John Schroyer
On August 3, Green Market Report hosted its 2023 Finance Summit. At the Summit, the winners of the 2023 GMR Cannabis Finance Awards were announced.
The winner of the Top Woman in Finance was Lynn Ricci, head of investor relations and communications for Tilt Holdings Inc. (Cboe: TILT) (OTCQX: TLLTF), a position she’s held since last February.
Ricci began her cannabis career more than four years ago at Florida-based Trulieve, where she served as director of investor relations for almost three years before moving to Massachusetts-based Tilt Holdings. What drew her to cannabis was when she saw how dramatically medical marijuana was able to help a family member.
“That experience opened my eyes and made me believe that this plant that had been demonized and stigmatized for decades holds so much promise in helping people,” Ricci told Green Market Report.
After that, Ricci said, she jumped into cannabis with both feet. One of her proudest marijuana achievements was launching an ESG (environmental, social, and governance) report and committee while she was at Trulieve.
Ricci’s biggest cannabis career hurdle? How much she had to learn and pivot just to enter the space successfully.
“As an investor relations professional, changing careers often means changing industries, but you learn and adapt. Jumping into cannabis challenged my adaptability with IFRS, Canadian filings, Canadian exchanges, and a lack of institutional investors, all while learning a new and constantly evolving, highly regulated industry,” Ricci said.
When asked what she’s looking forward to next as far as marijuana milestones, Ricci pointed to federal reforms that should make doing business in cannabis much easier, such as the SAFE Banking Act, possible legalization through rescheduling or de-scheduling, and tax reform.
“Finally getting the critical policy changes – SAFE Banking, 280E, and Federal deregulation or legalization – that will allow this burgeoning industry to grow into a mainstream establishment and accomplish the good for society we want as an industry,” Ricci answered.
