Vangst, the cannabis industry jobs platform, will launch CannaBusiness Growth, an educational program supporting social equity licensed cannabis entrepreneurs through a contract with Colorado’s Cannabis Business Office.
The CannaBusiness Growth program will include more than 50 modules covering a range of topics, including compliance, finance, human resources, cultivation and retail. The program will be led by Natasha Lennerd, Vangst’s vice president of strategy who served as a mentor for The Color of Cannabis, BIPOCANN and IL Equity Staffing. According to a press release, the hope for the program is to “better prepare entrepreneurs to navigate both typical startup challenges and those stemming from historical cannabis prohibition, which disproportionately impacts communities of color.”
The contract between Vangst and the Cannabis Business Office is the first of its kind.
“As a Denver-based company, Vangst could not be more proud to announce our first government contract with the Cannabis Business Office,” Vangst CEO Karson Humiston said, adding it’s clear that the industry needs to support organizations like the Cannabis Business Office “to enhance equity in the cannabis sector.”
The Cannabis Business Office is part of the state’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade and funded by the Marijuana Tax Cash Fund. It is focused on creating economic opportunities, local job creation and community growth.
“Offering this type of growth-oriented training is a critical step to level the playing field for those who have historically faced barriers to entering and thriving in the cannabis industry,” said Emma Howard, program manager for the Cannabis Business Office.