{"id":11026,"date":"2026-02-17T18:03:16","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T18:03:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cannabisindustryjournal.com\/?post_type=news_article&amp;p=38466"},"modified":"2026-02-17T18:03:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T18:03:16","slug":"jersey-girls-bring-down-the-house-at-igniteit-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/jersey-girls-bring-down-the-house-at-igniteit-event\/","title":{"rendered":"Jersey Girls Bring Down the House At IgniteIt\u00a0Event"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"wp_fb_like_button\" style=\"margin:5px 0 5px 5px;float:right;height:100px;\"><script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/jersey-girls-bring-down-the-house-at-igniteit-event\/\" send=\"true\" layout=\"standard\" width=\"450\" show_faces=\"false\" font=\"arial\" action=\"like\" colorscheme=\"light\"><\/fb:like><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/jersey-girls-bring-down-the-house-at-igniteit-event.png\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">There was passion, power, and plenty of practical business advice from the women (and one man) who took the stage at the recent IgniteIt event in New Jersey. As the industry shifts away from the early \u201cshiny-object\u201d phase, operators are increasingly doubling down on what works. A few years ago, the prevailing growth strategy was to go wide, not deep. Today, that mindset has changed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Miss Grass CEO Kate Miller said the company is prioritizing focus over expansion for expansion\u2019s sake. \u201cWe are focusing on what\u2019s working,\u201d she explained. \u201cMore specifically, we are investing in our priority markets.\u201d While the brand currently operates in eight states, Miller noted they no longer treat every market equally; instead, they concentrate resources on their top performers rather than spreading themselves too thin.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Find Your Partner and Do-si-do<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Faye Coleman, CEO of Pure Genesis Dispensary, emphasized that success in cannabis rarely happens alone. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to stand alone and fight this battle,\u201d she said, encouraging operators to think creatively about partnerships as stepping stones to growth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cSometimes your retailer is your partner. Sometimes your vendor is your partner, your ancillaries are your partner, even your insurance carrier is your partner,\u201d she explained. \u201cAll those partnerships do exist.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Coleman also stressed the importance of flexibility. While waiting for their dispensary application to move forward, she and her team pivoted into beverages to generate revenue and maintain momentum.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Angela Brown, CEO of Coast Cannabis, agreed that partnerships are essential for survival and expansion, particularly given federal restrictions. \u201cThe idea of shipping across state lines is a dream we all have, but not a reality,\u201d she said, noting that collaboration is often the only viable path to multi-state growth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">From a manufacturing perspective, S<\/span>?<span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">RSE Technology CEO Howard Lee said he still considers New Jersey an emerging market and has seen similar cycles before. Early entrants often arrive flush with enthusiasm and capital, but many fail to survive. \u201cYou go through this first wave of very enthusiastic partners\u2026 many don\u2019t make it,\u201d he said. \u201cThen you find the partners who have survived the chaff \u2014 and that\u2019s when the relationship really starts to work.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Roz McCarthy, CEO of Black Buddha, added that not all partnerships need to be perfectly balanced to be valuable. She compared them to a dance \u2014 one that requires testing the chemistry before committing. \u201cMaybe it isn\u2019t a 50-50 split in Jersey,\u201d she said, \u201cbut the relationship can create opportunities that push your business to another level.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">During negotiations, Coleman stressed the importance of defining and enforcing non-negotiables. \u201cHow do you make certain that they understand and respect the agreement? You put clauses in for when they break it. That\u2019s what you do,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">She also underscored the importance of mindset in choosing partners: \u201cThere are three types \u2014 survival, thriving, and winning. Get with the builders and the winners. Don\u2019t let people waste your time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Exit Strategy Many Operators Forget<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Lee also offered a cautionary tale about partnership risks, warning operators not to overlook exit terms. He shared that his company once accepted a major investment in exchange for territorial exclusivity, only to become locked into a stagnant relationship for two years when the partner failed to execute.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cWe never negotiated a strong exit,\u201d he said. \u201cWe couldn\u2019t buy back the exclusivity or unwind the agreement, and it cost us millions in lost revenue.\u201d His advice: always ensure contracts include clear pathways to terminate or restructure partnerships if they stall.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Where Outsourcing Saves Money\u2014and Where It Doesn\u2019t<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">As new operators continue to enter the market, outsourcing has become an increasingly popular strategy to reduce barriers to entry. But the panelists were quick to point out that outsourcing isn\u2019t a one-size-fits-all solution\u2014and without proper planning, it can quietly erode the margins operators are trying to protect.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Lee encouraged new businesses to consider outsourcing to established, large companies. \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid of established large businesses that have enormous resources,\u201d he said. Co-packers and packaging companies with mature R&amp;D and quality teams can be valuable partners, particularly for operators who aren\u2019t yet ready to build those capabilities in-house. The key, he argued, is to use those relationships as learning opportunities, not just as cost-cutting measures.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">For operators trying to gauge when it makes sense to invest in headcount versus outsourcing, Lee offered a straightforward metric: revenue per employee. \u201cJust divide your revenue by the number of employees,\u201d he said. \u201cAt some point, it\u2019s going to make sense to invest in people to do that job, but you won\u2019t know it until you have revenue per employee.\u201d In today\u2019s capital-constrained environment, that discipline is essential. \u201cTen years ago, capital was easy. You could hire a bunch of people. But now you really have to manage\u2014can I outsource it before I get more capital?