womencultivatingsuccess Archives -

Dorothy Kolb Women's Cannabis Chamber of Commerce

January 20, 2024Cannabis accounting, Cannabis Business Courses

Dorothy Kolb Fractional CFO

Dorothy Kolb Fractional CFO combines her decades-long career leading finance, accounting, and operations for Fortune 500 companies with her NYS CPA and certification with the National Association of Cannabis Accountants & Tax Professionals to serve the cannabis industry. She is a member of Women’s Cannabis Chamber of Commerce and is one of hosts of By the Numbers: Q&A with Certified Cannabis Accountants. She is one of the Cannabis Accounting for Accountants facilitators. Dorothy Kolb is on a mission to transform what the cannabis industry looks like for women. With deep knowledge of how the “big guys” grow and maintain financial success, and as a serial entrepreneur advising small businesses since 2017, Dorothy translates business and finance strategy effectively – and with results. Using her expansive network, she helps her clients get in front of the right people and leverage the right resources to grow their businesses with confidence. Dorothy is the founder and CEO of Planet Earth CFO Advisory

Women's Cannabis Chamber of Commerce WCCC Vanessa Palacios

July 1, 2023January 20, 2024Women Owned Cannabis Businesses, Women Who Inspire

Vanessa Palacios COO & Co-Owner

Vanessa Palacios had a successful 20 year career with the Public Service Company (PNM) Her entrepreneurial husband, Oscar, encouraged her to make a career change and to consider opening a business.

Vanessa’s career with PNM gave her the opportunity to develop and perfect skill sets that would secure her an executive position with any company. She coordinated program implementation, including developing participation forecasts, designing promotions, managing contracts, tracking participation and budget, working with participating vendors, retailers, and contractors, and preparing regulatory compliance reports on programs.

Vanessa’s skill sets are the skill sets needed to develop a business plan, s.o.p.’s, and launch a cannabis dispensary.

Vanessa Palacios is a co-owner and Chief of Operations for Lemon Cannabis Co, located in the Nob Hill Neighborhood of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Lemon Cannabis Co is an integrated microbusiness that has just opened their first dispensary storefront. Lemon Cannabis Co. focuses on premium products and knowledgeable Budtenders to ensure both the novice and the connoisseur finds the perfect product.

Lemon Cannabis Co is working towards a more sustainable cannabis industry. They use glass containers for single pre-rolls and sturdy boxes for pre-roll 6-packs. Lemon Cannabis Co has a refill program: Bring the glass container and/or the pre-roll box back to be refilled and receive 10% off the purchase. They were surprised by the lack of biodegradable packaging and have begun working with companies to develop biodegradable packaging for Lemon Cannabis Co products.

Although Lemon Cannabis Co is new to the area, Vanessa and her team are native Albuquerqueans with strong ties to the community.

Creating a positive experience is what Vanessa strives to do in all interactions. As a past customer satisfaction trainer and 20 years of interacting with consumers to understand their needs, she brings a wealth of knowledge to the cannabis industry to meet consumer needs.

Her passion also lies within the community she serves, “I love Albuquerque! The people make it a beautiful place to live and I hope to be a part of all the wonderful and positive things happening here.”

Vanessa has been involved with United Way Worldwide for over 20 years. She has been an

avid contributor and was selected as a PNM Co-Captain in 2013 and 2014 to assist in raising money for the Annual Campaign.

Vanessa and the Lemon Cannabis Co. team continue the commitment to serving their community. They are creating a foundation to improve the community and have pledged to donate 5% of all Lemon Cannabis Co. profits.

March 21, 2023March 23, 2023Women Who Inspire

Larisa Bolivar Cannabis Trailblazer

The Washington Post called Larisa Bolivar “one of the city’s [Denver] most well-known proponents of decriminalizing marijuana nationally,” Larisa came to Denver in 2001 as a medical cannabis refugee. She immediately began assisting patients in navigating the early and complicated process of finding doctors who would recommend cannabis and matchmaking them with registered caregivers in an effort to create safe access in a legally ambiguous space. A cannabis career and company began.

Larisa founded Caregivers for Safe Access and helped thousands of patients with registering for medical marijuana cards. Caregiver for Safe Access was renamed the Colorado Compassion Club and in 2005 the first dispensaries in Colorado prior to 2008. (Regulations were created in 2010). In 2008, she returned to the DC area where she’s from and continued her cannabis advocacy work while simultaneously working for a billion dollar valued clean tech company.

Her activism, advocacy, expertise and commitment to patients’ rights moved her into the national spotlight. She has published articles in respected publications such as the Denver Post, and in 2017, she published the Cannabis Consumers Coalition: 2017 Report on Cannabis Consumer Demographics and Consumption Habits that was mentioned by Forbe’s, Entrepreneur and Investing News. A well-recognized global expert on cannabis policy, industry and business, Larisa Bolivar has been featured and quoted in multiple publications and speaks on a variety of cannabis business and advocacy topics at major conferences around the globe.

