The Portland chapter of the organization Women Grow will be having their launch event tomorrow, along with many other chapters across the country. I’m particularly excited about the Portland Chapter because I know many people that are going to be involved with it, and I have to say, they are some very, very talented women. I’m honored to call them my colleagues and friends.
The event is sold out, and for those that were smart and lucky enough to get a ticket, I tip my hat to you. I can assure you, you are going to have an amazing time. Part of their event will be a panel discussion about the growing marijuana industry in Oregon. Below are the panelists, and a brief bio about each of them:
Tina Cox
Cannabis Educator
, Agronomist and I502 Producer Processor
Tina grew up and began cultivating cannabis in Santa Barbara on the 500-acre avocado farm owned by her family. Her food cultivation experience carried her into farming in Eastern Washington and inspired her interest in cultivating medical cannabis. She gained her I502 license in 2014 after years of working diligently to further the march towards legalization in her state. As a member of Women Grow Seattle, CCSE, MJBA and WCA, Tina speaks and writes regularly for several cannabis groups on subjects ranging from regulation to manufacturing and production.
Ellen Flenniken
Deputy Director of Development, Drug Policy Alliance
Ellen Flenniken is the Deputy Director of Development, and is responsible for the cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of major gifts to support the mission of the Drug Policy Alliance. Before joining DPA, Ellen worked as a political campaign manager and fundraiser. She acted as Finance Director for Oregon’s Yes on 91 campaign to regulate, legalize and tax marijuana. Formerly, Ellen was Campaign Manager for Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), and Deputy Finance Director at Oregon United for Marriage. She received her B.A. in political science and Mandarin Chinese from Middlebury College. Ellen’s extensive experience and active political involvement demonstrate her substantial contributions to the cannabis industry.
Genny Kiley
Attorney/Shareholder, Emerge Law Group
Co-founder of Emerge Law Group, Genny Kiley focuses her practice on business and corporate law. She has extensive experience assisting clients with business structuring, entity formation, mergers and acquisitions, corporate securities, and commercial loan transactions. In the past, Genny served as Senior Counsel at Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, P.C., one of the largest firms in Oregon. She was also an adjunct professor at the University of Oregon School of Law for three years. Genny continues to serve as a member of the Board of Directors for both the Oregon Asian Pacific American Bar Association and We Love Clean Rivers, a non-profit committed to turning restoration into recreation. Specializing in franchise law and alcohol regulatory law, Genny offers a unique perspective when advising clients in the cannabis industry. She also provides valuable assistance with compliance and license applications.
ABOUT WOMEN GROW
Women Grow is a national network educating, empowering and connecting women in the cannabis industry through monthly networking events, national conferences and shining a spotlight on aspiring and established women leaders in the cannabis industry. The organization welcomes women entrepreneurs at all stages of business development from within the many sectors of the industry including cultivation, sales, advocacy, investment and ancillary businesses such as legal advocacy and representation, medicine, marketing, and others. Women Grow currently has chapters in Anchorage, AK; Albuquerque, NM; Asheville, NC; the Bay Area, CA; Boston, MA; Boulder, CO; Chicago, IL; Guam; Denver, CO; Houston, TX; Long Beach, CA; Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; Phoenix, AZ; Seattle, WA; and Western MA/Albany, NY. Visit WomenGrow.com to learn more about the organization, locate or apply to start a chapter, and tap into the organization’s knowledge base and speaker’s bureau.
