FORBES “Women’s Cannabis Business Accelerator ‘The Initiative,’ Launches In Portland” by Julie Weed

Ten female-run cannabis businesses will spend three months at a Portland accelerator sharpening their business skills and getting their products and companies ready to launch nationally. The Initiative, led by Amy Margolis, began on January 7 and will work with women cannabis entrepreneurs and executives to get them ready for demo day in April. That’s when they will present business plans to potential funders.

“So many challenges, so many goals!” said Amy Risch, founder of Hana Medicinals. Risch’s main objective for the program is to have her ideas “vetted by world class experts and to work with the Initiative team to formulate a strategic plan.”

The Initiative was created to rebalance the gender discrepancy in the cannabis industry, according to Margolis who co-founded the project. Women in the industry face many of the same challenges they do elsewhere in business including gender bias in funding. Margolis hopes to change that.

The first cohort includes:

• Tokeativity offering a series of events to connect and empower women

If you want to see who else made the first round in this female-focused accelerator, read the entire article over on the Forbes website.