Female and minority founders face unique challenges in cannabis fundraising. But preparation is everything, and knowing what to do after you secure funding is just as critical as getting it.

This isn't just another cannabis funding webinar. This is a practical two-part playbook: how to position yourself for funding success as a woman or minority entrepreneur, and how to turn that capital into sustainable revenue once you have it.

What You'll Learn

Cannabis Funding Prep for Women & Minority Entrepreneurs

• How to position your business for funding success as a woman or minority entrepreneur
• What investors are actually looking for (and common misconceptions)
• Building your network and leveraging community for funding opportunities
• Lessons from raising capital for Event and building Blunt Brunch
• Resources and programs specifically for women and minority cannabis entrepreneurs
• How to tell your story in a way that resonates with funders

Post-Funding Execution Strategy for Cannabis Startups

• What to do in the first 90 days after securing capital
• Turning investment into revenue: prioritizing your spend
• Common mistakes that drain your runway (and how to avoid them)
• Building a marketing and growth strategy that delivers ROI
• Creating systems and processes that scale
• How Ernest's incubator helps BIPOC entrepreneurs execute after receiving grants

The Full Picture This conversation covers both sides of the funding equation: getting ready to raise capital as a female or minority founder, and executing effectively once you have it. Whether you're pre-funding or post-funding, you'll walk away with actionable guidance.

Why This Matters Now

• Women receive only 2.3% of venture capital funding across all industries
• Minority founders face even steeper odds in securing traditional funding
• The cannabis funding gap is wider for female and BIPOC entrepreneurs
• Most founders who secure capital struggle with execution and burn through their runway
• Having a clear post-funding playbook is the difference between success and failure

Who Should Attend

• Cannabis entrepreneurs seeking funding
• Founders who've raised capital but need execution guidance
• Women and BIPOC entrepreneurs navigating funding challenges

What to Expect

This is a live, interactive conversation. We'll cover real challenges, real solutions, and leave time for your questions. You'll walk away with:

✓ A clear understanding of funding options available today
✓ Practical next steps based on your business stage
✓ Insights from entrepreneurs who've successfully navigated this journey
✓ Resources and connections to explore further

Want more great cannabis marketing tips?!

Join thousands of others and gain access to exclusive cannabis marketing content, timely regulatory news, and advertising support: www.mediajel.com/cannabis-business-resource/

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State market maturity determines your cannabis marketing strategy. What works in an early-stage market won’t work in a mature or highly competitive environment. As cannabis market growth accelerates across the U.S., operators need a 2026-ready strategy that adapts to each stage of maturity.

This webinar breaks down the essential frameworks for three distinct maturity tiers:

• Pre-Launch & New Markets: Build the right foundation before your doors open and avoid costly early mistakes.
• Growth Markets: Scale smart as competition heats up, regulations stabilize, and dispensary growth accelerates.
• Mature Markets: Cut through the noise and capture market share in crowded states

Who Needs a 2026 Cannabis Marketing Strategy?

• Dispensary Owners & Operators planning expansion or looking to optimize current markets
• MSO Marketing Teams managing multi-state campaigns across varying regulations
• Cannabis Brand Marketers navigating retailer relationships and direct-to-consumer strategies
• New Market Entrants preparing to launch in emerging markets‍
• Marketing Directors seeking compliant, measurable strategies to justify their budget

Markets: CA, CO, WA, OR, MI

When everyone's advertising, how do you stand out in 2026?

In mature markets, the rules have changed. You're no longer competing on novelty; you're competing on precision, brand loyalty, and operational excellence. This section of the webinar focuses on advanced cannabis marketing strategy principles designed for high-density, high-competition environments.

Learn How To:

• Leverage advanced audience segmentation beyond basic demographics
• Optimize your marketing mix when CTV, DOOH, and digital all compete for budget
• Build defensible competitive moats through data and customer retention
• Use predictive analytics to identify your highest-value customers

Key Discussion Topics:

• How mature operators are approaching cannabis budget allocation for 2026
• The shift from acquisition-first to retention-first strategies
• Competitive positioning when 10+ dispensaries are within 5 miles
• Attribution modeling in states with established e-commerce ecosystems

You've won a license in a new state. Now what?

Expanding into a new market is expensive and risky. The operators who succeed enter with a clear go-to-market plan that accounts for local regulations, competitive dynamics, and customer education needs.

Learn How To:

• Conduct rapid competitive analysis, including product mix and pricing vs competitors
• Build compliant pre-launch awareness campaigns
• Build strong merchandising and brand foundations before scaling media
• Prioritize marketing channels based on state-specific regulations
• Establish measurement frameworks from day one

Key Discussion Topics:

Want more great cannabis marketing tips?!

Join thousands of others and gain access to exclusive cannabis marketing content, timely regulatory news, and advertising support: www.mediajel.com/cannabis-business-resource/

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Most dispensaries think retention lives at the register.

Loyalty points. SMS offers. BOGO deals.
Short-term lifts that quietly train customers to wait for the next discount.

But real retention does not happen at checkout.
It happens between visits.

Between visits is where preference forms.
Where trust compounds.
Where customers decide who they come back to before they ever open a menu.

In this session, we unpack how Mary & Main has built repeat demand by focusing on culture, staff empowerment, and community experience instead of racing to the bottom on price.

Join Jael Harris, Chief Creative Strategist at MORE Media Co and Brand Marketing Manager at Mary & Main, for a candid breakdown of what retention really looks like when it is driven by connection, not coupons.

This is not a loyalty program talk.
This is about what customers remember, feel, and talk about after they leave and before they return.

Because cannabis customer retention is not a transaction.
It is a relationship carried forward.

‍

What “Between Visits” Actually Means

Between visits is everything that shapes a customer’s next decision before they walk back into the store.

Not the receipt.
Not the POS.
Not a punch card.

It is:

• How staff made them feel the last time they were there
• Whether the brand shows up in their community authentically
• How culture and education replace pressure and upsells
• Whether the experience gives them something to identify with, not just something to buy

Mary & Main has proven that when you build preference, retention follows naturally and price sensitivity drops.

‍What You Will Learn

• Why discount-driven loyalty programs cap long-term growth
• How culture and staff autonomy directly impact repeat behavior
• How to think about retention as influence, not incentives

If you are tired of discounting your way to repeat visits and want to build a dispensary retention strategy that protects margin, this session is for you.

Want more great cannabis marketing tips?!

Join thousands of others and gain access to exclusive cannabis marketing content, timely regulatory news, and advertising support: www.mediajel.com/cannabis-business-resource/

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MediaJel

Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/mediajel/

Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mediajel/

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Let's strategize about your business: www.mediajel.com/contact-us/