Page 73 - BusinessWest November 24, 2021

Art Pop-up Shop
Nov. 29 to Dec. 4: Laura Bundesen, an artist-entre- preneur from Huntington, will exhibit and sell her mixed-media ‘brain artwork’ at a one-of-a-kind, neuro-themed pop-up shop at ReevX Labs in Spring- field. Bundesen is one of 10 entrepreneurs chosen for the inaugural experience at the community hub at 270 Bridge St., which is funded by Berkshire Bank and supported by Valley Venture Mentors. She is excited to have the opportunity to use the space for her solo display and sale. Her neuro-art pop-up shop will be open Nov. 29 to Dec. 3 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Dec. 4 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Community members are invited. Bundesen calls herself a ‘neu- ro-artist,’ and said her work, which ranges from $14 enamel lapel pins to $3,600 embroidered paintings, especially resonates with people with neurological disorders, their loved ones, and with scientists, neu- rologists, psychologists, and others in healthcare. At the heart of most of her work is painstaking hand embroidery. A canvas might feature a whimsical ren- dering of a brain, in handiwork at the center, with paint on a work’s periphery. Each piece is unique and colorful and offers what Bundesen calls “fantas- tical, imaginary brains.” Her work includes mixed- media originals, prints, earrings, coloring books,
and brain-shaped lapel pins. A large selection will be available at the pop-up shop for in-person shopping. Anyone interested in learning more about her wares can visit her website and shop at www.laurabunde- sen.com.
OnBoard Matching Event
Dec. 7: United Way of Pioneer Valley (UWPV ) has merged with the Springfield-based nonprofit
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state’s social-equity program aimed at creating an entrepreneurial path for communities that were par- ticularly hard hit by the war on drugs — most of them minority-dominated communities. Today, only 8% of cannabis companies currently open in Massachusetts are run by those who emerged from the social-equity program.
“Some go through the process but have no fund- ing at the end of the program,” Shubrick said. “So now you’re well-versed in the process and know how to get through it, and you’re looking around, and there’s no banks giving you money. If you don’t know people with deep pockets, how do you get the right investors? I’ve seen horror stories of people who have the best of intentions and got so far in the process, but you have the wrong investor, and then it becomes a nightmare. And now you’re selling for pennies, and you’ve lost time, energy, and money.
“That’s the heartbreak people don’t talk about,” she went on. “And I wouldn’t categorize it as those people failing; I would categorize it as not having have a holistic structure in place that supports people from start to finish. It’s almost a tease in order to say, ‘hey, I’m going to show you how to make a pizza, but I’m never going to give you the ingredients so you can make your own.’ Many people simply can’t raise the money to do what they’ve gone through a program to learn how to do.”
In an editorial last week, the Boston Globe agreed, noting that the state has ignored calls to create a loan program to help equity applicants, adding that, “as
if the barriers to entry weren’t high enough already, getting financing for a marijuana business is difficult because of its murky legal status.”
But the Globe cites other barriers to social-equity applicants as well, particularly the power of munici- palities — which are not required to consider equity when awarding licenses — over the approval process, not to mention the head start large medical-marijua-
OnBoard. Continuing under the same name as a UWPV program, OnBoard will continue hosting biennial conferences to increase diversity on the boards of local and regional nonprofits, and work more closely with nonprofits to build diversity through trainings and other tools. Leadership Pio- neer Valley, which provides training and support for rising nonprofit professionals in the region, will work with UWPV to support the program. An OnBoard matching event is scheduled for Dec. 7 from 5 to
7 p.m. at Valley Venture Mentors, 276 Bridge St., Springfield. Registration information can be found at uwpv.org/onboard, and donations can be made at uwpv.org/donate.
Women of Impact
Dec. 9: BusinessWest will honor its fourth annual class of Women of Impact at the Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel. This year’s class, like the first three, demonstrates the sheer diversity of the ways women leaders in our region are making an impact on the worlds of business, nonprofits, health, and the community. Profiled the Oct. 27 issue of Busi- nessWest, they are: Jessica Collins, executive director of the Public Health Institute of Western Massachu- setts; Elizabeth Dineen, CEO of the YWCA of West- ern Masachusetts; Charlene Elvers, director of the Center for Service and Leadership at Springfield Col- lege; Karin Jeffers, president and CEO of Clinical and Support Options; Elizabeth Keen, owner of Indian Line Farm; Madeline Landrau, Program Engage- ment manager at MassMutual; Shannon Mumblo, executive director of Christina’s House; and Tracye Whitfield, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion officer
for the town of West Springfield and Springfield city
na businesses have had in the recreational license- approval process, which has paved the way for bigger medical companies to dominate the market.
