BCEI to Host National Cannabis Social Equity Meeting

Apr 15, 2021

Join the Black Cannabis Equity Initiative (BCEI) and Minorities for Medical Marijuana (M4MM) for a critical community conversation about social equity in the cannabis industry. 

Longtime social equity advocate John Bailey, Founder of the Black Cannabis Equity Initiative (BCEI) and Roz McCarthy, Founder & CEO, Minorities for Medical Marijuana recently announced a national social equity collaboration to advance the needle on social equity in the United States by bringing authentic transparency, awareness, accountability and opportunity to the social equity conversation. These Black cannabis leaders will host a national pre-420 social equity zoom entitled “Challenges, Choices, and Opportunity in a Billion Dollar Cannabis Industry.” By peeling back the curtain with concerned stakeholders, regulators, industry leaders, and elected officials from around the country, the two cannabis power players are collaborating and working to bring others to the table to lift up more voices and accelerate the social equity conversation and journey that needs to happen in America. 

In addition to sponsoring this important event, VS Founding Partner Christian Sederberg and VS Strategies partner Jordan Wellington will participate in two sessions. Meeting details and registration link below.

National Social Equity Meeting: Challenges, Choices, and Opportunity in the Billion Dollar Cannabis Industry

Date: Monday, April 19, 2021

Time: 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET

Register here!

 

AGENDA

• DOORS OPEN AT 12:30PM

• 1:00PM SOCIAL EQUITY PRE-GAME
  • SOCIAL EQUITY ART SHOW Featuring Nationally Recognized AirBrush Artist Aaron Fischer

• 1:30PM SOCIAL EQUITY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF PEOPLE, BUSINESS & ORGANIZATIONS "DOING THE RIGHT THING"

• 1:40PM SOCIAL EQUITY TALE OF TWO CITIES: A CONVERSATION WITH THE MAYORS OF DENVER, CO & TRENTON, NJ
  • HONORABLE MICHEAL B. HANCOCK, Mayor of Denver CO & HONORABLE REED GUSCIORA, Mayor of Trenton, NJ

• 2PM SOCIAL EQUITY GAME TIME
  • WELCOME, SPONSOR ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & OPENING REMARKS
    • JOHN BAILEY, Lead Convener, Black Cannabis Equity Initiative
  • SOCIAL EQUITY PRESENTATION - WHAT IS SOCIAL EQUITY: A BLACK COMMUNITY DEFINITION
    • DR. SHARON  BAILEY, Nationally Recognized Anthropologist & Social Equity Expert

• 2:15PM SOCIAL EQUITY ROUNDTABLE WITH "NATIONAL CANNABIS INDUSTRY & BLACK COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP"
  • REV. CHARLES BOYER, Founder, NJ Salvation & Social Justice, Pastor, Bethel AME Church
  • HONORABLE PHIL WEISER, Colorado Attorney General
  • ROZ MCCARTHY, FOUNDER & CEO, Minorities for Medical Marijuana
  • ROBERT RABEN, CEO, The Raben Group
  • CHRISTIAN SEDERBERG, Partner, Vicente Sederberg & President, Cannabis Trade Federation(CTF)
  • STEVEN HAWKINS, Executive Director, United States Cannabis Council(USCC)
  • ADAM GOERS, CEO, Columbia Care 
  • AMBER LITTLEJOHN, Executive Director, Minority Cannabis Business Association(MCBA)
  • DR. LANCE MCCARTHY, CEO Founder, Global 1000

• 3PM SOCIAL EQUITY PANEL DISCUSSION "A BLACK COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE"
  • TAHIR JOHNSON, CEO, The Diversity Report
  • LEO BRIDGEWATER, National Veterans Outreach, Minorities for Medical Marijuana
  • CHET SISK, Black Futurist
  • MALCOLM EVANS, President, Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce
  • ALDOPLHUS PRUITT, President, Saint Louis NAACP
  • FAYE COLEMAN, CEO, Pure Genesis

• 3:30PM SOCIAL EQUITY PANEL DISCUSSION "CANNABIS INDUSTRY LEADER'S PERSPECTIVE"
  • ED DEVAUX, President, NJ CannaBusiness Association
  • PAULA F. SARDINAS, President & CEO, FMS Global Strategies
  • MIKE LOMUTO, Committee Organizer, National Cannabis Industry Association(NCIA DEI Committee)
  • RON HOLMES, CEO, The Majority Minority Group
  • ERIC FOSTER, National Director of Policy, Minorities For Medical Marijuana (M4MM)

