Business View Magazine - Sept 2023

92 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 9 As a very complex and regulated industry, Kenyatta points out that the most successful cannabis operators are those who were previously involved in a highly regulated environment. He portrays, “There are a lot of people who have been in this industry for a long time. So, when new states come on, and they bring on this concept of social equity, and they say we want new owners and we want these owners to be diverse, I think it’s important to keep in mind that we need to provide people with the training and the steps that they need to make the transition into being successful in the industry.” One success story is Star Buds. Originally out of Colorado, Kenyata says they were looking to expand into the Illinois market. “We explained to them the goals of Majority Minority, and they explained to us their goals and what they wanted to do. They were very interested in the concept of social equity,” he recounts. “We were able to help them put together a very diverse team, for both the dispensary and on the craft grower side, of diverse owners that contribute to this whole concept of social equity because everyone has diverse backgrounds. They were the first majority Black-owned craft grower to get off the ground. Starbuds is a great example of a company that not only accepted this concept of diversity, but embraced it, and we’re seeing success as a result of it.” Resources and Support For The Majority Minority Group, supporting those who are looking to enter the Cannabis industry is done through consultation and connection to resources. “It’s a very rigorous process even to apply to get into this industry, and unfortunately, just like any industry, there are people who take advantage of people,” Kenyatta admits. He says the company’s primary goal is to act as a gatekeeper, pointing people in the right direction. “For example, if they do want to build a dispensary, or craft grow, we tell them what we can consult on, and direct them to other resources and people that they may want to talk to, to help build out their business.”