Photo courtesy National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA), 4th Anniversary banquet, Las Vegas, Nov. 2014. Photo by Cannabis Camera. Pictured are many of the women involved in Women Grow with Cannabis Business Times Editor Noelle Skodzinski. (Left to right): Lee Hart, Women Grow; Maureen McNamara, Cannabis Trainers; Christie Lunsford, industry pioneer, entrepreneur, educator; AC Braddock, Eden Labs; Noelle Skodzinski, Cannabis Business Times; Elan Nelson, Medicine Man; Betty Aldworth, Students for Sensible Drug Policy; Diane Czarkowski, Canna Advisors.
An interview with Lee Hart, VP, Chapter Development, Women Grow
Looking around a marijuana-industry conference last month, one thing was clear: There were a lot of men. Mostly men, in fact. This isn’t unusual for many industries, but it makes for an environment where women can use some extra support to strengthen their collective voice. Enter Women Grow.
Women Grow is a new organization–launched just this year–and it’s likely the fastest-growing organization in the industry, according to Lee Hart, Women Grow’s vice president of chapter development.
“I think the reception we have had to Women Grow has been so overwhelming and so positive that it’s super clear to me that we are filling a void that had been waiting around for a long time to be filled in this industry,” says Hart. “And the proof is in the growth of the chapters and the growth of our mailing list.”
Founded by Jane West (who runs the Denver chapter) and Jazmin Hupp (who runs the New York City chapter), the organization officially launched in August and aims to help women succeed in the legalized cannabis market, among other things (including a bit of advocacy and lobbying).
Cannabis Business Times Editor Noelle Skodzinski talked with Lee Hart about her involvement in Women Grow, its launch and goals–and how others (both women and men) can help support this growing (no pun intended) organization:
Noelle Skodzinski: What is your background in the industry?
Lee Hart: I’ve been in the industry almost 2 years. I started out as a communications and business strategist for a marijuana-destination/land-development kind of project here in Colorado. I … introduced that organization to the industry by going to an NCIA event in Denver, and I’ve been going to all the major industry events … ever since.
Skodzinski: How did you get involved in Women Grow?
Hart: Last June at the NCIA Convention in Denver, Jane West [the founder] was part of a panel speaking about women in the industry. Jane is really super dynamic, and she was talking about how she was going to be launching this organization called Women Grow.
I was very enthusiastic about it. It’s just the kind of network-building work that I’ve done in other parts of my career. … Also, the cannabis industry is pretty male-dominated which can sometimes create barriers and challenges. I thought that the industry is so young, so to be able to really get it off on a great foot–with getting women some parity and an equal voice at the leadership table of organizations and the industry itself–is something I could really get behind.
Skodzinski: So when did the organization officially launch?
Hart: Jane spoke at the NCIA event in June, and we had our first chapter meeting and the kickoff for the whole organization in August in Denver.
Skodzinski: How many members does the organization have?
Hart: Well we don’t have members, and I think that makes us a little bit unique in that we don’t have member dues or chapter-affiliate fees. It’s more of a pay as you go, pay-to-play scenario, which we think fits better in people’s busy lives.
Our “membership” stream, so to speak, is simply the people who show up for our networking events, as well as people in our database, who subscribe to our free newsletter, Facebook fans and Twitter followers.
So again, we don’t formally have members, but I would tell you that our database is several thousand women (and smart men) deep at this point.
Since our launch this summer, we’ve probably had more than 1,000 attendees (in aggregate) to our networking events throughout the various chapters.
We are probably the fastest-growing organization in the industry at this time. The reason I can tell you that is that we have been doubling chapters every month that we’ve been around. We started with one chapter in August; we had three in September; seven in October; and 14 in November.
We might not double this month, because December is a tough month with people distracted by holidays, but we’ll have another growth spurt in the first months of the new year.
Skodzinski: So where does your revenue come from?
Hart: Revenue comes from sponsorships. We have some founding benefactors–you can see them on our website - either women-owned or female-forward businesses and organizations.
