Justinian Mason is a career coach and business consultant. He spent over 2 years at Vangst, one of the cannabis industry's leading recruiting agencies and now has gone out on his own to start his own company MG Island Group. You can learn more about MG Island Group at https://www.mgislandsgrp.com/

Khadijah Adams is the founder of "Girl Get That Money" a business empowerment coaching and consultancy movement. An Entrepreneur and Investor, Khadijah's goal is to empower women in business by providing them with the resources and tools needed to help them become successful. Whether you're in the Startup phase of your business, or you're ready to take your business to the next level, Khadijah's your girl! She believes that no two women are alike and that one size does not fit all. Khadijah offers a variety of empowerment coaching packages, business tools, and other services that are customized based on the needs of her clients. Her mission is to help women design and execute a plan of action that helps them gain clarity, set new goals, get focused on their vision, and define their mission.

You can learn more about Khadijah Adams here. https://www.khadijahadams.com/

James Jackson is the Global Head of Cannabis and SVP, Diversity & Inclusion Practice Lead at Mark Edward Partners. James leads the firm’s Cannabis Practice, providing risk management oversight and offering resources, in  order to manage cannabis clients’ growth and scalability in today’s complex ever- changing environment. James will also be creating and building a dedicated unit with  exclusive focus in managing the underserved, by providing personal and commercial  risk management needs for minority, women, and LQBTQ+ owned businesses as the  firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Group Practice Leader. As a former VP at AON, Mr. Jackson offered a broad range of Risk Consulting solutions to middle-market, private and publicly-traded companies. His expertise spreads across a variety of industries including, minority-owned businesses, large non- profits, manufacturing, and real estate development verticals. James holds a B.A. from Howard University, where he plans to work with alumni to promote student interest in career,  and holds a Cannabis Cultivation & Horticulture Certificate. Learn more about Mark Edward Partners here http://www.markedwardpartners.com/.

Join us for an inspirational episode of The Cannabis Diversity Report with Tahir Johnson, celebrating transformative figures in Massachusetts' thriving cannabis industry. Listen as we sit down with three pioneering Black men breaking down barriers, as they share their remarkable stories and the genesis of their enterprises.

Our first guest, Seun, is not just a business leader but a history-maker. Recognized as the youngest African American man to own a cannabis dispensary in the United States, Seun brings his determination, business acumen, and hands-on approach to the forefront of cannabis legalization in multiple states. We explore his journey, the challenges overcome, and his visionary goals for the future of his company, Elev8, and the cannabis industry at large.

Next, we welcome Reginald Stanfield, CEO and head horticulturist at JustinCredible Cultivation, the first black-owned cultivation business in the state. A natural farmer and an entrepreneur at heart, Reginald shares his unique journey from a finance manager to one of the cannabis industry's leading figures. Hear about the rise of JustinCredible Cultivation, and how Reginald mastered the art of growing strains like Blueberry, White Widow, Durban Poison, and even cultivating his own strains.

Our third guest, Devin Alexander, Co-Founder and CEO of Rolling Releaf, shares his experiences from the frontline of a Social Equity Certified Delivery-Only Cannabis Business. As they navigate the licensing process in Massachusetts, Devin sheds light on his aspirations for this trailblazing venture.

In Episode 5, we delve into these incredible journeys, discussing the challenges faced, the opportunities seized, and their vision for a more diverse and inclusive cannabis industry. A must-listen episode for cannabis enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, and those keen to understand the dynamics of this rapidly evolving industry.

Learn more about Elev8, JustinCredible Cultivation [here](https://www.jccultivation.com/), and Rolling Releaf [here](https://www.facebook.com/RollingReleaf/?ref=page_internal).

Tune in to this enlightening episode now on [The Cannabis Diversity Report](https://anchor.fm/cannabisdiversity).

At the age of 25, Hope Wiseman became the youngest black woman dispensary owner in the country. In September 2018, her dispensary, Mary and Main, opened their doors to Prince George’s County with a purpose of serving and educating their clients about Cannabis. Hope’s mission is to continue to kill the stigma the country has created about Cannabis within the Black community and help African Americans realize the importance of their place in the cannabis industry. You can visit https://hopewiseman.com/ to learn more about her and https://maryandmain.com/ to get find out about Mary & Main.

Shawnee WIlliams is the Co-Founder of Illinois Equity Staffing. She is a Recruiter & Account Executive with a background in Business Operations, Sales and Recruiting. She has a MS in Business and years hands on experience in Cannabis.  Illinois Equity Staffing played an active role in the Illinois cannabis community as it was the first state in the nation to approve adult use with Social Equity directly written into the legislation. The company specializes in Recruiting, Staffing, Onboarding and Benefits Administration, Training, Payroll, Tax management, Compliance, and Equity. You can learn more about Illinois Equity Staffing here https://www.illinoisequitystaffing.com/

Christine spent 20 years as a systems and database architect in tech before coming to cannabis. She is a well-respected business leader, advocate and activist.

At the top of her career she almost died from complications of undiagnosed Lupus. In 2015, she found cannabis as an alternative medicine to treat her the disease. She was inspired by her experience to help those who most need access to cannabis. Along with her co-founders she has established a  multi-state dispensary footprint and has build a fiercely sought after national social equity model and enterprise now known as The People’s Dispensary.

Find our more about The People's Dispensary at http://www.mytpd.com/our-story/

Kevin Ford, Jr., is the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Uplift Companies, a one-stop shop that has won contracts from the State of Maryland to develop and implement education and training programs for disadvantaged entrepreneurs, and to train dispensary employees. 

Ford recently curated the Uplift Cannabis Diversity Symposium to help professionals and entrepreneurs transfer their current skills and knowledge into the cannabis industry, no matter their race, age, gender, or background. 

Learn more about Uplift at https://www.upliftmaryland.co/