ABout US

Company

Going on our 5th year of business, BIPOCann is a Denver-based company that helps social equity and minority entrepreneurs and business owners accelerate their growth in the cannabis industry.

We assist licensed cannabis businesses, service-based businesses, and new entrepreneurs from entry to expansion.

Through our membership network, growth programs, and consulting services, BIPOCann clients have secured grants, contracts, partnerships, speaking engagements, media coverage, and market expansion.

Our partnerships have also been instrumental in shaping a more accessible and equitable cannabis industry. From state contracts that provide social equity mentorship and technical assistance, to launching diversity and scholarship programs at national cannabis conferences, BIPOCann has removed barriers to business growth for hundreds of minority, women, and social equity-licensed business owners across the United States. 

cannabis diversity plan
Leadership

Ernest Toney (founder & CEO) leads BIPOCann’s strategic efforts to improve equitable representation for BIPOC entrepreneurs and business owners in the cannabis industry’s state-legal markets.

Under his leadership, BIPOCann has been a state contractor to deliver mentorship and technical assistance programs for Colorado’s Office of Economic Development & International Trade since 2022, and was recently selected as a service provider for Maryland’s Office of Social Equity. Through his advocacy, Ernest has helped several social equity licensees secure contracts, and he established partnerships that helped more than 200 minority and social equity-licensed businesses access full scholarships to the cannabis industry’s leading conferences and networking events.

BIPOCann has been featured in Bloomberg, Benzinga, MJBizDaily, Yahoo! Finance, and has been nominated for numerous prestigious awards, including the EMJAY International Cannabis “Advocacy Group of the Year” Award in 2023.

Speaking & Presentations

2024

  • CANNRA – External Stakeholder Meeting (Minneapolis)
    Panelist, “Supporting the Lifecycle of an Equity Licensee
  • MCBA’s Equity Workshop Tour (Denver)
    Panelist – Local and State Regulators and Advocates

2023

  • MJBizCon (Las Vegas)
    Moderator, “Creating and Sustaining a Just & Equitable Cannabis Industry”
  • Cannabis Quality Conference & Expo (Parsippany, NJ)
    Moderator, “Economic Equity: Brand Building, Strategic Partnerships & Growth in Cannabis”
  • Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference (Chicago)
    Moderator, “Social Equity Stories: What Worked and What Didn’t”
  • Cannabis Opportunities & Social Equity Town Hall (Seattle)
    Panelist, “Uplifting BlPOC: What’s Working Nationally in the Cannabis Industry”
  • Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference (Miami)
    • Moderator, “Social Equity: Translating Policy Into Action”
    • Moderator, “Invest in Emerging BIPOC Cannabis Brands”

2022

  • MJBizCon (Las Vegas)
    Moderator, “Strengthening Social Equity in Cannabis Through Strategic Partnerships”
  • Cannabis Marketing Summit (Denver)
    Moderator, “After Licensing Happens: Removing Barriers for Social Equity Businesses & How Marketing Can Help”
  • Global Cannabis Intelligence Summit
    Panelist, “The Cannabis Industry has a Unique Opportunity to Address Racial Inequity: Here’s How”

2021

  • MJBizCon (Las Vegas)
    Moderator, “Increasing Minority Participation in the Cannabis Industry’s New and Emerging Markets”
  • Black CannaBusiness Conference (New Orleans)
    Moderator, “Cannabis Policy on the East Coast”
  • NACB Social Equity Virtual Summit
    Panelist, “Minority-Focused Associations in Cannabis: Ready With Real Help”
  • GCI Virtual Summit
    Panelist, “Social Justice and Running CommunityProjects Within Cannabis”
  • Emerge Virtual Cannabis Conference
    Panelist, “Cannabis Industry Inclusion Update”
  • Cannabis Marketing Summit
    Panelist, “7 Tips for Infusing Your Cannabis B2B Marketing with Diversity”

2020

  • NACB Social Equity Virtual Conference
    Moderator, “The Journey of Social Equity Licensees: Stories from the Front Lines”
  • Cannabis Quality Conference
    Moderator, “The Future of Cannabis: A Discussion on Social Justice & How the Cannabis Industry Can Succeed”
  • Cannabis Sustainability Symposium
    Moderator, “Social Equity Best Practices for the Cannabis Industry”