Tell us in your own words about yourself
I am the kind of woman leader who exemplifies the idea of making life happen. As someone who has had a career in executive leadership and finance, I truly don’t place limits on myself or my team. I look carefully to identify holes in the market, areas for opportunity or growth, and ask for what I want to make happen —all while keeping an eye on helping other women do the same.
As a serial entrepreneur and investor in software-as-a-service, technology, cannabis, and health, I have personally raised more than $100 million for different ventures over the years. Plus, as an active angel investor, advisor, and executive consultant I’m able to engage with emerging companies I’m passionate about. The entrepreneurial ecosystem and mentorship of young entrepreneurs keep me inspired and fuels constant improvement.
I initially entered the cannabis space as an investor to raise awareness around the usage of cannabis to fight the nation’s opioid epidemic. After watching a relative with chronic pain make the switch from opioids to cannabis, I felt the need to get involved. As a result, I have been able to help women take powerful ownership over decision-making in their health and wellness. Something that many people aren’t aware of is that a lot of the things women are suffering from—sleep, pain, and anxiety—could all be treated with cannabis.
As I lead the team at Arcview, I’m reminded of a quote from Simon Sinek, “You’re not in charge. You’re responsible for those who are in your charge.” This statement rings true for me because I invest a lot of effort into relationships in order to create a culture of trust and lead with purpose.
While you’ve been CEO what has The Arcview Group done differently to set itself apart from its competitors?
When I first joined The Arcview Group, the company was known for hosting incredible events for investors to come to mingle, learn, and see great company’s pitching for investment several times per year. When Arcview first started, 10 years ago now, there was no competition in their space since most of the country was still illegal even for medical marijuana. However, in 2019 there were many more players on the scene and a lot of groups hosting events globally – so Arcview faced tougher competitive challenges and needed ways to differentiate itself.
We decided at the onset of 2020 and pre-COVID, which was very fortuitous, to pivot to a digital strategy for our members. This enabled us to engage more frequently and to deliver a different experience to our membership than what others were doing. Now many are trying to adopt this digital strategy but since we got a few months jump we are in a very good position to now dominate this new digital space.
Also, another key factor in our success is how we listen and respond to our customers. Cannabis is a very unique industry and changes almost weekly. In order to be on top of your game, you need to understand how each stakeholder is also evolving and their need for information and insights to keep current.
And these set The Arcview Group apart from its competitors to give it a very different identity?
By redefining our mission and creating a new strategy around the customer vs the events business we have been able to distance ourselves from those who had been encroaching on our events business. In fact, we don’t see ourselves in the same competitive space with them anymore. Arcview is creating a new digital space for investors and companies to interact and use technology to do so.
What do you see as the key challenges for your industry over the next five years?
There are a few interesting developments in the cannabis industry that keeps us very bullish on the opportunities. First of all, cannabis was deemed essential. This allowed for cannabis businesses to stay open and actually many have seen significant jumps in year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter growth. This is terrific for the industry – demand is high so the market is expanding.
Second, due to COVID, many new consumers are trying cannabis and many consumers who used to be okay with buying from the illicit market are not wanting to take that additional product risk. They prefer to buy from licensed and therefore compliant operators. This boosts jobs and tax revenues too. However, the industry is still federally illegal and access to capital is tough for cannabis operators globally. I see small steps are being made but until we have federal protections for these businesses and allow for banks to step in we are always going to have an illicit problem.
One aspect of The Arcview Group’s growth is its workforce. How have you integrated all of these new people into the company?
I would like to answer this question in another way.
First, the legal cannabis industry was founded by those who had previously been in an illegal business. That is a very unique mix of cultures and people to now bring together in a legal entity. Second, people enter the cannabis industry for different reasons – some to make money and others for health and wellness benefits. Third, and certainly not least, there is overwhelming support of cannabis operators and those in the industry to create opportunities for POC and those most affected by the War on Drugs.
Social equity programs are an important first step but there is more to be done.
So back to your question on how we integrate new people in the company – it is pretty simple. We are here to serve our stakeholders and their cannabis journey is an important one for us to understand. Everyone at Arcview knows our mission and everyone has a true purpose towards that mission. By allowing people to find and then work in their genius and celebrating their abilities along with trust goes a long way.
How do you ensure that you have the team’s support?
I learned early on in my career that you really won’t go far without the support of your team, so very rarely will I make any decisions without most if not all of the team weighing in on the decision. No idea is a bad one, sometimes timing doesn’t work for some ideas but we encourage everyone to get creative and come with as many thoughts as possible.
Honesty is also a key thing for me. And by being honest I mean really sharing as much and with as many as possible. I find it interesting when CEOs and other leaders hold back on sharing ‘sensitive’ information from their team. Most of the time the team knows and they become resentful that you didn’t share it or at least give them a reason why you can’t do something.
What is the biggest risk you have ever taken and what in you has prompted this risk-taking?
You would think that getting into cannabis was the biggest risk but for me, it was a very calculated and planned move so really not that risky. I am actually very risk-averse. I keep most of my investments in cash vs the stock market and I hate leaving things to chance.