Larisa was named one of the 2019 “Top 100 People You Should Know”by Hemp Connoisseur Magazine. She has been recognized as an industry pioneer by Sensi Media in the first issue of Sensi Magazine, Colorado 2016. In her 2020 interview with Westword, Larisa talks about the realities of the Colorado cannabis industry.

In 2014, Larisa founded the Cannabis Consumer Coalition, 501(C)(3), which promotes consumer advocacy and education. She has also served as co-chair on the board of the National Diversity Inclusion Cannabis Alliance (NDICA) and on the board of Colorado NORML.

The mission of the Cannabis Consumers Coalition is to provide cannabis consumers with a voice in the growing cannabis industry, and to ensure consumer rights and ethical behavior on behalf of cannabis-related businesses.

In 2020, Larisa helped write and push for Colorado House Bill 1424 Social Equity in Regulated Cannabis Businesses to lay the groundwork for creating statewide social equity. Larisa’s father is a Peruvian immigrant and her multi-racial has been targeted in the War on Drugs on two continents.

Larisa has been consulting independently as Bolivar Consulting since 2008. She began writing business plans before there was market data, becoming a contributing thought leader.

Over the years Larisa has been instrumental in winning licenses for clients in competitive states, including Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. She has written standard operating procedures and other company operating documents across multiple highly regulated markets, assisted companies in becoming more efficient and profitable, has successfully helped businesses get organized and prepared for mergers and acquisitions and further provides organizational development support.

Larisa Bolivar is the owner and founder of Bolivar Hemp Company. Bolivar Hemp Company was years in the making, starting with a dream, and then bringing that dream to a reality in December 2018. The company launched with 9 products and two lines and is in the process of a reorganization in Oklahoma.

Currently, Larisa is also the chief operations and compliance officer for HPF Productions which produces flower for Moss Greenery under the brand Higher Power Flowers, which is marketed as Higher Power Flowers produced by Moss Greenery.

Larisa Bolivar continues to advocate for consumer rights, accountability in the cannabis industry and social equity and justice.

March 17, 2023January 20, 2024Women Who Inspire

Celebrating Women

Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories, is the 2023 theme for Women’s History Month.

We are celebrating women who tell our stories, stood up and SHOUTED OUR STORIES. Women who used their voices, their pens, and their lives so all women would be heard; so all women would be seen. We are celebrating women of courage.

Telling our story has been dangerous. “Modern research points to roughly 40,000 to 50,000 witch executions in Europe between 1450 and 1750, and an estimated 75%-80% of those executed were women. That would put the number of executed women witches at 40,000.”

Denying girls an education ensured our voices and visions would not be valued. Without the ability to read or write we had little control over our future. There were men who taught women to read, who in turn taught other women and girls to read and write. In the 17th century boarding schools for girls were founded. Girls were taught writing, music and needle work. In 1678 there was only one woman in the world with a Ph., Italian, Elena Piscopia.

The education of women has varied from civilizations, cultures and regions, to explore this more follow this link.

In the United States women had no property rights until the mid-1800’s, New York passed the Married Women’s Property Act in 1848 and the Act Concerning the Rights and Liabilities of Husband and Wife in 1860. This gave women the right to conduct business and contract without a husband, father, or male guardian’s consent and the right to own property. The laws gave women legal authority over their own children.

Ancient history? No, its current history. Prior to the 1974 Equal Credit Opportunity Act a woman could not get a credit card without her husband’s signature. When writing about the evolution of women’s rights the words married and husband dominate. The stigma and obstacles of being a single woman lasted into the 90’s.

The consistency in our history and our story is control, dehumanization and fear through rape and brutality. 51% of rape victims report being raped by an intimate partner and 40.8% by an acquaintance. One in three women are sexually abused or raped the first time between the ages of 11 and 17.

We all know “our story.” As a child I heard our story whispered by mother and her friends over coffee and donuts. I heard our story whispered in my grandmother’s quilting group and in the backseat of the car as my aunts drove us to church. As an adult I’ve heard “our story” as a rape counselor, over cocktails with friends, and in the feminist movement. I have heard “our story” in the quietness after an expo or conference. I know the story well, it is every woman’s story. It is my story.

The women we are celebrating for Women’s History Month did not tell “our story” alone. The women who whispered “our story” supported them in their own way. You do not have to lead a march or protest to have your voice heard. You have to stop whispering, speak up and stand your ground. You are making history by being a strong woman for your family and the women who have not found their voice.

One woman can change the world. Together we can ROCK the World!

September 7, 2022November 8, 2022Women Owned Cannabis Businesses

Coach Ash Winning llc

Ashley Hill, founder of Winning Coaching, is a native Californian who has been in the cannabis industry since 2013. After obtaining her B.S. Degree in Hospitality and Tourism, she has boldly transitioned and become an influencer into the Cannabis Industry. She now seeks to educate and empower people into this industry and business through her frequent media outlets.

