(Photo above: (L-R) Jocelyn Anderson, Women Grow chair and owner of Plantae Health and Lizette Coppinger, vice chair of Women Grow and co-owner of Cannabend)
The Bend chapter of Women Grow strives to support female cannabis business entrepreneurs and leaders by make connections, providing educational information about the industry and empowering the next generation of cannabis industry leaders.
Measure 91 and the growing momentum of the cannabis movement have resulted in increasing opportunities for those in the industry. New businesses are opening to serve medical marijuana patients all over Oregon and the new laws are attracting entrepreneurs hoping to carve out their own place in this new market. Women Grow serves as a catalyst for women-owned businesses to succeed in the industry.
Women Grow is a professional network that offers educational seminars, group events and community projects to connect aspiring and current business executives. It is a rapidly growing national organization founded in Denver in 2014 and in its second year is focused on “launching 1,000 women-owned businesses” according to Public Relations Director Susannah Grossman.
She added that “legalization is spreading to new states and countries, and our network now includes thousands of women and men worldwide who share our vision for an inclusive, fair cannabis industry.”
The Bend Chapter Chair is Jocelyn Anderson, owner of Plantae Health in Madras and Prineville. She started the local chapter after meeting a co-founder at an ArcView investment group event for cannabis start-up businesses to pitch their company to investors. According to Anderson the Women Grow Chapter in Bend is “focused on bringing professionals in the cannabis industry, professionals looking to get into the cannabis industry or those who are just interested in learning about cannabis together in Central Oregon.”
The Bend Chapter’s July 9 meeting drew a large crowd with distinct excitement due to the July 1 legalization of recreational marijuana. Attendees are local entrepreneurs interested in getting involved in the cannabis industry, making connections, sharing experiences or getting new ideas for their already existing business. In an industry that is heavily male-dominated this is a great opportunity for women supporting women in business.
Meetings are focused on networking and bringing together people with similar career interests to discuss the industry and their personal ambitions. There is allocated time for socialization where attendees meet and discuss various work being done in the industry. Business cards are exchanged, people talk about their ideas and current projects and information is shared.
In an effort to connect entrepreneurs with industry leaders several Bend area sponsors give short presentations at each meeting. Recent sponsors and presenters include Triq Systems, Cascadia Labs, Lunchbox Alchemy, Cannabend, Diamond Tree, Oregrown, Green Leaf and Aperture Consulting Group.
If there is one certainty about the cannabis industry in Bend it is that there is great camaraderie among the businesses. Although they are all competing for customers in what has been called a flooded market in Bend each business owner supports the other by sharing ideas, encouragement and inspiration. Each company understands that everything they do is for the greater good and a larger movement so they offer help and support.
Following the guest speakers, each meeting has a panel discussion where Anderson asks local cannabis business representatives questions about challenges their businesses and the marijuana industry face and also about current events within the movement. It offers a very unique opportunity for entrepreneurs to ask questions and get insightful information from local industry leaders while building important connections.
While these meetings are beneficial for the entrepreneurs, the professionals and industry as a whole improves from the experience. With so many innovative thinkers in the same room several ideas are postulated. Ideas mentioned in recent meetings include fighting for Amsterdam style cannabis cafe’s in Bend, forming a cannabis coalition to meet monthly and work together and starting a cannabis educational center in Bend. Everyone is in agreement that they want to model the Bend cannabis industry after the brewery scene with bike tours, tasting rooms, tourism and a positive revenue generating culture.
Anderson says the Women Grow Bend Chapter hopes to “bring the cannabis community and those interested in learning about the community together by featuring local speakers from within the industry to educate many different types of interested people about cannabis.”
The Bend chapter of Women Grow meets on the first Thursday of every month. However, their next meeting will be held September 10 at 6pm.
Jocelyn Anderson
http://womengrow.com/bend-oregon-chapter/
