Kyra Reed Archives - Green Market Report

StaffMay 5, 2022
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3min01

On April 28, 2022, Green Market Report held its first-ever Women’s Summit. During the event, the Women’s Leadership Awards were announced and presented to the winners. Over the next two weeks, we will highlight each of these winners and congratulate them on their contributions to the cannabis industry.

Women’s Leadership Award

Activism/Politics

Kyra Reed – Founder and CEO, Women Employed In Cannabis (WEIC) 

 

Kyra Reed is the founder and CEO of  Women Employed in Cannabis (WEIC), the largest association for women working in cannabis, psychedelics, hemp & CBD. She was named a ‘Social Media Pioneer,’ by Entrepreneur Magazine. Kyra’s activism and community work has been featured in The NY Times, TechCrunch, NPR and 20/20.  

Known for delivering strategic results through community creation, Kyra is recognized for building community on the Sunset Strip. Her work resulted in a massive revival of the Sunset Strip and measurable and ongoing business growth.  

As a social media industry veteran, a community-focused brand innovator, a community-builder, and an outspoken advocate for Women, Kyra understood her leadership experience and expertise were needed in the cannabis industry.  

Kyra launched WEIC in 2017. Due to her leadership and vision, WEIC has grown to be the premier brand and international organization dedicated to empowering women to achieve their professional goals through partnership, promotion, protection, and economic prosperity.  The international organization currently has approximately 15,000 members. 

Through WEIC Kyra inspires women to dismantle the barriers that stand in their way and build their careers and businesses.  WEIC launched the first petition in the industry to encourage people to commit to pro-women, anti-racist practices. 

Today, Kyra is an outspoken advocate for women employed in the cannabis industry.   Kyra’s mission for WEIC is to enable women to create more generational wealth and have more success. She brings international attention to women’s unique needs as entrepreneurs and workers in cannabis.

Accepting the award for Ms. Reed is Heidi Groshelle of Groshelle Communications.


Cynthia SalarizadehSeptember 18, 2020
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4min00

Haus of Jane announces Women in Plant Medicine Virtual Summit! to be held on September 30, 2020. The online event brings together women working in the stigmatized plant medicine industry to build community, network for business and inspire political activism. Tickets are on sale now: http://hausofjane.com

“By bringing women together on a global level we have the opportunity to make our voices heard politically, find the support we need in growing our businesses and strengthen the women’s movement at home,” Kyra Reed, Co Founder, Haus of Jane. ‘The event will be packed with opportunities to network, make friends and build community.”

What: Haus of Jane is hosting women in a virtual environment that facilitates networking, education and engagement on a dynamic platform.
When: September 30, 2020 –10 am PT to 6 pm PT
Where: Online, sign up now: http://hausofjane.com

Guests will find a DJ on the Main Stage, Salons type group networking and over 30 presentations to learn about how women in plant medicine are advancing the industries in which they work.

“Whether you are new to plant medicine as a career and you’ve been leading the charge against prohibition for decades, you’ll find inspiration, new information and a community of like minded women to explore how plant medicine can heal the world,” added Reed.

Haus of Jane Co-Founder, Lisa Snyder, adds, “It is imperative as women that we take this opportunity to strategize and unify with an intentional desire to connect with like minded individuals who support global health and the well-being of all humans on this planet.”

Many well-respected industry leaders are showing resounding support for the Haus of Jane community including White Buffalo SpiritMCS Accounting ServicesCannasitePotencyACS LaboratoryNternal / XternalClark Howell & Barbari.

“The Women In Plant Medicine Summit is produced and curated by women working in cannabis with the goal of creating a virtual conference that fosters conversation, establishes unity among women in the industry and informs with real, raw presentations on science, policy and what it means to be a woman working in stigmatized plant medicines,” explained Snyder. “Whether you’re new to plant medicine as a career or you’ve been leading the charge against prohibition for decades, you’ll find inspiration, new information and a community of like minded women to explore how plant medicine can heal the world.”

Haus of Jane is an events series focused on creating networking experiences for women in cannabis. Founded as a collaboration between Women Empowered in Cannabis and Tokeativity.


Kyra ReedMay 14, 2020
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12min00

Welcome to the New Video Age

In early-March Google and Apple issued some of the first work from home orders in corporate America. This was soon followed by announcements that the biggest conferences and festivals of the year, SXSW, Coachella, E3, were canceling or indefinitely postponing dates. The business world found itself, suddenly and unexpectedly, faced with figuring out two major issues: how to keep employees motivated and focused from home and how to reach consumers, vendors and other essential relationships necessary to survive. 

