Business as Usual: President of Goodblend Pennsylvania

 

 

So good afternoon, everyone. This is Audrey Russo, President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Technology Council, and thrilled at our guests today, each and every day, we're trying to capture what's happening here in Pittsburgh and in the world. And today, this is Pittsburgh focus, I'm pretty excited about our guests who I will formally introduce in a moment, Elizabeth Conway. So before we get started, I want to always, as always give my deep appreciation to Huntington bank for the work that they've done, and continue to do in our community, making sure that we are connected, that we're civically minded and that people support a bank that does a whole lot of things, including, they're one of the most active SBA providers in our region. so thrilled at their long term partnership, and 40 by 80. That's a wholly owned subsidiary of the Pittsburgh Technology Council, which is our 501 c three charitable organization, and you're going to hear more about apprenticeship programs focus on workforce development, as well as entrepreneurship. So, before we get started, I always have to do housekeeping. And the housekeeping is that we have put you on mute, and you can enter questions in the chat, Jonathan will keep his eyes on that. Jonathan kersting, as always, is with us. He's vice president of all things, media and marketing for the Pittsburgh tech Council. And this is not a time to sell your wares. This is a time for us to focus just on our guest. So without further ado, I'm bringing forward Elizabeth Conway, and she is a new pittsburgher, which is something that all of us should applaud. And if it wasn't COVID, I can tell you, we will be connecting her with lots and lots of people. But welcome, Elizabeth. And thank you for joining us today. And welcome to Pittsburgh. So we're gonna start I'm gonna start I always like to know who is the person? So not just your title, a good blend. But who is Elizabeth, tell us a little bit about your journey.

Sure. Well,

thank you first so much, Audrey, for having me. And thank you to the Pittsburgh tech Council. It's such an honor to be here. I'm excited to be part of the community and excited to be talking to you today, I'll share that I came from a background, I started out as a lawyer and very quickly realized that wasn't such a good fit for me. But I worked in healthcare and finance and it in fortune 500 companies. And after starting my own business, I just saw so much opportunity in emerging sectors. I was living in Northern California, right near Silicon Valley where many entrepreneurs were entering into highly regulated spacy spaces. And sometimes when you're first entering you notice that you're either highly regulated or there's no regulation whatsoever. And I was surrounded by cannabis, California had a 25 year experience with cannabis. And as I represented those companies more and more and how they tried to build their business, I realized, wow, this touches on everything that I'm doing from agriculture, to alternative manufacturing, to breaking into markets, talking to government, even to heavy technology, and decided to come into this business and in around 2017.

Wow. So where have you been since 2017? physically located? Yeah, so

I was in Oakland, California for quite some time. And then in 2019, I moved to be the president of parallel, that's our parent, corporations, Florida operation running everything from what we grow to how we produce our products to 39 different retail stores and multiple distribution centers around Florida. And then in late 2020. We had built Florida and really stabilized that market. I moved to do the same thing in Pennsylvania.

So you are living in Pittsburgh now for how long? Well, I've

been here for three months. Since December. Yes.

So you have not experienced spring here yet.

I'm looking out and I'm like, wow, spring is so beautiful. I can tell we're right on the verge of it. I haven't experienced it yet.

Yes. So it's great. This is one of the most beautiful seasons here in Pittsburgh. So how have How has it been being here during COVID and meeting people?

Well, you know, relocating during COVID is very different because I want to get out and get to know our neighborhoods and get to know our restaurants and our businesses. Our business loves to gather people. We love to gather patients and Physicians and we've really not been able to do that kind of gathering and listening. So much of it has been over zoom that I feel like I'm, I'm chomping at the bit to get out there and start to gather folks again, it's it's tough to relocate during COVID. But we're doing it.

Well, no hats off to you. And it's, and soon you will see, we will gather again. And we'll make sure that you stay connected across the community, because that's similar to what we do is making sure that those connections materialize into, you know, business outcomes. So really great that you're here. So let's talk about this major announcement. Let's

talk about good blend and parallel, you know, set the stage for us. So we understand sort of the organization, the mission and the work. Sure. So parallel our parents company was founded in 2014. And we really had a footprint in Florida at that time. We've grown since then, with a mission to pioneer wellbeing and improve the quality of life through the use of cannabinoids. We've grown into five, five states total. We operate in Florida, Texas, Massachusetts, Nevada, and we got a license to operate in Pennsylvania in August of 2020. We're one of the eight what's called clinical research licensees here that means that to do business, we we do grow, manufacture, process, transport and sell cannabis through retail locations. But we also are in partnership with you Pitt to do clinical research on the impact of cannabis and cannabinoids to folks with sickle cell disease, pain, anxiety, sleep disorders, those are just some of the things that we can study together.

And so can you can you just give us the difference of cannabis and cannabinoids, so maybe people can really understand the difference? Yeah.

