In this white-dominated world of legal cannabis, some companies push to challenge the status quo more than others. In the latest move to help level the playing field, Black CannaBusiness Magazine and multi-state operator Parallel are focusing on CEOs of color in a new education series.
The national education series collaboration comes after James Whitcomb stepped into the role of CEO at Parallel and published an open letter apologizing for ignoring the social responsibility of operating in the cannabis industry. In the letter, Whitcomb pledged to support fundamental changes to create a more equitable industry.
The six-week education series will launch at 9 a.m. in Boston, Massachusetts this April 21st at the Boston Society for Architecture. The Black Cannabusiness CEO Intensive is a free executive-level series to help accelerate growth for high-potential businesses of color. The series includes a six-week online cohort along with an in-person two-day intensive. Founders and entrepreneurs will receive training from subject matter experts and practitioners from the cannabis industry.
The new program was developed by publishers of Black CannaBusiness Magazine and draws on the experiences of cannabis advisors and business leaders across the country, with the ultimate goal of helping minority-owned businesses reach their full potential. Parallel will represent the new partnership through its medical and adult use dispensaries, NETA, in Boston.