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Coleman urged operators to tap their professional networks before selecting outsourcing partners. \u201cWe\u2019re leaning on each other to give those recommendations, because let\u2019s face it, we\u2019re a small industry,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">But beyond finding the right vendor, she stressed that operators must first understand their own businesses before outsourcing anything.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cWhat you own is your competitive advantage,\u201d Coleman explained. \u201cI would say the first question you need to ask is: have you done an inventory of your business to understand where you need to outsource, what you need to own, and what you need to park on.\u201d Too often, she cautioned, operators chase a specific opportunity without adequately assessing their financial models, growth pace, or capital runway. \u201cHave you done the right financial modeling to make certain that if you outsource, you\u2019re going to make the margin? Or if you grow too fast, do you have the capital budget to keep pace?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Where Innovation Really Comes From<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cThe innovation comes from all sorts of places,\u201d Lee reflected. \u201cThe first thing is, you gotta listen to your gut\u2014and at the same time, you gotta listen to your team.\u201d He agreed, data matters, but so do the delivery drivers and frontline employees who hear directly from customers every day. When you have no data, follow your instincts. When people tell you what they want, listen to them.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">AI as a Business Tool\u2014Not a Business Strategy<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Several panelists pointed to artificial intelligence as a growing force in their operations, though they were careful to distinguish between using AI as a tool and letting it drive the business.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">McCarthy shared how Black Buddha recently partnered with an AI engineer to build a custom real-time dashboard that pulls market data and synthesizes it into actionable intelligence. \u201cWhen you\u2019re cash-deficient and don\u2019t have unlimited resources, you have to make smart decisions about where you\u2019re spending your time,\u201d she explained. The dashboard now gives her visibility into New Jersey\u2019s top retailers, their spending by product category, competitor pricing, and sales velocity\u2014all in real time. \u201cThat\u2019s going to be the dagger for me to outperform what I did last year,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Brown echoed the sentiment, noting that AI has become a company-wide initiative at Coast Cannabis heading into 2026. \u201cIf you are going to grow into multiple marketplaces and utilize partnerships, you have to understand the data for each one of those states,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s impossible off the top of your head to know everything in five markets, eight markets.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Coleman offered up caution, \u201cAI is great as a tool,\u201d she said. \u201cBe careful, it does not lead to the innovation of the business.\u201d She believes that operators who let algorithms chart their course risk losing the human judgment that built their brands in the first place. She also tied AI adoption to team quality. \u201cDoes your team poke holes in your strategy consistently? If they do not, you have the wrong team. There\u2019s nothing like having everybody say okay\u2014that\u2019s when you know you\u2019re already dead.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Portfolio Strategy: Margin Drivers vs. Brand Builders<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Brown stressed the difference between assessing margin drivers versus your brand builders. For her company, data and customer feedback have guided product development, particularly in understanding what works for most consumers in categories such as sleep-focused edibles.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">At the same time, Faye Coleman cautioned that while AI can enhance decision-making, it should never replace human leadership or strategic thinking in identifying opportunities and challenging assumptions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Finally, Kate Miller noted that innovation increasingly involves structuring diverse product tiers \u2014 from premium, high-margin offerings to value products \u2014 while balancing working capital constraints. Panelists also highlighted flexible deal structures, such as revenue-share models, as innovative financial strategies that enable brands to scale without overextending resources.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">When Working Capital Is the Bottleneck, Consider a Hybrid Model<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">McCarthy closed the discussion with a candid account of a costly lesson in working capital management. Early in Black Buddha\u2019s brand journey, she took on contract manufacturing deals she couldn\u2019t sustain. \u201cI lost money, I lost credibility, I lost opportunity,\u201d she said plainly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">An investor reviewing her financials encouraged her to consider revenue-sharing and royalty models as strategies, particularly for brands building market traction without deep capital reserves. Under this approach, the manufacturing partner absorbs the operational load while the brand focuses on driving sales velocity and expanding retail presence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cDon\u2019t feel like it has to be one versus the other,\u201d McCarthy urged. \u201cThere could be a hybrid.\u201d A brand might use revenue-share arrangements in new markets to establish traction, then layer in co-manufacturing deals in markets where they\u2019ve already proven demand to preserve capital while building the distribution footprint needed to scale.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled\">\n<div class=\"robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon-text sd-sharing\">\n<h3 class=\"sd-title\">Share this:<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There was passion, power, and plenty of practical business advice from the women (and one man) who took the stage at the recent IgniteIt event in New Jersey. As the industry shifts away from the early \u201cshiny-object\u201d phase, operators are increasingly doubling down on what works. A few years ago, the prevailing growth strategy was [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10978,10934,5062,10979,10910,9290,10851,10980,9,10981,69,8504,8554,10982,6845,10983,1,3,61,1736],"tags":[10984,10935,5063,10985,10914,9295,10852,10986,10987,2648,8530,8576,10988,6846,10989],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11026"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11026"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11026\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11026"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}