C3 Video No. 7: Blunt Brunch

Phoenix-based Adelia Carrillo and Parisa Mansouri-Rad from Blunt Brunch join Higher Learning LV's Curt Robbins in Las Vegas and Alana Armstrong from the Alan Aldous PR agency in Toronto for an educational 20-minute interview aimed at professionals in the cannabis industry.

Adelia Carrillo and Parisa Mansouri-Rad of Blunt Brunch

Carrillo and Mansouri-Rad share their histories and what brought them to integrate cannabis into their personal lives and then take the leap of working full-time in the cannabis industry. Blunt Brunch is an organization they founded to provide networking, education, and mentoring opportunities for female executives in the cannabis industry.

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The Interview

Higher Learning LV: "What inspired each of you to join the high-risk and often derided cannabis industry? What sparked your passion?"

Adelia Carrillo: "It all began through my own life experience that sparked the passion. I was building a career in the consumer electronics industry, when my life changed overnight. I was pregnant and ran into health issues that led to an emergency surgery.

"It took me over a year to mentally and physically recover from that. And the real healing impact was because of cannabis. Once I saw the medicinal benefits and impact it had in my life, I knew I wanted to help bring awareness to this plant.

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"I started researching the industry and looking at the areas to which I could bring my skillsets. I launched my first business, which was a digital news network called Direct Cannabis Network covering the latest tech, startups, and entrepreneurs. I always had a passion for this plant and wanted to keep the heart and community inclusion along the way.

"After six years of building that business, I had to make the difficult decision to close the company. This led to me taking the CMO and co-founder position with a cool tech company called EventHi, an online ticketing platform catering to the cannabis culture...a company that aligned with my mission and values and kept me on-path with my passion."

Parisa Mansouri-Rad: "I initially got into the cannabis industry looking for alternative medicine solutions for my daughter Yasmine (Yazy). Yazy had spinal fusion surgery to correct her scoliosis and it left her with a rare, life-threatening condition characterized by chronic abdominal pain. "With wanting to stay away from pharmaceuticals that were making her sick, I found cannabis to be therapeutic and the healing properties enable her to live a happy and healthy life. I'm now known as the Marijuana Momma and the president of Fourtwenty Collections and co-founder of Blunt Brunch."

Blunt Brunch in Phoenix, Arizona

HLLV: "Some claim that the new cannabis industry provides more opportunities for women than some traditional legacy industries. What are your opinions of the real state of affairs for women executives in the rapidly emerging cannabis industry?"

AC: "Although I believe this is true to some extent, over the past few years, with recreational cannabis, I also have seen the hardships and loss of many female entrepreneurs who have not been able to survive in this new market due to trouble accessing capital, licenses, and placement in dispensaries. "We have a long way to go. It takes collaboration, raising awareness, and building standards within the industry. With Blunt Brunch, we are on a mission to help make a positive impact for women in this space and are proud to see many other businesses and organizations following suit."

PMR: "Late in 2021, MJBizDaily released a report stating minority women executives in the cannabis industry declined between the years of 2019 and 2021—whereas the industry overall grew tremendously during the same period. "It is important to understand the benefits that women bring to the industry. There are some of us, like myself, who have been in the industry for several years. We understand the intricacies of the industry. I always say there is room for everyone at the table. I will continue to build up the women of cannabis!"

Blunt Brunch is about social networking for female executives

HLLV: "Blunt Brunch came out of nowhere and became hyper-popular with female executives in the cannabis industry, particularly those in Phoenix, where the organization originated. How are you planning to take Blunt Brunch nationwide in 2022, making it available to a larger group of female cannabis industry executives?"

AC: "It has been such an amazing experience to see how something so organic turned into this thriving community of female executives in cannabis. Every day, I am grateful to see this community grow. I'm also excited to share that we are taking Blunt Brunch on the road! "We will be hosting four Blunt Brunch events with a modernized twist where we will incorporate a B2B and B2C approach within a single event. Stay tuned; we will be announcing the dates soon for Chicago, California, Arizona, and Nevada.

"Along with our traveling series, I am so excited to share that we also just announced the opportunity for individuals and companies to co-host Blunt Brunch Socials in their own city! Those interested in learning more should visit www. Bluntbrunch.com and fill out our Become a Co-host form."

Parisa Mansouri-Rad

PMR: "We are so excited with what we have planned for the future of Blunt Brunch. In 2022, Blunt Brunch will be hosting quarterly events in different cities around the US, in addition to our regular monthly meetings. We are so excited to expand our network to other women professionals who have shown interest in what we have going in Arizona. "To make Blunt Brunch available for women in other cities, we have created a program we are launching where women in other markets are able to contact us to host their own Blunt Brunch events and expand their network. If you're interested in hosting your own Blunt Brunch, learning more, or want to sponsor, please visit our website."

HLLV: "You both bring some serious event planning skills to the game. What is your approach toward crafting events that truly educate industry executives and facilitate fluid networking and mentoring?"

AC: "First off, thank you for the kind words. It is a team effort that manifests as every experience we make. I am honored to have a business partner like Parisa. For me, I have always loved attending and hosting events that focus on an experience, an activity, or a social component that makes the event stand out.

Adelia Carrillo

"As an event host, I strive to focus on all the details—from the appetizers to the decor to the lighting and music. But these elements are not everything! You want that experience to begin as soon as they register for a ticket, throughout the event itself, and even after. "What I love within Blunt Brunch is our Blunt Conversations. We provide a safe space for female executives in the cannabis industry to share and discuss topics that we may not be able to discuss in front of our male counterparts. This allows those in the room to learn, discuss, and share insights so that everyone goes home feeling more empowered and informed. They all know that they are not alone on their journey of building a successful cannabis business."

PMR: "I am very passionate about bringing people together with a fun and entertaining approach. To achieve this, I hone in on events I personally would like to attend. Our mission at every Blunt Brunch event is to create meaningful and memorable conversations and relationships.

"With my background as co-market leader of WomenGrow Phoenix, I have been able to utilize my experience with planning events on a national scale and implement those skills into what we are trying to accomplish with Blunt Brunch. People want to be highlighted, appreciated, and celebrated. Those are all things we strive for in our modernized networking approach at Blunt Brunch."

Like what you just read? Check out our new Cannabis for Cancer Hub that features links to all of our articles about marijuana for cancer.