Abner Kurtin spent almost his entire professional career in the hedge fund and investment industries before founding Boston-based Ascend Wellness in 2018 and trying his hand as the CEO of a multistate cannabis company. While managing investment risk and managing companies are two different endeavors, Kurtin’s experience in the hedge fund world helped him in the cannabis realm. Barely a year old, Ascend has raised more than $100 million, including a $55 million round in February, and does business in Kurtin’s home state of Massachusetts, plus Illinois, Michigan and Ohio.