March was Women’s History Month and Caroline produced a series of social media posts highlighting some of the women of Simplifya. If you weren’t able to catch the posts in real time, here they are for your reading pleasure!
Honorable mentions go to the Simplifya women who were not able to participate in the series, but are nonetheless fantastic colleagues: Caroline Germano, Andrea Lesica, Vanessa Padilla, Mel Pinela, and Dominique Vandenbulcke.
Katelin
Let’s start with Katelin, who told us more about her role at Simplifya: “My role at Simplifya is Regulatory Analyst. I monitor, research, and analyze all regulations, statutes, rules, ordinances, etc. as they relate to cannabis businesses and translate them into content that is easily understandable for our clients so that they can ensure their operations are compliant and efficient.”
When asked about her experience as a woman working in the cannabis industry, Katelin told us: “I would say that although this is a relatively progressive industry, there is still a lot of progress to be made as far as women’s involvement goes, especially as monopolization continues. That being said, due to the infancy of the industry and its progressive nature, I do feel that women’s involvement and equality amongst genders in the industry are still achievable. This can be seen in states such as New Jersey and New York that prioritize women-owned businesses when awarding cannabis business licenses.”
Thank you for sharing your experience with us Katelin, we appreciate everything you do for Simplifya! ????
Ellyn
Let’s continue our series with Ellyn, who told us more about her role at Simplifya: “I’m an Associate Regulatory Analyst at Simplifya, and was hired in November of last year. I create various types of compliance content for licensed operators and have a strong background within the cannabis industry prior to starting my role at Simplifya.”
We also asked what it is like for Ellyn to be a woman in this role in the industry: “It can be difficult working in the cannabis industry as a woman. I have a degree in Horticulture and initially worked in the cultivation side of the industry, which was incredibly male-dominated. It was difficult to get people to take me seriously and consider my ideas, and I still struggled with these issues once I moved into the retail sector. It has been refreshing to see more women get into corporate roles within the cannabis industry, and I hope that trend continues. We have a lot to contribute!”
Thank you for sharing your experience with us Ellyn, we appreciate everything you do for Simplifya! ????
Kate T
Kate told us more about her role at Simplifya: “My job is to take complicated regulatory language and distill it down into digestible content that operators and licensees can use to audit their facilities to ensure compliance. I also write standard operating procedures, package and labeling checklists, and required document cheat sheets, to assist operators and licensees with specific requirements to help compliantly run their business. Additionally, I have been lucky enough to help kickstart and contribute to our efforts with our Company Social Responsibility program, where we have created a discount for social equity applicants and offered community service opportunities to our staff.”
We also asked what it is like for Kate to be a woman in this role in the industry: “I’m proud to be a woman in cannabis, in tech, and in a compliance role. A new industry like cannabis offers an opportunity to build something better. I am privileged enough to work for a company that sees the value in diversity and equity. Women are just one piece of that very large diversity, equity, and inclusion puzzle and we need to continue to push the envelope further. Those of us who are privileged and able to break into these positions need to be conduits to continued opportunity and change for others the systems work against. This industry, as well as our society, has acknowledged the need for DEI, and yet, erroneously made decisions that reinforce these systems. I believe, that as a queer woman in this industry, it is my job to offer my unique perspective to the role and to the company and do my very best to continue to open doors for others and advance our efforts towards diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
Thank you for sharing your experience with us Kate, we appreciate everything you do for Simplifya! ????
Kate L
Today we are showcasing Kate, who told us more about her role at Simplifya: “I am a Client Engagement Specialist, so my main responsibilities are making sure the customer knows how to use the platform to meet their goals, and finding creative ways to engage customers further.”
When asked about her experience as a woman working in the cannabis industry, Kate told us: “I love working in an industry that is growing rapidly and where there is so much to learn. The Cannabis industry has so many women in leadership, especially compared to other industries, which I think is so amazing. I want to be able to carry that out one day.”
Thank you for sharing your experience with us Kate, we appreciate everything you do for Simplifya! ????
Julia
Let’s continue our series with Julia, who told us more about her role at Simplifya: “As a data coordinator, I am responsible for maintaining our databases of business license information and citations. I perform QA on our content and import the content to our server. I also produce reports for various departments.”
We also asked what it is like for Julia to be a woman in this role in the industry: “Working in the cannabis industry as a woman has been both exciting and challenging at times. Sometimes it is difficult for women to be taken seriously in the workplace. In some of my prior roles, my contributions were undermined and my ideas were often dismissed. On the other hand, working at Simplifya has been a breath of fresh air. I truly feel respected by my team and know my contributions are valued. As the industry continues to grow and become legitimized, I believe it will pave the way for more women to feel empowered working in cannabis.”
Thank you for sharing your experience with us Julia, we appreciate everything you do for Simplifya! ????
Katrina
Katrina is our General Counsel and Chief Banking Officer. She told us more about her role at Simplifya: “In my role, I help advise and support Simplifya and its team while they navigate the inherent legal challenges associated with the legal cannabis industry. My role also includes helping expand Simplifya’s products and services to other industries that support and service cannabis-related businesses, like financial institutions and insurance companies.”
We also asked Katrina to share her experience working in the cannabis industry as a woman: “The cannabis industry does not seem to care what gender its participants identify with. In order to succeed you need to be creative, resilient, collaborative, and hardworking. “
Thank you for sharing your experience with us Katrina, we are lucky to have such an inspiring leader on our team! ????
Brooke
Let’s continue our series with Brooke, who told us more about her role at Simplifya: “I have been with the company since we launched sales way back in early 2017 and have worn many hats at Simplifya over the years. I now serve as our VP of Partnerships and have the privilege of helping many of our MSO and other enterprise clients. I am also very excited to be leading the launch of our newest product, Simplifya Market Guide, which will help us better serve financial institutions, insurance companies, and just about any ancillary company trying to do business with licensed operators across the country. I have big plans for Simplifya in 2022!”
We also asked what it is like for Brooke to be a woman in the industry: ” I have LOVED working as a woman in cannabis over the last six years and have been lucky enough to make most of my closest friends in the US through meeting other incredible, strong, creative and talented women in cannabis. It seems like every year there are more and more amazing women jumping into the industry but there is still room, and need for, many others to use the expertise they have gained in other industries and make the transition over to cannabis.”
Thank you for sharing your experience with us Brooke, we are lucky to have such an inspiring woman on our team! ????
Taylor
To end this series, we asked Taylor to tell us more about her role at Simplifya: “I am a Business Development Manager. I am working to explore and develop opportunities and create growth across all business lines.”
When asked about her experience as a woman working in the cannabis industry, Taylor told us: “I feel honored as a woman to help shape this emerging market. It excites me that the opportunities for growth are infinite and we’re defining them together, across the industry.”
Thank you for sharing your experience with us Taylor, we are thrilled to have you on our team! ????