as he can about the medicinal properties of the cannabis plant.
