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Missouri Marijuana Card is Celebrating These Women of Color Influencing the Cannabis Industry for Good
1. Wanda James, Co-founder & CEO of Simply Pure
Wanda James founded the first Black-owned marijuana dispensary in the United States! Simply Pure was started in 2009, is located in Colorado and broke into the cannabis industry by storm. Wanda also has a very diverse and impressive background before the cannabis industry as she worked on the National Finance Committee for President Barack Obama and was a former lieutenant in the United States Navy. What makes Wanda stand out above the rest is her conviction to equity and empowerment to Black-owned businesses in the cannabis industry!
2. Dr. Chanda Macias, CEO of Ilera Holistic Healthcare and Chairwoman of Women Grow
Dr. Chanda Macias, who has her MBA and Ph.D., is a powerhouse when it comes to the cannabis and hemp realm! She’s the first Black woman entrepreneur to be the owner of a multistate marijuana company which also has both a growery and retail storefront. She is the brains behind Ilera in Louisiana which recently partnered with Southern University to collaborate on the first CBD brand by a historically Black university! She also has a passion for education and empowering women and minority entrepreneurs in the marijuana industry.
3. Maha Haq, Founder & President of Cannaclub
Maha Haq has a background full of cannabis experiences but is best known for being the founder and president of the Cannaclub started at UCLA! The Cannaclub is the first ever registered cannabis student organization in the UC school system for students interested in the cannabis space and acquiring jobs in the industry after graduation. Cannaclub has been so successful that it has expanded to be on 10 different campuses in the nation!
4. Ophelia Chong, Founder of Mogu.Care, CEO & Founder Stock Pot Images, Co-Founder Asian Americans for Cannabis Education
Ophelia Chong has deep knowledge in the arts and creative world which she has intertwined with her passion for the cannabis industry. Ophelia has been a creative director, photographer and marketer. In 2015 she founded Stock Pot Images, a stock photography business that focuses on cannabis photography, graphics and visuals that go above and beyond the typical tacky stock photos. She also represents her community by being the co-founder of Asian Americans for Cannabis Education which focuses on education and empowerment of local communities in cannabis education!
5. Carol Ortega, Founder & Managing Director of Muisca Capital Group
Carol Ortega is a Latinx entrepreneur who started Muisca Capital Group. Muisca Capital Group is the first Latin American investment management firm which focuses on the emerging cannabis industry. Carol also created the first latino investment summit for Latin American’s into the cannabis space. Carol uses her platform to not only inspire but also give cannabis industry access to budding Latinx leaders in the field!