Four years in, the Maine Women’s Connection has non-profit status and plenty of new plans
Written by: Becca Abramson | Photos by: Cody DeLong
According to MjBizDaily’s 2023 report “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Cannabis Industry,” 39% of cannabis executives are women, up from 22% in 2022. It’s getting better, but it’s still a male-dominated industry. Not that you’d have to tell Haley Knaub, Hallie Mitchell, and Heather Dadiego that. The three women work in cannabis themselves and knew there was an unmet need for women supporting each other in the cannabis space, along with a lack of community-building events and the celebration of cannabis-related business achievements in the state, in general. So, together, they founded the Maine Women’s Connection (MWC) in 2020 with the shared goal to empower minorities, uplift female entrepreneurs, and build a stronger network in Maine.
The rise in female leadership in the cannabis space demands an increased need for support, collaboration, and community. “Our main idea in founding the group was to uplift women and help give each other a leg up, because it’s not often you see women given the same opportunities as men,” Knaub says.
It was a series of serendipitous encounters that brought Hallie, Haley, and Heather together. Ten years ago, the first chance meeting occurred when Hallie and Haley crossed paths at a bar. “I always laugh when someone asks us how we met, because the story isn’t fitting — neither of us are drinkers anymore,” Mitchell says. At the time, both women had been working in the cannabis industry: Hallie on logos and branding as the founder of Vivid Design Studios, Haley as the former creative director at Zero Gravity Cannabis (currently, she’s the owner of Earth Air Cannabis as well as Elevate, a functional mushroom company). “Haley asked if I wanted to smoke and make jewelry, so we left the bar and that’s exactly what we did,” Mitchell says.
The second significant event, when Hallie met Heather, was a result of the COVID-induced delivery service boom. Heather, who works in the cannabis space as the owner of Mind Body and Soul, a three-pronged company offering cannabis delivery (Mind Body and Soul Support), topicals and tinctures (Mind Body and Soul Remedies), and a gluten- and seed oil-free meal prep and catering service in Casco (Mind Body Soul Food), encountered a huge uptick in business during the pandemic and reached out to Hallie for help designing new packaging.
Two’s company, but three’s a crowd — and in this case, the more, the merrier.
The founders are eager to connect women seeking advice with others who can support them. “Before we started MWC, we were meeting tons of people through social media, but it was difficult to actually link up in person. We always thought it would be great to set up a hub where women could meet and talk business in person as opposed to exclusively online,” Mitchell says.
Empowerment is one of MWC’s key values, and the founders understand that success requires risk taking and failing forward. A note from the trio on MWC’s website says it best: “We encourage women to take risks with us and make mistakes. We will learn and grow. We will get smart and stronger—together.” A social media campaign called the Queen of the Week is just one example of the organization’s efforts to partner with and support women in cannabis. Anyone can visit MWC’s website and nominate a female cannabis entrepreneur for the campaign; from the submissions, the trio of founders select a woman in the industry (aptly named a “Cannabis Queen”) to highlight. “We try to collaborate with them and showcase their business and the amazing things they’re doing,” Dadiego says. The ongoing campaign celebrates local achievements and acknowledges the hard work of Maine’s women in cannabis.
Despite the group’s name, it’s not exclusively about women, as MWC events are open to all genders. “As an organization, we align ourselves with reputable men in the industry who are supportive of our events and our mission,” Dadiego notes. The biggest event, as you may have guessed, is a 4/20 celebration that offers an opportunity for Maine’s cannabis community to gather. This year’s bash included a gnome hunt, a silent auction, cookie decorating, a community mural, and more (a pre-event brunch featured a buffet from Mind Body Soul Food alongside a juice bar and a dab bar).
MWC’s other flagship event is the Maine Cannabis Festival, an industry-focused (but not exclusive) team-building event akin to a high school field day. “It’s kind of like Spirit Week in one day,” Knaub laughs. “We’re all visionaries, and we want to do outrageous things, so we often have to reign it in when we’re coming up with new ideas for events.” Though creating a smash room didn’t pan out as the founders intended, the most recent festival included activities like musical chairs, tug of war, and a balloon toss followed by a reggae show.
No matter the specifics, all MWC events center around one thing: like-minded people hanging out. “We don’t want it to feel like a trade show,” Mitchell says. “Our events provide space for both people who consume and those that are in the cannabis industry. Patients can meet the people who work at the companies and connect in a more personal way, whether it’s smoking together and contributing to the mural at our 4/20 party or taking part in a watermelon eating competition and playing field day games.” The founders emphasize that bringing customers and business owners together is imperative to sustaining a solid cannabis community in Maine, and they continue to brainstorm new events that strengthen this relationship.
Another connection forged through the MWC and its events is the link between medical and recreational cannabis companies in the area. “There’s always been this divide between med and rec, and we try to bridge that gap,” Mitchell says. “People don’t always understand that recreational companies do support medical businesses — that’s how both programs stick around. Competition is going to be the death of everybody if we don’t start collaborating and working together, so it’s always great to see everyone bonding at our events.”
The big news since the last time Beer & Weed caught up with WMC in the December 2021 issue? After four years of events, community-building, and uplifting women in the local cannabis industry, MWC officially gained nonprofit status this year — and the founders have plenty in store for the organization’s future. For starters, they’re launching the Women In Business grant, which provides financial assistance and additional resources to female cannabis entrepreneurs. The group allocates 7% of all event proceeds to the grant, ensuring that aspiring business women have the support they need to achieve their goals.
A second initiative the founders look forward to is the organization’s Community Awards program. “We wanted to start a program that highlights women in the industry, in particular,” says Knaub. The Community Awards celebrate the outstanding contributions of women in the cannabis business and inspire others to reach new heights, and 3% of MWC event proceeds are allocated toward the annual awards. The founders’ passion for philanthropy comes straight from the heart: “We’re all very giving people. Not only do I enjoy it, but I truly believe in karma and that doing good for other people will have a positive effect on everything around you,” Knaub says. “We’re not paying ourselves for any of this — we’re just genuinely trying to uplift women in the industry.”
It’s because of their own experiences as female leaders in cannabis that Hallie, Haley, and Heather are so dedicated to MWC’s mission. “I’ve been doing graphic design and marketing for 10 years, and I still run into people who don’t take me seriously,” Mitchell says. Haley has had similar experiences: “I have a pretty good relationship with the men in the industry, but the biggest difference I’ve noticed as a woman is that I have to work a little harder to earn their respect,” she says. According to Heather, women joining together to share their experiences is one way to “weed out the bad eggs” in the industry. “People like to take advantage of other people, no matter their gender. It takes some intuition to find your way, and having a group of women stick by your side and support what you do is so important,” she adds.
When all is said and done, MWC’s founders have no hard feelings towards men in cannabis. “There’s something special about the industry in Maine,” says Knaub. “When I talk to people in other regions, they can’t believe that we all get along so well.” Reflecting on her own experiences (remember how she and Haley met?), Hallie reiterates that “a lot of people in this community aren’t big drinkers, so for them to have events and shared spaces where they can meet like-minded people is special. Everyone’s coming together over this plant that we all have respect for — it’s easy to create conversations with that in common.”
