Megan Dobro
39
CEO and Co-Founder
SafeTiva Labs
In 2019, Megan Dobro was working as a tenured professor of biology at Hampshire College in Massachusetts when she realized there simply weren’t enough testing labs to meet the demands of state’s cannabis industry. After studying the market, she determined building a state-of-the-art lab with minimal turnaround times was within her reach.
“So I took the leap of faith, leaving my tenured position to try my hand at entrepreneurship,” says the CEO and co-founder of SafeTiva Labs.
While she had a lot to learn about cannabis, the skills she developed in organizing academic research — where she had to find ways to contribute to a field, pitch for grant money, onboard young scientists and communicate her findings — were surprisingly helpful.
“It prepared me well for building a small company, and the Ph.D. gave me confidence that I can learn anything if I’m really motivated,” she says.
Co-founding SafeTiva Labs also gave Dobro an opportunity to support diversity and social justice. The company contributes to expungement events and organizations that are fighting to reverse the damage done by the War on Drugs and also hands out free fentanyl testing kits at events.
“We believe in bringing humanity at the forefront of our business, which hopefully permeates in everything we do — from hiring to financial contributions to the way we make space for underrepresented voices in cannabis and science,” she says.
Q&A
You were previously a tenured professor of biology – what prompted your transition into cannabis?
In 2019, there weren’t enough labs in Massachusetts and the turnaround times were several weeks long. I studied the market and knew I could build a better lab using new technology to achieve ultrafast turnaround times without sacrificing accuracy or customer service. So, I took the leap of faith, leaving my tenured position to try my hand at entrepreneurship.
How was the transition from academia into cannabis? What was the learning curve like?
I had a lot to learn about cannabis, but the skills were more transferable than I thought. In academia, I had to build a scientific research program by studying a field, coming up with ways I could contribute, pitching for (grant) money, recruiting and training young scientists, and then communicating our results to the public. It prepared me well for building a small company, and the PhD gave me confidence that I can learn anything if I’m really motivated.
Could you tell me a little about your company’s social justice contributions?
At SafeTiva, we’re made up of a diverse staff who care a lot about using our resources to solve problems in our community. We offer free fentanyl testing kits to anyone in the public, including placing boxes in dispensaries and handing them out at public events. We also contribute to expungement events and organizations that are fighting for prisoners of the war on drugs. We believe in bringing humanity at the forefront of our business, which hopefully permeates in everything we do– from hiring to financial contributions, to the way we make space for underrepresented voices in cannabis and science.
What is on the horizon for you and your business?
SafeTiva is gaining momentum in Massachusetts and right now I’m just focused on making sure our clients are getting the best experience possible. We’re implementing some technology and building out our team to ensure we’re a strong player in the state. I’m open to all kinds of possibilities moving forward and unlike academia, it’s kind of exciting to have no idea where I’ll be in 5 years.