Get your business idea in front of industry leaders and investors and be eligible to win $1,000 in start-up assistance, admission to VIP festival events, a strategy meeting with Kayvan Khalatbari of Denver Relief Consulting, a “Brand Therapy” session with Jennifer Culpepper of Brand Joint, and more!

Application Requirements:

• Applicants must be National Cannabis Festival ticket holders
• Applicants must be 21+
• 500 word summary of your business idea and submission of required information

Prize Money & Perks:

In addition to bragging rights, the CannaTank winner will receive a check in the amount of $1,000 to assist with start-up costs, but that’s not all:

One-on-one business strategy meeting with Denver Relief Consulting: Two free hours of cannabis industry consultation from industry leader Denver Relief Consulting, valued at $800. Whether looking for specific help in starting a business, entering a new market or just to get some questions answered, this is a tremendous opportunity to receive input from one of the most tenured and successful cannabis companies in America.

60 minute brand therapy mentoring session with Brand Joint:  One “Brand Therapy” mentoring session with Brand Joint’s Creative Director, Jennifer Culpepper. This valuable session is redeemable in-person at our Annapolis office or via phone call. Brand Therapy is a great way to discuss the current state of your brand, target audience, the goals you’d like to achieve and the strategies for achieving those goals. Jenn will answer any questions you have and offer her experienced opinion, as well as any resources that might be helpful specific to your brand. Brand Therapy is valued at $250 per one-hour session.

Pitch opportunity at Greenhouse Ventures Demo Day: Greenhouse Ventures will provide the CannaTank winner with a spot to pitch their venture on May 1st in Philadelphia to a room full of potential investors, advisors, partners, or customers at Greenhouse Ventures Demo Day taking place during the CannabisLearn Conference & Expo at the Pennsylvania Convention Center from April 30th - May 2nd. Whether you can attend Demo Day or not, Greenhouse Ventures will provide two, free one-hour consultations to provide a Funding SWOT analysis to highlight your ventures strengths, identify greatest weaknesses and threats, and provide actionable next steps for your venture to take to reach its next critical milestone. 

90 minute legal consultation with McCree Ndjatou PLLC: McCree Ndjatou PLLC has the resources and knowledge to handle your legal issues as a cannabis-based business in the DMV from seed to sale and all points in between. Should the issue be licensing, compliance, business law and employment law, they'll help you get the job done so you can start or continue building your path to entrepreneurship.

*All CannaTank Finalists receive VIP admission to National Cannabis Festival and the VIP Sunday Brunch!

Our Host

Sirita Wright, Co-founder & CMO, EstroHaze

first round Judges

Jazmin Aguiar, The Working Group

Alan Amsterdam, Capitol Hemp 

Harrison Baum, Daily High Club 

Jake Brown, Sexpot Comedy

Rose Donna, The Dew Drop Inn 

Shara Gibson, Canniventure

Ru Johnson, RouxBlack

Jay Mills, The Green Life

Ashley Stafford, Elevated Events

TJ Thompson, Advocate & Journalist focused on community based and empathetic entrepreneurship

Torie Wallace, Celebrity Chef and CEO, BudKist & Co-founder, We BAKED

Vanessa West, Metropolitan Wellness Center

Finals judges

Jennifer Culpepper, CEO, Brand Joint

Marisa Escudero, CEO, Lucy's Lozenges, 2017 CannaTank Winner

Kayvan Khalatbari, Founding Partner, Denver Relief Consulting

Shanel Lindsay, CEO, Ardent Cannabis, 2016 CannaTank Winner

Dr. Chanda Macias, Owner, National Holistic Healing Center & Chairwoman of the Board, Women Grow

Jane West, CEO, Jane West & Founder, Women Grow

Important Dates

• March 1, 2018 – CannaTank applicant materials due. All materials must be submitted via email by 5pm EST on March 15th, 2018
• April 10, 2018 – Finalists notified and a blog post about the finalists goes live. Finalists are invited to make a 5 minute “elevator pitch”€ at the festival and field questions from our selection committee*
• April 21, 2018 – CannaTank Finals at the National Cannabis Festival

Submission Deadline: March 1, 2018

Required information

• Email Subject Line: NCF – CannaTank Applicant
• In the body of your application email:
  • Name
  • Date of Birth
  • Address
  • Phone Number
  • Social Media profile links (if applicable)
  • Website URL (if applicable)
  • Title of project/idea
• Attached/Included in your email:
  • Summary: Submit a one-page document containing a 500 word summary of your business idea
  • Support/Collateral Materials: You are welcome, but not required, to submit video, powerpoint decks, presentations, etc., for us to consider as we review your project
  • Screenshot of your National Cannabis Festival ticket purchase (including order number)

Submit application to: 

cannatank@hoodincubator.org

About The Hood Incubator:

The Hood Incubator is a community-centered nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase the participation of Black and Brown communities in the legal cannabis industry. We launched in 2017 in response to marijuana legalization in California and across the country. Rooted in a commitment to racial and economic justice, our founders sought to center Black communities adversely impacted by the war on drugs. Through our three core areas of work – community organizing, policy advocacy, and economic development – we are creating a healthy and sustainable ecosystem of cannabis industry access, resources, and support that benefits, rather than harms, Black and Brown communities.

In June 2017, The Hood Incubator became the first cannabis-focused organization to earn a highly-competitive global fellowship from Echoing Green to support the organization as we emerge as a leader in the fields of social entrepreneurship and social innovation. Locally, we received the 2017 Townie Local Business of the Year Award from progressive organization Oakland Rising for our dedication to fostering cannabis industry leadership within Black and Brown communities. Most recently, we were honored as one of the SF Chronicle's 2018 GreenState Cannabis Excellence Awardees. Our co-founders have been featured on the 2017 Full Color 50 List, Entrepreneur Magazine's 50 Most Daring Entrepreneurs List, and the 2018 Forbes’ 30 Under 30 List. Our organization has been featured on VICELAND, Rolling Stone, Associated Press, Entrepreneur, and on the cover of cannabis industry publication Dope Magazine. Visit www.hoodincubator.org for more information.

Join National Cannabis Industry Association today!

Your business’s participation with the National Cannabis Industry Association means being represented alongside hundreds of other responsible industry leaders committed to bringing about a legitimate and professional cannabis business community. Our total is so much greater and so much more influential than the sum of our parts. With your help, we will be able to ensure that the cannabis industry’s concerns are always heard in Washington D.C.’s halls of power.