“So the state has to double down on its social- equity program and prioritize licensing for minority applicants,” the Globe argues.
It’s also a hyper-competitive industry in general, Shubrick said, one where players are fiercely protect- ing their piece of the pie, and new retailers are often offered unfair deals to partner with growers, manu- facturers, and wholesalers, and vice versa.
“It’s key to have a team of lawyers and accoun- tants help you stay away from the sharks in the water because people are so hyper-focused on trying to extract as much money as possible, they’re not think- ing through long-term impacts like ‘how can I be a decent businessperson to this other individual so maybe down the line we can do business together?’ Instead, it’s ‘how can I squeeze as much equity as possible? How can I give them terms that maybe aren’t favorable because I’ll benefit in the short term?’
“Other states around us are legalizing, so the cap- tive audience in Massachusetts won’t be the same,” she went on, “and that doesn’t bring out the best in people when they don’t view competition as healthy and an opportunity to get better.”
Seeking Solutions
Proponents of true social equity in cannabis are working toward a more equitable industry, however. Earlier this month, the Block — an organization that aims to support black and Latino cannabis profes- sionals in Massachusetts — held the last of three net- working mixers at White Lion Brewery in downtown Springfield. About 80 people attended, including a CCC commissioner.
In addition to efforts around business develop- ment, resources, and connections for its members, the Block is also developing options for members to gain capital, such as minority-owned investment
councilor. The event is sponsored by Country Bank and TommyCar Auto Group (presenting sponsors) and Comcast Business and Health New England (supporting sponsors). Tickets cost $65 per person (tables of 10 are available). For more information, visit www.businesswest.com or call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100.
Agenda
Difference Makers Nominations
Through Dec. 9: Do you know someone who is truly making a difference in the Western Mass. region? BusinessWest invites you to nominate an individual or group for its 14th annual Difference Makers pro- gram. Nominations for the class of 2022 must be received by the end of the business day (5 p.m.) on Thursday, Dec. 9. Difference Makers was launched in 2009 as a way to recognize the contributions of agen- cies and individuals who are contributing to quality of life in this region. Past honorees have come from dozens of business and nonprofit sectors, prov-
ing there’s no limit to the ways people can impact their communities. So, let us know who you think deserves to be recognized as a Difference Maker in our upcoming class by visiting businesswest.com/ difference-makers-nomination-form to complete the nomination form. Honorees will be profiled in an upcoming issue of BusinessWest and celebrated at a gala in the spring.
firms, crowdsourcing, and more traditional, institu- tional backing.
“Plenty was discussed. It was a really good evening overall,” Shubrick said. “Social equity here in Mas- sachusetts is well-intentioned, but logistically, it has opportunities to become more meaningful so we see more people opening doors who have gone through the program.”
She stressed that she’s fortunate to be entering this business backed by people — her family foremost — with her best interest at heart, and she’s passionate about using her business to lift up the only city she considered for this business.
“I want to hire folks from the community who can benefit from this industry, not just because they were impacted by the war on drugs, but also because Springfield should be benefiting from these jobs.”
That passion, she noted, will be shared by ‘bud- tenders’ who understand the plant and can educate customers on the store’s products, many of them created by local manufacturers that are also smaller companies, many owned by women, veterans, and people of color.
“We’re being intentional about our partnerships and helping customers understand why we’re part- nering with them,” she said. “So it’s more of an expe- rience and less of a transaction.”
Certainly, opening a cannabis retail shop — and, again, it’s a long process, one that’s not over yet — has been quite the experience for the Shubrick family.
“Not everything that is faced can be changed,
but nothing can be changed until it is faced,” wrote James Baldwin, a quotation Payton calls her favorite. Indeed, she’s facing the challenging realities of canna- bis entrepreneurship — with a mind to change things for the better for those who come after. u
Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]
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