What I do is I use data to help me make decisions and take the emotion out as much as possible. Good data and a little foresight will go a long way in helping to de-risk decision making. I also tend to look at risk as an opportunity that most people won’t touch so it makes it actually more attractive. If there are a lot of people doing it and it’s easy, then it will be harder to be successful in my opinion.
What’s your vision for the company over the next 5-years?
We’re likely to see some significant changes to the cannabis industry during this year and over the next five. Not only is the market expected to grow through legalization and usage, but customers are likely to be more educated about cannabis and purchase multiple types of cannabis products. Currently, The Arcview Investor Network consists of 600+ accredited investors with over 200 companies having raised more than $270 million as a result of their participation in Arcview.
As a trusted leader, Arcview will continue to connect high-net-worth individuals, institutional investors, and money managers with investment opportunities and key players in the legal cannabis sector. Plus, The Arcview Group will continue to provide our investors with webinars, research, and quality opportunities. In addition, we’ll continue to mature and build new divisions within The Arcivew Family, such as Arcview Market Research, Arcview Consulting, Arcview Ventures, Arcview Collective Fund, Arcview Capital, Arcview Alliances, and The Arcview Women’s Investor Network.
What are some challenges of this industry business?
The Arcview Group, as the original investing network focused on cannabis, will see more competition with additional cannabis investor networks forming in the future. For the cannabis industry as a whole, there are ten key challenge areas on the horizon, including:
- Descheduling and Regulating
- Cannabis at the Federal Level
- Consumer Safety
- The Illicit Market
- Access to Banking
- Social Justice
- Fair Tax
- Legalizing Medicine
- Public Perception
- International Trade
How would you describe your leadership style and what has made it so effective?
I’m a transformational leader because I’m focused on clear communication, goal-setting, and employee motivation towards meeting the organizational objectives. This enables me to focus on the big picture and empowering teams that can handle many delegated tasks without constant supervision. This requires high levels of trust and cooperation, so it’s important to have the right team members in place.
What is your secret to being an effective CEO in terms of building the company culture and values you need to make the company successful?
My secret is being results-oriented and moving the measurable metric needle of success upward. Accountability and measurable success are critical to proving your worth and advancing your career.
What is your current mission?
The current mission of The Arcview Group is to deliver the Arcview Advantage through education, resources, insights, leadership, and access to offer growth opportunities across the cannabis sector for investors, companies, our Arcview Community, and those wanting to explore this essential industry.
What traits do you look for when building a team?
When building a team, I look for people who are dedicated, hard-working, and passionate. When people are working on something they believe in, then you get their best effort. Whether it believes in a cause, belief in the company, belief in each other. I try to nurture the beliefs that motivate each person in order to get the best results out of the team
How do you determine the best timing for scaling?
There is no time like the present!
![From Music to Perfume: How did your background as a music teacher influence your transition into perfumery, and how do you incorporate your musical sensibilities into creating fragrances? I’ve always thought in terms of metaphors, and music has many that can be related to perfumery! Beyond just thinking in terms of top, middle and base notes [soprano/alto/tenor in choir], I approach each fragrant idea as a composition. When documenting my ideas, song structures often come to mind. As the scent brief is visited, I meditate on what the fragrance should convey - do I want to create an accord or a “chord” of fragrance note combinations? Do I want an a capella soloist (a particular ingredient to stand out more than others?) Many of my thoughts regarding song composition transfers to my scent formulation process, with me treating each note as an intentional soliloquy at some point.
Brand Origin: What inspired you to start Pink MahogHany in 2005, and how has your vision for the brand evolved since its inception?
An avid lover of all things pleasantly scented (with slight modesty), looking back in retrospect, it’s no huge surprise that I’ve created an indie perfume house with just an idea to provide unique options for those who may be sensitive to unnecessary pungency. Initially, I just wanted to evaluate various blends to note their aroma profiles when “played” together…it wasn’t until I had friends and family asking if I knew of brands that catered to those who may be on the more olfactory sensitive side, that I really began to take my research more seriously. In the almost 20 years that Pink MahogHany has been in existence, our micro visions for the brand have evolved to larger territory. Where Pink MahogHany used to only be a personal brand, we are now also a bespoke formulation service provider to other indie brands seeking unique fragrance offerings for their products. These products range from (but are not limited to) perfumes, candles, body butters and lip balms. Ingredient Transparency: You emphasize transparency and the use of desirable ingredients in your products. How do you select your ingredients, and what challenges have you faced in maintaining this standard?