• 4PM SOCIAL EQUITY PANEL DISCUSSION "FEDERAL, STATE & MUNICIPAL ELECTED OFFICIAL'S PERSPECTIVE"
  • HONORABLE KWANZA HALL, US Congressman- Atlanta, GA   
  • HONORABLE LESLIE HEROD, CO State Representative
  • HONORABLE JAMEL HOLLEY, NJ Assemblyman
  • HONORABLE CHARNIELE HERRING, VA Delegate & Majority Leader
  • HONORABLE SAM FRISBY, Chair, NJ Mercer County Commissioner

• 4:30PM SOCIAL EQUITY PANEL DISCUSSION "REGULATOR'S PERSPECTIVE"
  • DASHEEDA DAWSON, Chairperson, Cannabis Regulators of Color
  • ASHLEY KILROY, Executive Director, Denver Depart of Excise and License

• 4:45PM SOCIAL EQUITY PANEL PRESENTATIONS ON "ACCESS TO CAPITAL"
  • JEREL REGISTRE, Managing Director, Curio Wellness BWMV Fund
  • TAVARRES KING, CEO, Suite 420 Access
  • CHRIS WEBBER, Former NBA Great & Founder, WebberWild Impact Fund

• 5:00PM SOCIAL EQUITY OVERTIME - BREAKOUT ROOMS ON CANNABIS "HOT TOPICS"
  • EXPUNGEMENT - DANIELLE BUTLER, Project Director, Clean Slate, Minorities For Medical Marijuana
  • DELIVERY - DEVIN ALEXANDER, Co-Founder, Rolling Releaf & VP of the Massachusetts Cannabis Association for Delivery
  • LEGAL - JORDAN WELLINGTON, Attorney, Partner, VS Strategies
  • NAVIGATING THE SPACE - JOEY PENA, Cannabis Navigator, City of Denver
  • INSURANCE - JAMES E. JACKSON, Senior VP, Global Head of Cannabis, Mark Edwards Partners
  • ACCOUNTING - JIM MARTY, CEO, BridgeWest Accounting
  • BLACK COMMUNITY & HEMP - FAYE COLEMAN, CEO Pure Genesis
  • WOMEN OF COLOR IN THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY - GIA MORON, CEO, Women Grow
  • EDUCATION & TRAINING - KEVIN FORD, CEO, UPLIFT Diversity and Inclusiveness Training
  • FUTURE OF CANNABIS INFRASTRUCTURE - AUGUST ALEXANDER KENNEDY, CEO, BlaqWall Capital
  • ANCILLARY OPPORTUNITIES: 5 WAYS THE BLACK COMMUNITY CAN INCREASE ACCESS & PROFITABILITY - ERNEST TONEY, CEO, BIPOCANN

• 5:30PM SOCIAL EQUITY PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS
  • BLIZZY CANNABIS MAGAZINE, PUBLISHER, ALFONZO PORTER
  • MARIJUANA HALL OF FAME, CEO, VINCENT NORMENT

• 5:45PM SOCIAL EQUITY CLOSING REMARKS
  • "WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE"
    • JOHN BAILEY, BLACK CANNABIS EQUITY INITIATIVE
    • NATIONAL BLACK CANNABIS EQUITY ALLIANCE
    • CANNABIS INDUSTRY & BLACK COMMUNITY BUSINESS ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT CARD
    • NATIONAL CANNABIS SOCIAL EQUITY PODCAST, "IT'S BLACK BUD TIME"
    • NATIONAL CANNABIS SOCIAL EQUITY ZOOM TOUR "IN SEARCH OF CANNABIS SOCIAL EQUITY"

SPONSORS:

• Classique
• Black Cannabis Equity Initiative
• Minorities for Medical Marijuana
• Marijuana Hall of Fame
• MedPharm
• Curio Wellness
• BIPOCANN
• Cresco Labs
• Trulieve
• Blizzy Cannabis Magazine
• Blaqwall Capital
• Curaleaf
• Canopy Growth Corporation
• Columbia Care
• Bridgewest
• Vicente Sederberg LLP