But then we also have the registrations from those networking events. We split the revenues with the chapters 50-50, anytime they have a networking event with 10 or more members, so they get money to support their chapter and making their events stronger, and that’s a key revenue stream for us as well.
Skodzinski: What are the most important things Women Grow is achieving or aims to achieve?
Hart: We have three basic foundations of our mission: To connect, empower and educate women in the industry. Our tagline is “cultivating cannabis entrepreneurs.” Networking occurs primarily through the monthly networking events that our chapters hold. Those are all on the first Thursday of every month across the country and even in Guam on the other side of the international dateline.
A lot of the connecting happens at those meetings. And I can tell you first-hand … they are very powerful connections. It’s a highly targeted group with shared interests and passion. You can watch right in front of your eyes as jobs happen, or dispensaries connect with new vendors that can provide them with products.
That’s what happens in states that are established. And there’s also the states that are in the process of having legislative issues being decided, or have some pending in 2015 or 2016–so those meetings are sometimes more activist oriented, where they’re mobilizing to help support those initiatives.
So for example, we have chapters that will be coming on in Texas and Ohio, and they don’t have anything on the books right now.
And in Arizona (our Phoenix chapter), they have medical in Arizona right now, but in 2016 they will be going for full legalization, and Congressman elect [Ruben] Gallego is going to be speaking at the kickoff for that chapter. And I expect that that chapter, in addition to supporting the existing medical industry, will also be instrumental in lobbying for passage of legalization in 2016.
Skodzinski: What are some of the benefits the organization offers to its “members”?
Hart: On the education front, we plan to have two national summits each year–one East Coast, one West Coast. The first one is going to be this spring in Colorado, exclusively for our chapter chairs, sponsors and founding benefactors.
Another thing we do is empower women. We do that by shining a media spotlight on our founding members and contributing sponsors, as well as some of the leaders emerging out of our chapters–and to get exposure in the media for women thought leaders, industry leaders within this new industry.
We also intend to launch a mentorship program in 2015–at least pilot one. And I would expect to see some relationships forged with allied organizations.
Women Grow is really focused on the trade: professional development aimed at strengthening women’s voices within the industry and giving women a seat at the proverbial table of leadership within the industry, as well as greater confidence in their own career path and business goals through their connections with other women entrepreneurs and thought leaders.
Skodzinski: What are the organization’s biggest challenges?
Hart: Assembling all the money we want to make our dreams come true.
We’re really ambitious, and we’re moving so fast. But one of the other things you should know is that we’re not a nonprofit. We want to set an example that you can have a profitable business or profit-oriented company that also does good. So we are in the process of getting our B Corp designation, which is more of a socially conscious, sustainability-focused business designation.
At the end of the day, like any business financial resources will control how fast we can deploy the many great ideas, events and projects that we have on tap.
Skodzinski: Where do you hope the organization will be a year from now as far as growth?
Hart: We hope to get to 60 chapters, and I think that might even be a modest goal. We’re also running a campaign called the “First 50” … and we’re trying to get 50 $5,000 sponsors by Jan 1.
Skodzinski: What do need from people in the industry? What can people do to support Women Grow’s cause?
Hart: Well, we’d love to see them at a networking event as close to wherever they live as possible, and if they don’t see one in their community, we encourage them to consider starting a chapter. There’s a very simple chapter-application form on our website.
At the easiest level, people can sign up for our free newsletter, like us on Facebook. And certainly if someone is in the position to have their company partner with us in a sponsorship capacity, by all means we would welcome those conversations as well.
I think, if they can’t be there in person to support us, just helping us spread the word–through their own networks, social and otherwise, is appreciated too.
Skodzinski: Can men attend your meetings?
Hart: Yes, they may. They might get a little overwhelmed with all the estrogen in the room, but they can. And we think the smart ones will. … We think the smart ones know that women are decision makers both at home and in business, and that businesses run better when women are in leadership positions.
So, yes, we’re happy to have the guys there. And they can be speakers, too.