For marketers, it signaled a dynamic shift into a space they’ve been advocating for years – Video. Video conferencing, live streaming, and on demand are powerful tools to reach an endless audience, around the world, 24/7.  Marketing professionals have been preparing for this explosion of use for years. 

Video platforms like Zoom and Skype have been tools for marketers for nearly a decade but failed to replace the in person experiences for most companies. From in house meetings to conferences and networking events, companies have relied heavily on these interactions to conduct their business. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic they’re now forced to pivot and find ways to integrate video into all human contact required touchpoints of the business. 

How The Cannabis Industry is Using Video 

The plant-touching part of the cannabis industry requires 100% person to person contact to survive. The products cannot be digitized. Fortunately it has been determined to be an essential business for most legal states enabling farmers, manufacturers, testing and retailers to continue conducting business. 

However, precautionary measures will need to be taken for an indefinite period of time in all aspects of the business. Cannabis will need to pivot to using video tools and platforms for training staff, connecting with suppliers, networking and consumer education. For an industry reluctant to invest too heavily in technology or reaching an audience that extends beyond city or state lines, the transition to video will be a challenge to execute but promises, for those who do it right, to catapult their brand recognition and reach.

Times of great change require nimble and creative thinking and the cannabis industry is proving to be innovators in the multiple ways to employ video to stay connected and solve new business problems that are arising with social distancing and limits on gathering size. 

California Central Valley Cannabis sales rep Amanda Soens realized she needed to find a way to stay in front of customers to keep her brands top of mind so she conceived the idea of  a “Virtual Demo.” A laptop sits on the demo table streaming Amanda from her living room. Products are laid out near the computer for customers to examine and discuss with her, on the spot. She can answer technical questions, educate on the benefits of the products and hold the customers hand through the selection process. The customers have found it to be a fun way to engage and the dispensaries willing to give it a try are thrilled with the results so far.

Hemp seed company Kayagene found themselves at a critical point when the COVID shutdown happened. It was time to put seed in the ground and potential customers weren’t returning calls. The Head of Product Portfolio, George Workman, took everything the company learned in the field last year and turned it into webinars to educate farmers interested in growing hemp. He was blown away by the number of attendees, their questions and their interest in learning more about how to grow a high yield hemp crop.

The State of Cannabis Conference, a mainstay California conference for policy updates, idea exchange and networking, has created two virtual experiences to keep their audience engaged. Susan Sores, CEO and Founder of The State of Cannabis describes the  event as a Full Spectrum Conference Experience. She was quick to transition not only the conference online, which had over 700 attendees, but she’s also launched a weekly  happy hour/sesh  via Zoom. Susan believes online experiences will ultimately provide better ROI for sponsors and content for attendees. 

A popular networking event for women, Haus of Jane, had several parties planned at conferences around the country. When it was clear the events would be canceled they had to rethink their entire strategy. Co Founder Samantha Montanaro discovered that there was a real need for women to connect with one another and keep the business contacts flowing. They found a technology that allows them to host a range of dynamic events and have been able to  expand their reach around the world. Haus of Jane has built a series of speed networking events for women and is planning an International Women’s summit for July of 2020. Their first two events brought over 250 women and they have expect to double that with their next event. 

How to Produce a Successful Cannabis Virtual Event

Video has the potential to revolutionize the way we do business but it must be executed on the appropriate platform (venue) with a professional approach. Lisa Caperello-Snyder, a digital event producer and Co Founder of Tokeativity,  provided insight on how to choose where to host an online event. “Finding the right digital venue is as important online as it is in the real world. It’s ridiculous to host a fancy 200 person wedding in a dive bar. The same is true when it comes to choosing a platform for your virtual experience.” She provided this list to keep at hand to help sort through all the options:

  • Is the event Free or Paid?
  • Is it for the public or invite only?
  • How many tickets/attendees?
  • Will guests be on screen, if so how many?
  • Is group interaction part of the event? (Will people talk one on one or many listening to one or more?)
  • Is a chat function for questions required?
  • Will there be VIPs?

[Curious what event tool might work best for you? Take the quiz at howtohostavirtualevent.com]

The rules of professional engagement are different with video and require more attention to detail than an in person exchange. Kendra Losee, CEO of Mota Marketing,  recommends being very strategic in how you approach video. “The content needs to be well thought out with a clear message and outcome for the audience. It’s easy for a video conference to turn into a free for all without the proper guidelines. Once the content is nailed down the next thing necessary for a really smooth experience is the environment where you are broadcasting. Good lighting, sound and background are all critical for your viewers to see and hear you and not get distracted by lighting or sound issues.”

