Dawne Morris
Co-founder and chief marketing officer, Proteus 420
Dawne Morris has always worked in male-dominated spaces, going back to her early years working in banking, then as a nurse at a time when the vast majority of doctors were men.
“It’s funny,” she says, “I think because I’m so stubborn, I fit in really well.”
By the time she and her husband, David, launched their cannabis technology firm, Proteus 420, she was well-prepared for the challenges of two industries — tech and cannabis — that are notoriously lacking in women.
“I have found that because I don’t mince my words, I can walk in a room with 50 men and it doesn’t bother me,” she says. “I know what I’m bringing to the table is what they need to hear. I’ve always approached things like, look, here’s the data, here’s the metrics. In order for you to do X, Y or Z in your business, you have to be able to look at this information.”
She says anybody looking to break into the cannabis space should adopt a similar philosophy. It takes confidence and competence, and not being afraid to ask the right questions.
“If you go into a room and you’re not sure of yourself, it doesn’t matter if it’s another man or a woman, people will be able to see that,” she says. “You have to exude confidence, and you have to be able to speak facts.”
Proteus 420 is an ERP system that manages an entire operation from germination of a seed through cultivation and harvesting, processing, distribution and retail point of sale, along with a GAAP-compliant accounting system. The company was founded in 2008, launched in California in 2010 and now, more than a decade later, works with cannabis companies in 40 states.
While Morris brings a much-needed skill set to the company and serves as its chief marketing officer, she credits her husband for the technical knowledge and programming ability.
“He’s probably one of the smartest guys I have ever met in the programming industry,” she says. “I’m the good looking one, and he’s the brain.”