Hill gained 51⁄2 years of experience in cannabis cultivation and shares the behind the scene operations. She has managed several multi – million dollar commercial indoor and greenhouse facilities and produced a flower product entered into the High Times Awards. She subsequently has transitioned to the culinary aspect of the industry as a Cannabis Entrepreneur, International Selling Author, and the Co-Owner of Green Light Project (an infused catering and event service).

A Domestic & Global Extreme Execution Coach certified by the No 1 Speaker in the world, Dr. Eric Thomas (also known as E.T. the Hip-Hop Preacher). Coach Hill is a results-driven leader who seeks to empower others to increase self-awareness, create alignment, and execute at a high level. She has been considered by many in Leadership as a Coach’s Coach within the Extreme Execution Leadership.

Ms. Hill continues to advance her scientific research by enrolling in the Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics Master’s Degree program. This is the first and only M.S. program of its kind in the United States of America.

She is also the Southern California meetup coordinator and West Coast Accountability Lead for Dr. Eric Thomas’s Breathe University. She hosts and moderates calls with community leaders, business owners and multimillionaires giving her the opportunity not only to be exposed to their success habits but she has created her own along the way. She continues to expose and share with her personal clients – so they too, can operate, perform and execute like the top 1% of our world. coachash@winning-1.com

Coach Ash and Lisa Pickett developed and facilitate the HIGHer Executive Leadership Development Course.

Join guest, Coach Ash, September 28th, 6:30 est at Women Cultivating Success Conversations with Women in the Cannabis Industry Online – Interactive – Free. Hosted by the Women’s Cannabis Chamber of Commerce.

Join In The Conversation. Register Here

Why Women Should Purse a Career in the Cannabis Industries

March 9, 2022November 8, 2022Cannabis Businesses

Women Careers in Cannabis

Cannabis industries’ careers and opportunities are not limited to THC rich plants or products. The hemp industry and cannabinoid market are a major part of the cannabis industry. Each of these three markets have created new opportunities for ancillary businesses, as well as, new ancillary businesses. Whether you are an artist or accountant, a salesperson or a scientist there are opportunities in the cannabis industries. The research and the numbers show the growth and stability of the cannabis, hemp, and cannabinoid markets.

In 2021 the cannabis industry created an average of 280 new jobs per day. Leafly’s 2022 Jobs Report found that as of January 2022, 428,059 full time jobs were supported by the cannabis industry. The total number of people working in the industry is predicted to grow to 1.5 million to 1.75 million as the legal market matures. Employment agencies, such as Vangst, have emerged to fill cannabis positions in all legal states. Traditional employment agencies like Indeed have added cannabis “help wanted” listings.

Cannabis careers and opportunities are plentiful and varied. Cannabidiol, cannabis and hemp markets are rapidly expanding, and revenues are in the millions and billions of dollars.

CBD is currently the most common cannabidiol product on the market. There are more than 100 cannabidiols, including THC and CBD. The market is seeing the introduction of CBN and CBG products and the emergence of Delta-8, opening up new career and business opportunities.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global Cannabidiol Oil (CBD Oil) market size is estimated to be worth USD 720.5 million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 3213.4 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 28.3% during the review period. Absolute Reports

CBD-infused Products Market Worth $216.8 Billion by 2028. Global Newswire

The global CBD skin care market size was valued at $633.6 million in 2018 and is anticipated to reach $3,484.00 million by 2026.

The CBD skin care market exhibits an incremental revenue opportunity of $2,747.4 million from 2019 to 2026. Alliedmarketresearch.com

Hardy and renewable, industrial hemp produces a variety of products, including health foods, organic body care, clothing, construction materials, biofuels, animal feed, plastic composites and more. It is estimated that over 25,000 products can be made from hemp. Hemp offers unlimited career avenues.

In 2021, the value of hemp production in the open and under protection for the United States totaled $824 million. Industrial Hemp Market to reach $310 million by 2027 National Hemp Report USDA

Cannabis is now the fifth most valuable crop in the U.S. It has evolved into gourmet edibles and beverages, topicals, concentrates, and new methods of consuming. Only 13 states have not legalized medical or recreational cannabis.

The legal cannabis market is projected to pull in $43 billion by 2025. New Frontier Data.

The U.S. cannabis industry is now projected to be worth $100 billion USD by 2030. Business Insider

But, beyond the numbers – Why should women pursue cannabis careers?

The cannabis, cannabinoid, hemp industry is in its infancy. This provides the opportunity to grow and advance your career.
Rapid expansion and innovation continually create new career options.
CBD, hemp, and cannabis careers offer personal satisfaction. All are known for their healing properties, as well as, the potential to heal the planet.
There is genuine support from other women and women’s groups in the industry.
The cannabis industries need smart women in executive roles.

Notably, in 2021, the percentage of women who hold executive positions, 22.1%, fell below the average recorded across the larger U.S. business landscape, 29.8%, according to the 2021 report, “Women & Minorities in the Cannabis Industry.”