Sweet and Sour: Building an Edibles Empire

Nancy Whiteman, CEO of Colorado-based Wana Brands, has been called the “Martha Stewart of Edibles” by Entrepreneur magazine, but her path to becoming the “Queen of Legal Weed” (Inc. Magazine) hasn’t always been easy. In this episode of Seed to CEO, Nancy talks with MJBiz CEO Chris Walsh about how she helped grow Wana Brands from a bootstrapped grassroots cannabis food manufacturer into an edibles empire across North America.

She shares:

• How partnerships with other cannabis companies play a key role in Wana’s expansion strategy.
• How expectations, such as consistency, have evolved alongside the sector.
• How the company has adapted to the constant, rapid changes within the legal cannabis industry.

Who is Nancy Whiteman?

Before founding Wana Brands in 2010, Nancy was a principal with The Whiteman Group, a sales and marketing consultancy, and held a range of senior-level marketing and business-development positions. The shift into cannabis edibles resulted from a casual conversation with an acquaintance, even though Nancy had no experience in the industry or in food manufacturing. But the company she built and the products it creates is now one of the most recognized edibles brands in the U.S. and Canada.