Swati Gupta, who has a master’s degree in education policy from Harvard, took a circuitous path into the cannabis industry. She launched MoonDust USA in 2022, veering away from a career in social work and a decade of experience in research on STEM education in schools. Based in Houston, MoonDust is a direct manufacturer of custom-branded pre-roll cones, tubes, and blunt wraps for pre-roll manufacturers, processors, and some of the top pre-roll brands in cannabis across the US and Canada.
“I have a research mind, and building things that help people grow really brings me joy,” she says. “I spent years training women on financial literacy, how to access banking, and how to improve decision making in their households to then support their next generation of women and the communities they are part of. I really believe when you support women, the whole village gets better.”
Today, according to Gupta, MoonDust is one of the few women-owned direct manufacturers in the pre-roll cone space.
One thing Gupta prides herself on is MoonDust’s industry-leading turnaround times, focusing on efficiency and quality in manufacturing and the logistics of importing the final product from its family-owned manufacturing facility in India, and building a distribution channel for MSOs so they always have their products available and ready to ship.
“We have a turnaround time of six weeks, which is kind of unheard of in the industry,” she says.
The result is competitive pricing and a 100% repeat order rate, delivering on the company motto of “Good cones by good people.”
While the cones and papers category has become increasingly competitive, with a combination of industry giants and smaller, up-and-coming companies, Gupta has focused her energy on driving value for clients.
“I’m a people-first person,” she says. “I’m not after the next order, I’m after a relationship that grows with you. I stand by my word, and that means more to me than anything.”
Marijuana Venture’s 2026 Women to Watch feature was sponsored by Leading Retirement Solutions
Leading Retirement Solutions (LRS) is a women-owned national retirement plan service provider that helps businesses design, implement, and manage retirement plans tailored to their unique goals and workforce needs. With over a decade in the cannabis industry, LRS helps operators offer competitive 401(k) plans and employee benefits through customized plan design, administration, consulting, and recordkeeping services. LRS helps employers strengthen financial futures for both their organizations and workforce.