Be Smokey the Bear: How one cannabis CEO stops fires before they start

Scott Kenyon brought decades of tech company and board experience when he joined the board of Würk, a Denver-based payroll and human resources software company serving the cannabis industry. But when Kenyon was suddenly thrust into the CEO role a year-and-a-half ago, he had to switch gears from being an interested advisor to the company pilot. Being a tech industry veteran, Kenyon was somewhat in familiar territory, but this was cannabis, unlike any other industry he’d been in.

What did Scott do?

• Recognized that Würk could longer act like a growing company that could outgrow its problems and had to become a company that confronted its problems.
• Changed processes so the company could go from fighting fires to preventing fires before they happen in the first place.
• Improved documentation and record keeping.
• Don’t hesitate to let go of employees who don’t fit.

Who is Scott Kenyon?

Since February 2021, Scott Kenyon has been the CEO of Würk, a Denver-based payroll and human resources company focused on the cannabis industry. Kenyon broke into the cannabis industry by joining Würk’s board in 2018 and serving as its executive chairman. Before cannabis, Kenyon was a tech industry veteran who spent nearly 14 years in senior managerial positions at Dell, and as COO of Phunware Inc., a mobile device screen company. Kenyon also launched and ran his own sports apparel and footwear business.