Ignite Missouri sets the bar for forthcoming cannabis events
By Kaycee Barry
Ignite Missouri, hosted by Green Rush Consulting, was held May 19th in the Duck room, at Blueberry Hill in St. Louis.
It was an event hoping to start the discussion of cannabusiness in Missouri, and it did not disappoint.
The room was dimly lit, and the stage spotlighted green, the DJ was spinning house music. The room was surrounded by sponsors and CBD vendors. The food was delicious and the drinks were plentiful, the energy of the room was electric.
After meeting and greeting one another, attendees found their seats for the highlight of the night, the cannabis entrepreneur pitch competition, which was moderated by founder and CEO of Green Rush Consulting, Zeta Ceti.
Participants in the Cannabis Business Licensing Bootcamp, a program to help people of color, women, veterans, and small business owners win Missouri cannabis business licenses, were invited to compete for prizes provided by community sponsors including: cannabis business seminars in Oakland, CA donated by Oaksterdam University, memberships to Missouri’s cannabis business trade association were donated by MoCannTrade, and MJBizCon, a series of marijuana professional events, donated registration for its New Orleans conference.
Nine teams presented in front of the crowd and then received critical feedback from a panel of judges.
Competition judges included Charles Wu, cannabis investor and educator who serves as chief revenue officer of Agrinamics and Minorities for Medical Marijuana; Dr. Lance McCarthy, economist and investment advisor who founded Ferguson 1000, an initiative to create jobs in Ferguson, Mo.; Leah Heise, D.C.-based cannabis regulatory compliance attorney; and Derek Mays, corporate lawyer and founder of REAL Cannabis Co.
Event winners included: MajestiKs LLC led by Marne Madison, Live Roots led by Tiffany Brewer, and Pure Leaf Collective led by Taronda Ransom.
After announcing winners of both the raffle and pitch competition, the night ended with live music and dancing. It was a night for the books that brought together cannabis-connoisseurs and canna-curious alike, and set the bar high for forthcoming Missouri cannabis events.
The greatest thing about the event was the diversity participants and attendees that filled the room. People of every gender, race, and age came together for one shared love, cannabis, and one goal – community.
Ignite Missouri was powered by A Red Circle, and Cannabis Doing Good. The event benefited Minorities for Medical Marijuana 501(c)(3) & The Last Prisoner Project.
Pictures via Chris Smith | Agonist™
