Leah Bailey
While many in the industry are patiently waiting for New York’s adult-use regulations, Leah Bailey, the chief development officer for multi-state operator Audacious, has already built inroads by partnering with First Americans LLC of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe in upstate New York for the joint development and operation of its cannabis facilities on tribal land.
The partnership is one part of Audacious’ three-pronged plan to gain a foothold in New York. By successfully helping the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe establish cannabis operations, the company can also do some first-hand reconnaissance for its potential hemp operations in the state while also demonstrating the company’s support of New York’s cannabis social and economic equity plans which will become a major factor in the licensing process.
Bailey is a transplant from the consumer products industry who previously worked with Revlon before becoming CEO of the Michigan-based, vertically integrated cannabis business Fluresh from 2018 to 2020 and then joining Audacious in 2021.
“Not only do we want to partner with social equity to go in for cultivation or dispensaries, whichever makes sense, but we also want to do everything we can to help social equity applicants with their licenses too,” Bailey says.