Thanks for asking that question. Audrey. So cannabis is the the plant hits. Some folks call it marijuana, we'd like to move away from calling it to marijuana to cannabis. And that's the plant itself. cannabinoids are the active ingredients of which there are hundreds inside of the plant. And those are what really creates the different health impacts. You know, maybe some of those are mental, maybe some of those are physical, whether it's pain relief, or sleep or anti anxiety. And some of those are psychoactive effects. And just depending on which of those cannabinoid you pull out, that's what creates those effects. Wow.

So why Pittsburgh? So tell me why Pittsburgh, you talked about, you know, you know, being awarded in 2020, in the middle of COVID, as well. But why Pittsburgh?

Yeah, we strategically chose Pittsburgh, because of the density of the medical sites here, the access to skilled labor. And really, I was looking for a community that folks were ready to be workers in which you've got a great workforce here, as well as some people who maybe had cannabis experience coming from California or Colorado would want to join a vibrant community and we thought Pittsburgh is that place, we are going to predominantly hire local, but definitely in the initial stages, we will bring in sub some subject matter experts around the medicine around the operational facilities around how to grow it, and whether they stay and become part of the community or really help us to learn in this community. We wanted a great place to live and thus far, I've just been so excited. And of course the Commonwealth at large is going to be I think, a great place to cultivate cannabis. And, and and make it a stake in the ground. It's why I'm so excited about where the industry is going. Because, you know, you think about what would happen if, if other other areas knew what was going to happen in Silicon Valley, would they have invested earlier would they have drawn those businesses here and I think that's what cannabis could be in the coming decade.

And so what can you just talk about like what your physical presence is sort of generally and then talk about you know, each aspect of where you Your touch points are is it growing manufacturing dispensary?

Yeah. Right now we're in build phase. These operations are massive, and it can take a minute. We've got a huge construction team out on the north side, building out what was Formerly a giant warehouse space. And that space will be our predominant grow process facility, it'll be the only one for some time. And from there, we will be putting seeds into the ground for an indoor grow, we will take those plants and sometimes we sell those plants as is. Other times we take and manufacture those plants into different products from topicals, to tinctures, to capsules to inhale bubbles. And so there's quite a bit of science as well as manufacturing that goes on out there, we will have lab space, we also do independent lab testing. And the manufacturing side of that will be pretty extensive. So that's one major footprint it will employ in the beginning, probably around 100, but could grow to multiple hundreds of folks. They're across skilled and unskilled labor categories and engineers, trades people. And then we'll have six retail locations across the Commonwealth. One is in Pittsburgh on bomb Boulevard. And that won't open until the grow process opens. The timeline for that is the early summer. And then we'll have other retail facilities also opening in Erie at the same time. And then the last four will be TBD.

Wow. So that's great. So let's talk about the differentiators. Lots of lots of people, lots of companies are entering into this space outside, you know, in places where it's still recreational marijuana is still not legal. But there's been, you know, huge proliferation. And it's hard to discern as a consumer, what the differences are, in terms of everything that's that's coming out. What can you tell us?

Yeah, well, I'll say that one of the differences is some of those companies only operate as maybe a storefront. Some of them only operate as a grower or maybe only operate as a manufacturer. And we do end to end that means we are vertically integrated. It's not that we don't work with other companies. But the capability to do every one of those processes, we think gives us a great level of quality control and integrity to go end to end. We also have a really different store experience. And that's based on this ethos of bringing cannabinoids to everyone. We want to meet people where they are, you know, if you're 110 years old, and this is you've been smoking or, or using topicals for many, many years, we want you to feel comfortable coming into our store, having a conversation and buying something. And if you're a first time patient, and if you wherever you are on your cannabis journey, that's we want those stores to be comfortable environments and trusted environments for you to walk into. So those are two major differentiators. I would say our brands are very reflective of that, too. Whether you are a first timer, we've got a lot of education and support for that. Or whether you really know what you like, you can go directly to a brand that that supports that.

So you're in so parallel has been around for how long though?

So the company was founded as surterra Wellness in 2014. And then grew into parallel as the parent corporation and good blend is how we how we operate as retail locations. So you walk into a store that says good blend over the door.

Okay. Okay. And so we'll keep our eyes open for that in terms of bound Boulevard for sure. And and you seem committed, at least on your website in terms of conversations, you mentioned earlier about community, but also about social equity. And what are some of the examples of that? What does that materially mean? A lot of people use these words freely, and not necessarily gonna not necessarily demonstrate what what that really means. But it seems like that's pervasive in terms of the material that I've read.

