Minority Grant Finalists In California Cannabis Competition Are Mostly Women

A company in Southern California, My Green Network, announced the finalists for their Green Quest minority cannabis grant, and most of the finalists are women looking to make a positive change in the cannabis industry. 

My Green Network is a company that provides shared spaces for incubators and manufacturers in the cannabis industry in order to promote collaboration and help small businesses. The community is membership-based, and attempts to break down barriers for marginalized communities by providing opportunities to minority-owned start-ups and others in need. It also helps fund license opportunities and provides a workspace for those who could use it. The Green Quest program is their latest effort to get more minority businesses a seat at the table. 

According to a press release, this week, My Green Network announced the 12 finalists for the grant program, all of which are minority-controlled companies who now have the chance to win a Type-S manufacturing license in California and a sponsored membership to My Green Network’s Orange County, CA facility, so that they have a space to conduct their business. Forty-six of the applicants were African American; 39 percent were Hispanic, and 15 percent were Asian. Eighty percent were female. 

The Goals of Green Quest

Green Quest is a three-round selection process that is seeking to find some new movers and shakers in the cannabis diversity space. Candidates who wanted a chance at the win had to submit a business plan to My Green Network outlining their company, products, and strategy and explaining their business plan and what they have to offer. The next round of eliminations will require interviews with My Green Network. 

Qualities considered will be how well-put-together and clear the business plans that have been submitted are, what products are offered, and how the companies will further diversity in the cannabis sector. The final round will require a vote on the applicants. 

“We are proud to be on the frontlines of breaking barriers to entry in the rapidly evolving cannabis marketplace,” explained My Green Network Chief Marketing Officer Maria Cordeiro. “It’s pertinent now more than ever to create programs that support ‘cultural cannabis,’ a movement that celebrates diversity and innovation within the cannabis industry. Furthermore, our commitment to this program reflects the ethos behind our community.”

“As we close out the first round of Green Quest, we’re blown away with the diversity, innovation, and passion exemplified by the applicants and aspiring cannabis entrepreneurs,” said My Green Network Co-Founder & CEO James Shih. “As entrepreneurs ourselves who are proud of our Taiwanese heritage, we are thankful to everyone who applied for giving us this incredible opportunity to get to know you and your unique story, and the ability to inject culture and diversity into the cannabis industry. It is our belief that everyone who joined Green Quest will highlight the importance of actively creating access to the cannabis space.”

Green Quest and other programs like it are making it possible for minorities to get a foothold in the cannabis world, and hopefully creating a more equitable future for legal cannabis.