The saying is true: if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Well honey, business margins have been broken for YEARS, especially in today’s new cannabis industry; but these leading ladies are shaking the table!
Check out these 5 influential women who are making big strides change the game in an industry they may not have been so welcomed in.
Dia Simms
Dia Simms is no stranger to the game. As former president of P. Diddy’s Combs Enterprises, she has leveraged her expertise in lifestyle products to gain momentum in the cannabis industry. Simms is on the other side of the cannabis table with a management company that specializes in managing cannabis brands. Her company BRN Group represents some of the most high-profile clients and cannabis brands merging the gap of her love for branding with her passion
for CBD.
Wanda James
In 2009, Wanda and her husband, restaurateur Scott Durrah, became the first Black dispensary owners in Colorado, and since have used their platform to advocate for the abolition of mass incarceration and create opportunities for people of color in the cannabis industry. Wanda James is the co-founder and CEO of Simply Pure Dispensary in Denver and is a leading advocate in the cannabis industry. She is also the founder and President of the Cannabis Global Initiative (CGI), a marketing and consulting firm that specializes in diversity development, regulatory framework and marketing.
Tori Owens
As a seasoned branding expert that has spent over a decade building other high-profile client’s businesses, such as YELLE Skincare created by Yandy Smith of Love & Hip Hop , Tori Owens knew it was time to passionately pour her energy into her own brand. Owens saw that there was a void missing in the cannabis industry for women of color and she was willing to take the risk to change it. After studying the industry and building her own resources, Owens launched Canna Luxe Co. Canna Luxe Co. is a luxury smoke accessory shop made with aesthetically pleasing pieces that don't compromise femininity. All of Canna Luxe Co.’s products can easily be used as home décor pieces for the ultimate integration of design and lifestyle such as the Wine Coaster Accent Ashtray. The signature tagline #SitWithUs is a metaphorical expression that defines the core ethics of Canna Luxe Co. -inclusivity. Canna Luxe Co. is 100% female, black owned and operated with projections of providing even more jobs for women of color within the Cannabis industry.
Hope Wiseman
At the age of 25, Hope Wiseman became the youngest black woman dispensary owner in the country. In September 2018, her dispensary Mary and Main, opened their doors to Prince George's County, Maryland with a purpose of serving and educating their patients about Cannabis.The Spelman graduate and business mogul, founded Mary and Main in 2017. The Maryland native began her career in investment banking before surprisingly making a drastic shift into the cannabis industry. Mary & Main, is a dispensary created as a safe space to inform consumers on the truth about cannabis, the benefits of medical marijuana, healing herbal treatments and much more.
Chanda Macias, PhD
As the CEO of Women Grow, Chanda houses the largest national network of cannabis professional in the US and Canada. Her goal is connecting leaders in all areas of the cannabis industry for the ultimate goal of kickstarting over 1 thousand cannabis businesses owned by women. Dr. Macias pours countless research into hemp healthcare and holistic healing. She has truly paved her own lane in the cannabis industry as she continues to operate multiple successful businesses with women in mind.