For our company. It really is. This is it is a moral, moral and ethical imperative. It does make good business sense. But in cannabis, I think it's Paramount that we remedy the legacy of disparate treatment toward black and brown communities. incarceration, even for a minor cannabis possession charge can set a family back for generations from gaps in income to stigma and shame to the inability to qualify for housing or banking loans and I mean, the loss of a family Member really has deep in intergenerational impacts. And so as we stand up in the legal cannabis business, we want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to participate. We work with groups, including the minority cannabis Business Association, and Canada inclusive. Those are two major groups nationally, that are helping to have expungement clinics as an example, to expunge old minor drug offenses, as well as to provide training to trades folks and diversity communities to assist with licensing. It's incredibly expensive to get into this business. It costs millions and millions. And if we can help with access to that, when everyone comes along, everyone comes along and nobody's you know, it's just really important. We all need to come along together. So

Oh, that's great job and grab a couple of questions. If you weren't, there's a couple of statements and questions.

Absolutely. So good to have you on the show today. Um, Elizabeth, really excited to have you here in such a cool conversation. That's for sure. Um, our first question here wants to know, um, does good blend sell through online channels? And how does online fit into your overall strategy?

Yeah, well, certainly with COVID, everyone's digital strategy has had to step up. And online strategies go. state by state, you know how you're allowed to buy an order online. And when we get set up in our retail locations, you will have access to us digitally. Now. Whether or not you can purchase online is a whole other can of worms because of the way the industry operates largely with cash, but you will be able to do reserve ahead, meaning you'll be able to build a basket and then say, I'll drop in at the store tomorrow or later this afternoon, and pick the products up easily. Okay,

great. Anything else? Jonathan?

some comments here talking about how of cannabis has really changed people's lives for the better. Another question actually just came in right here right now saying, um, do you think CBD proliferation will help stem illegal drug abuse and crime?

So, yeah, CBD proliferation, I would say that all cannabis proliferation helps legal cannabis proliferation helps stem the drug abuse, we've seen some early indications that folks who are addicted to opioids can use cannabis and cannabinoids to move off of the addictive substances and help alleviate their pain and their sleep issues. So you know, that's one one way that we have an impact. The other way we have an impact is when you have a legal act, legal access to cannabis, folks do tend to convert from buying it on the street or buying it from neighbors or from unknown sources to Hey, I actually want to know what's in this. I want to know that it was tested that it went through rigorous production protocols and got into a package and there's nothing else in there that I don't know about. So in that way, we do see a conversion where there's a tipping point and the legal market will take over, or I should say the regulated market will take over.

That makes a lot of sense. Another question just came in wanting to know will good blend be able to deliver curbside?

Yes, we do curbside services in all of the locations where we we operate. And our understanding is at least during COVID that curbside is allowed here. And so we're making plans to have that.

So despite the federal government's treatment of this product, or of all these these plants on products, there's actually some amazing r&d that's going on, and even locally. So can you talk about your involvement in these research projects? I believe that you have relationship with the University of Pittsburgh?

Yes, correct. So in order to be a clinical research licensed entity in the Commonwealth, we do have a affiliation with the University of Pittsburgh. And to do that we're at the early stages, but the research is being set up largely around sickle cell disease, which is an incredibly painful disease. And you know, folks who suffer from that amount of pain also have anxiety that's often associated with that and inability to sleep so you can prove out multiple knock on effects with a population that suffering with sickle cell disease. We've given you pit a an initial unrestricted $3 million grant You get this research off the ground, and are very excited, because with that panel, it will have other indications including around using those heavier medications for pain, as well as those other impacts. At least that's what we that's what we hope. And the research is I'd like I'd like to call it a snowflake on the tip of an iceberg. That's how much there is out there. Because you know, with hundreds of cannabinoids in this plant, then there are effects we don't even know about. Right.

And so the University of Pittsburgh, they have they have the ability to do research in sickle cell and other pain related diseases or situations.

Yeah, because because, you know, clinical research is something they really specialize in. They could do a variety of different indications and studies around cannabinoids with us. We've started here because because of their expertise in sickle cell disease, and we just think that that's a great place to have an immediate impact on a community that has really been suffering for a long time.

No, that's great. There are a few other questions, Jonathan,

isn't really going to come in here. I just love these conversations.

that you all are way better to talk to than like law enforcement, who I ended up talking to police forces about the benefits here. And I ended up talking to government and this is a lot of fun. Thank you for how thoughtful. You all are.

We appreciate that. Absolutely. So Craig Prince wants to know, how do we get the industry to work with doctors as a safe alternative to pain medication?

Yeah, well, Pennsylvania has a phenomenal network of over 1500. And building physician partners to this industry. Doctors have to take a certification course I believe in many states and Commonwealth they do in order to understand the use of cannabis and cannabinoids with their patients, but then they can register and work with their patients, as you know, complimentary or alternative modalities to alleviate pain, help with sleep. Yeah, reduce inflammation or anxiety. And so it's out there, the Department of Health website tells you all about how to do it. We also once we get run it up and running. We'll be doing physician education programs and partnering more deeply with community by community physician groups to help get the word out there answer questions work together.

