Mentoring Program
for Women in Cannabis
An 8-week program, hosted virtually on Hopin, focused on preparing women entrepreneurs for the funding process. This course will walk them through the steps and mindset necessary to prepare a great pitch and increase the odds of success in their business and the funding experience.
The Roadmap to Funding
Each week will take them through the 6 steps in the Roadmap to Funding. By week 8 the students will have a firm grasp on:
- What makes a winning pitch
- Funding options
- Pitch deck and required financial documents
Breakdown by Week
WEEK 1
Introduction to the Roadmap to Funding Part I and Mentoring Program
This week we introduce our moderator, group leaders, the material we’ll be covering, and the mindset you need going forward in this course. No special guests this week, moderator and group leads will host. Worksheets are reviewed and any housekeeping questions from the students are addressed.
WEEK 2
Business or Hobby: How to Know if Your Business is Viable for Funding
In this session we invite a marketing/branding specialist and a VC to help the ladies to discuss creating your business pitch. Finding your Magic, Understanding your Competition and your target market.
WEEK 3
Build a Dream Team: Who Do You Need to Get to Where You’re Going?
This week we invite an HR specialist, an attorney and a VC to discuss your core team, hiring personnel, advisors and employment contracts.
WEEK 4
The Money Question: How Much Do You Need and What Will You Do with it?
The session guests will be a business coach (to address the imposter syndrome women feel when they ask for money), an accountant or CFO to discuss budget and a VC. We’ll tackle some common issues women face when it comes to asking for money, how to compile and assess your past finances, revenue, and expenses and how to formulate what you’ll need to raise to accomplish your goals.
WEEK 5
Borrow, Sell or Merge: Debt, Equity or M&A
This week we invite guest experts in each category (lender, VC and M&A attorney) to discuss the pros and cons of each path and how an entrepreneur should evaluate each as sources of funding.
WEEK 6
The Investor Folder: The Documents you Need for Your Pitch
In this session our guest is a CFO and VC who will review the documents that are required for funding and what data goes in each template. We’ll discuss the most common mistakes and answer students’ questions.
WEEK 7
The Big Decision: Get Help or Go It Alone
In the final week of education we review the documents needed and take questions from the audience. We’ll also discuss the benefits of having a team to help and answer questions about that and offer discounts to students.
WEEK 8
The Pitch
The final week of the program our guests will be investors and is all about the students. They will take the full 1.5 hours to take turns presenting their pitch and getting feedback from our guests and other students. The winner gets free consulting from TPG.
Register for the Program
Spring Mentoring Program
Every Wednesday, May 10th -June 21
Price: $500
Fall Mentoring Program
Start date: TBD
Price: $500
Join The Community
Women Employed in Cannabis hosts a Facebook Group tailored to the needs of women working in cannabis: Women Empowered in Cannabis. Joining our FREE group is a great first step to learning about the WEIC Community and the women that work in the cannabis industry. There you will be able to participate in conversations around funding and connect with other women entrepreneurs and workers in cannabis.
We invite women to share their stories, ask for help, and take part in meaningful conversations about topics that impact our careers and livelihood working, as women, in a regulated industry.