Video will never replace human interaction but it provides the cannabis industry an invaluable tool to continue business as usual in highly unusual circumstances. Brands that are nervous about jumping in can start small with inter office meetings via Zoom or Skype. Get comfortable in the environment and hire a professional who can help with a plan and make sure that simple missteps that can lead to disaster – can be averted. 

This is just the beginning of the video age and the innovative cannabis businesses who are willing to experiment with the technology will be better equipped to deal with the times ahead. 

 


StaffMarch 6, 2020
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11min025

In honor of International Women’s Day, we are releasing our annual “Most Important Women in Weed” list for 2020. This list includes women in the industry that have collectively moved the industry forward with all of their hard work, continuous dedication and effort.

This year we opened up the list for nominations and received almost a thousand nominees. After consideration of each, we have developed what we feel is one of the most inclusive and carefully curated lists of the most accomplished and impressive women in the cannabis industry.

As we could not name them all, we would like to thank and celebrate all of the women who have dedicated their precious time to the advancement of cannabis globally.

It is because of each one of these ladies that this industry remains in the lead above all others as far as female leadership is concerned.

This list is in no special order. Each one of these women provide a great contribution to the cannabis industry in their own unique and badass way.

Thank you to every one of you for all that you do!

The “List”

Dr. Chanda Macias

Yvonne DeLaRosa Green

Mara Gordon

Rosie Mattio

Shawna McGregor

Lori Ferrara

Gaynell Rogers

Stormy Simon

Trista Okel 

Lori Ajax

Amy Dawn Bourlon-Hilterbran

Kim Rivers

Amanda Soens

Dona Frank

Kat King

Sara Payan

Hannah Daphna

Sandra Castaneda

Erin Gore

Wendy Kornberg

Kristin Nevedal

Wendy Turner

Parisa Rad

Brittany Nicholson

Emily Paxhia

Jessica Billingsley 

Gia Moron

Andrea Brooks

Tahira Rehmatullah

Tracey Mason

Lindy Snyder

Jasmine Rose Gunderson

Shannon Hattan

Adelia Carrillo

Karen Petersen

Wanda James

Barbara Blaser

Ophelia Chong

Amanda Ostrowitz

Pamela Nicole Epstein

Melissa Mentele

Jamie Cooper

Sarah Remesch

Jessie Gill

Erica Daniels

Lizzy Jeff

Lelehnia DuBois

Whitney Beatty

Dr. Michele Ross

Manndie Tingler

Chef Lauren Gockley

Kyra Reed

Jamie Evans

Kristin Jordan

Ellie Siegel 

Sara Brittany Somerset

Linda Marsicano

Heidi Groshelle

Amber Senter

Nique Pichette

Jennifer Price

Molly Peckler 

Bonita Money

Susan Hwang

Judy Yee

Julie Chiarello

Leah Heis

Leslie Andrachuk

Terra Carver

Nancy Whiteman

Luna Stower

Karen Paull and Wendy Robbins

Beth Stavola

Alison Gordon

Penny Green

Sara Gullickson

Dr. Lakisha Jenkins

Pamela Hadfield

Jessica Peters

Dr. Rachel Knox and Dr. Jessica Knox

Tiffany Bowden

Mary Jane Gibson

Michelle Janikian

Dr. Uma Dhanabalan

Taylor Blake

AC Braddock

Kerri Accardi

Heather Sobel

Betty Aldworth

Cathy Jordan

Suzanne Sisley

Nina Parks

Eliza Nova Maroney

Selena Xochitl Martinez

Angelika Penuela-Ruiz

Sarah Mitra Payan

Gretchen Gailey

Nikki Lastreto

Ann Lawrence

Sheena Shiravi

Christina Ianuzzi

Kassandra Frederique

Shannon Buyers

Celia Tapp

Kelly Archer

Katie Field

Randi Sether

Shannon Reed

Katrina Yolen

Ngiste Abebe

Brooke Westlake

Courtney Maltais

Katrina Tso

Anne Don0hoe

Alicia Rose Kelley

Dr. Jacqueline Harding, PhD 

Mary Pryor 

Dr. Uma Dhabalan

Olivia Mannix

Heather DeRose

Libby Cooper

Leslie Hoffman

Yvonne Perez Emerson

 

Again, thank you to all of the women who do so much in our industry day in and day out. Your work does not go unnoticed and is deeply appreciated.

Happy International Women’s Day to all women around the world!

Special shout out to our Green Market Report co-founders Debra Borchardt and Cynthia Salarizadeh on this day!


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