Join us for a live Q&A based solely on finding your “in” to the cannabis industry. This quick, 20-minute session will allow attendees to ask questions directly to industry experts about navigating an entry into the industry. Learn more about this session’s moderators below:

Kurt Kaufmann is the Director of Strategic Accounts at Chicago-based Seed Talent, a premier cannabis staffing and education firm. He joins Seed Talent after a successful career with Green Thumb Industries, and his broad set of experiences include managing tens of millions of dollars in wholesale sales, developing a compliant system for the transition from a medical-only market to one of the most robust adult-use programs in the country, launching GTI’s nationally-recognized internship program, leading the formation a data-driven customer service department, and spearheading GTI’s effort on corporate product and cannabis training.

Shawnee Williams is the co-founder at Illinois Equity Staffing, a minority, disabled and woman-owned business based in Chicago, that supports the cannabis industry in education, job placement, human resources, payroll and social equity & diversity compliance. Shawnee and her business partner Lynette Johnson founded Illinois Equity Staffing because they understood the barriers to entry for lower and middle class people, minorities and women in the cannabis industry. Both women possess the Corporate America background, meaning they understand the pain points of this population, as they both grew up in disproportionately impacted areas and are minority women. It’s this perspective that has allowed Illinois Equity Staffing to bridge the gap and create a more equitable cannabis industry in Illinois. Shawnee works in cannabis education as a responsible vendor with Governor’s State University, Joliet Junior College and Olive Harvey.