The Unexpected Path: From Guitar to Green

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Where have you previously worked in cannabis? How/why did you end up working there?

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I started my journey working in cannabis over 5 years ago when I was hired as the General Manager of Mission Dispensary in Worcester, MA. Prior to joining the industry, I started my career in leadership in the restaurant industry, managing a restaurant in downtown Boston called Luke’s Lobster. My passion for cannabis and aspiration to join the cannabis industry began in my days as a touring guitar player, getting to experience legal markets in different states for the first time. As I developed my skills in hospitality, I felt I could bring that level of white glove service into a setting that I was truly passionate about. I’m incredibly grateful to 4Front/Mission for giving me the opportunity!

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What did you like most about working with cannabis? What’s a stand out memory from that time?

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My favorite part about working with cannabis, which continues to this day, is being part of breaking the stigma around cannabis use, be it for medicinal or recreational reasons. I have so many incredible memories from my time in the dispensary, but the stand out is when my then medical only dispensary opened as a co-located recreational facility. Getting to be part of the Worcester community and seeing what a powerful impact our opening had is still one of my proudest accomplishments.

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What have you learned moving from plant-touching work to tech? Did anything about the change surprise you?

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I moved to the tech side to have the opportunity to make a greater impact on the industry and I think what surprised me the most was just how big that impact is. At Dutchie, I’ve worked across several departments and seeing how each department plays a pivotal role in the success of our clients, which then leads to safe access to cannabis for customers all over the country, is something I’m incredibly grateful to be a part of.

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What’s your advice for those starting out in cannabis? What is there to look forward to?

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My advice to anyone looking to start in cannabis is to follow your passion and be relentless in your search, while making sure you find a company that aligns with your values. There is so much to look forward to in both the plant touching worlds and on the tech side of things; innovative products, Dutchie 2.0 (wink), more and more minority owned businesses to support, and potential state and federal legalization efforts, I’ve personally never been more excited to be a part of the cannabis industry and to be here at Dutchie.

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