Being an indie brand often comes with a set of assumptions and misconceptions - one of them being more negative than positive as it relates to ingredients used. There is a lot of “fluff” in the industry with labeling falsification. Because fragrance formulas are a trade secret, not every molecular breakdown of a material has to be noted on the ingredient label (it would be incredibly long), but we at Pink MahogHany™️ adhere strongly to the IFRA [International Fragrance Regulatory Association] regulations that state for common and potential allergens to be listed on our ingredient label. We’ve taken this a step further to also include these ingredients listed on our website to promote further transparency, all while protecting our intellectual property. Unfortunately, we’ve had companies to unethically sell lesser expensive “dupes” of our artisan perfumes, so as a way to create a better authenticity stamp, we make it our duty to be honest about our claims. If our perfume says “Rose Bulgaria”, it is in fact just that and not a component of rose being passed off as the source material. Collaborations and Custom Scents: Can you share more about your work with private label clients? What excites you most about creating custom scent solutions for other indie brands? I could easily sum this up in one word and say “Funding.” True, there is money out there, but I’m always thinking outside the box. Having a program that has an “Each One Fund One” mentality doesn’t exist (that I’ve been made aware of). Bootstrapping can be quite the challenge, even when you’ve reached the 6-figure mark annually. Competition to be seen and set apart is extremely high, so having quality packaging and branding is a must. There are lots of factors to consider, though when desiring to make upgrades. If there were a unique, tier-geared funding operation available, it would help perfume brands offset packaging and bulk material costs in the beginning stages.
Industry Challenges: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as an independent fragrance house, and how have you overcome them to grow your brand? As the brand continues on the path of organic growth, I would like to expand our reach into schools, offering perfumery as an arts elective for middle and high school. I’d love to partner with botanists, farmers and horticulturists directly to grow and source raw materials for the students to work with in the creation of tinctures. My passion is getting back to nature as best as possible, as nature was my first “scent experience” as a child. We would also love to witness our fragrance creations being used to scent model homes, our focus diffuser blends being used in automobile dealerships as well as partner with Air Bnb and boutique hotels that specialize in highlighting minority, indie brands. Personal Journey: How has your personal experience, particularly as a divorced mother and someone who has experienced the loss of a child, shaped your approach to life and your work in perfumery?
Because I homeschool my twin sons, we are together a lot more than most, so one thing we all do is have moments of sharing where a neutral “floor” is laid to converse about anything. Though they are quite communicative by nature, I realize that sometimes I can be in work mode so much that it spills over into what should be our quality time. My sons see the authentic me and learn how to communicate through seeing authenticity. I’ve learned not to feel as if I have to be the epitome of perfection but allow them to see my imperfections vulnerably but with discernment. Having had two traumatic experiences pretty close together has taught me how to truly slow down and enjoy the simplicities of life - igniting a spiritual aspect that I’ve always carried but never fully explored…until Kenji’s sudden passing (2018.) Grief has a way of catapulting us into a quest for more meaningfulness in both life and business. After Kenji’s passing and my processing through the initial stages of grief, I was able to incorporate our spiritual bond into Pink MahogHany by way of essential oil diffuser blends for both focus and sleep and most recently aromatic perfume elixirs. It’s been quite the process channeling the void of his physical presence, but I also have peace knowing he can be honored in a great way through scent. I noticed once I began to be more open and receptive to spiritual signs, synchs and “winks”, more ideas began to flow. It’s been this way since his transition. Emotional Expression: Fragrance is often tied to memories and emotions. How does your personal life influence the fragrances you create, and do you have a particular scent that holds special meaning to you? My creative process is much more alchemic now, and I include Kenji by talking out loud to him, believe it or not. I’m a firm believer that when our loved ones transition from the physical plane, they are still present - just in another form. I choose to keep his memory alive by not pretending he never existed (even if for a brief period of time). I am working (slowly) on a book and accompanying fragrance, but I know it will require me to revisit some memories I’m not quite ready for, so until then, his big brothers will launch their debut fragrance, The Peaceful Tiger (they chose the name.) I’ve learned that even in what we consider “small things”, our transitioned loved ones want to be recognized and acknowledged. When the twins and I designed their fragrance label (with a designer out of the country that didn’t know anything about me personally), we had issues with the graphic - so much so that the designer asked if they could rework the design. When they sent the proof for approval, the Tiger was not only younger but sleeping, with an uncanny, angelic resemblance to baby Kenji! Becoming more aware and being more sensitive to my intention for launching a fragrance has definitely made room for more divine situations like these to occur. Healing Through Scent: In what ways has creating fragrances been a form of healing or expression for you, especially after the loss of your son, Kenji Mwamba? I know my sons may not necessarily want to be perfumers, but they definitely have an entrepreneurial heart. My desire is that whatever they decide to pursue (acting, script-writing, music or architecture), they know that anything is possible with the right amount of determination, grit, belief and immersion. One reason I chose to homeschool is so they could enjoy learning without restraint and have ample time to devote to their own separate passions and it still be fun. They know Pink MahogHany is theirs if they want it (many, many years from now - lol), and we are already discussing business structures for whatever they choose their role to be once I retire. Work-Life Balance: How do you find balance between your professional responsibilities and personal well-being, and what self-care practices do you prioritize? I’m not just a perfumer; I’m also a consumer, and self-care is huge for me. I often take salt baths to reset my energy and clear my mind after being around large groups of people or free a long day. I’m a habitual perfume sampler, and I have so many to choose from to wear as my “nightcap.” Even if just for 10-15 minutes, I cherish each moment I’m able to have some “me-time.” When time and co-parenting schedules permit, I’m definitely on a flight somewhere to indulge in some delicious food and mouth-watering mocktails!](https://www.womenontopp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_3812-1200x720.jpeg)
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