Here's a great question. This is such a such a big issue is how do you manage the cash aspect of this business right now?

Well, for those of you who don't know, because of federal banking rules, it's very difficult to have bank accounts and do traditional credit card transactions in this industry. And that creates issues of safety for all of us. Certainly, we can do it. But we have extra layers of security at every touch point. And we have to do cash transactions, all of our locations have ATM machines in them. So that folks who walk up to a register and think they might be able to use a credit card, quickly say Aha, I've got to go to the ATM and and pay cash there. But we really hope that the federal government will change that rule soon because nobody wants an all cash industry.

Right. Right. Right.

And so, about hiring, when when we can expect for people to be able to apply for jobs with good blend.

Oh my gosh. Now this is one of my favorite questions. So right now we have jobs posted on our parent corporation website. Maybe someone could put this in the chat. I will. But do you mind if I say the website? Yeah. Okay, at www dot live parallel l IV, parallel one thread.com. forward slash careers. We don't have a lot posted yet. But if you set that as a bookmark every day, we're really bringing on incrementally more and more. We're also reaching out through neighborhood councils, University of Pittsburgh, the bidwill training center to get jobs and at our construction facility. were in touch with multiple trade organizations to bring folks to work in in that facility through our construction partners. But that that site WWW dot live parallel.com forward slash careers. You can filter according to Pittsburgh or Pennsylvania and scroll down and see what's there at any given day but we will be putting posting those quite intensively over the coming weeks.

Okay, so I guess I'll grab this one Jonathan little good health insurance cover CBD services.

Unfortunately, most health insurance does not cover reimbursement for cannabis. And there are some alternative supplemental policies out there that will reimburse for these kinds of therapies. But right now it's not. It's not allowed because it's not on. It's not federally federally authorized. drug. Okay.

And then what about some research someone asked about the research in? I call it as but you could probably say it better than I can see it, it's called. I know, it's very painful.

Is it maybe als?

it? No, it's calling Thank you loosing spondylitis.

There you go. That sounds pretty good. Well, I

will say, yeah, that the the results that folks report on any painful condition, I mean, whether it's shingles, or arthritis, and lupus, that those results, you should talk to your doctor. But we do see and hear so many reports that those painful conditions are alleviated somewhat through the use of cannabis and cannabinoids.

And so, someone mentioned in here, Matt, about cash. You've seen? What about debit cards? He's seeing some movement towards debit cards?

Yeah, there are ways to use debit cards, you know, because that's not a credit situation, then many folks will use debit cards the same as you'd use them as at the ATM in a location, you may have a point of sale debit card as an option. There's also another, there are other great companies that offer services to do this that are essentially a debit transaction.

So not like an intermediary. Okay, so Bitcoin, right?

There are those as well. We don't we don't do Bitcoin transactions yet. But we're just we're growing so fast, you never know.

Right? And so in all the states that you're in, or the states that you're in have legalized recreational marijuana,

we've not all of them. I know. Texas, Florida, and Pennsylvania, are all medical only. And then Massachusetts and Nevada have mixed medical and adult use markets.

Well, listen, you are obviously bullish on Pittsburgh and on Pennsylvania. So we, we thank you for your interest in our community. I think it's important for people to get educated, and to understand more and more about the cannabinoids in cannabis, etc. But you can hear from our audience today that we have a lot of interest in, in you know, the use of and and what that means. So we are thrilled that you're here in Pittsburgh and that you made this move in the middle of COVID. And so what's the one thing that surprised you forget, forget COVID for a minute, what's the one thing that surprised you about Pittsburgh?

I love the architecture and the murals as I go around. I'll also say I was born and raised in Louisiana. And I went to school in Boston, and I hated the snow. And I have loved the snow. So I've surprised myself in Pittsburgh, but Pittsburgh has surprised me with the architecture and the

art. Right? So just wait till the restaurants open up and go to the museums. And you see the beginning of a music scene. And I think you'll be really really surprised cannot wait. So Jonathan. I think that's it in the questions. Right.

We are all clear.

And Elizabeth Conway, welcome to Pittsburgh. We're glad to have you. We will stay connected. appreciate you taking the time to be on this show today. And who do we have tomorrow Jonathan

promises showed up lots and lots of money given out to for for for college kids to pursue their dreams. It's really cool stuff. Can't wait to learn more about it.

It's great people are saying on here. You will love Pittsburgh. How about that?

I know it I know. And I can't wait. Thank you all for such a warm welcome in such an amazing community show. Like, this is so good. I can't wait to listen in.

Thank you stay safe, and we will see each other face to face sooner than we think. Yes, absolutely, Audrey. Thank

you.

Uh huh. Thanks, everyone. And we will see you here tomorrow. Have a great rest of your day.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai