NutraWomen Wednesday: Nicole Brown, Chief Innovation Officer of Open Book Extracts
“That journey led me to Open Book Extracts, which really aligned very much with my passion, my values, and how they approach the industry as a whole,” said Brown.
She added that she and many others in the CBD space are committed to bringing in more women. “Similar to what you saw in tech or in other categories, so that there is that balance and there is that representation, so it is a responsibility that I think everyone has in the industry to really raise the bar for bringing women into the space and finding those roles.”
For those who want to break into the CBD space, Brown said her greatest advice is to leverage existing superpowers:
“I was not a cannabis expert by any means when I came into the CBD industry, but the skill set that I have from my previous experiences being it in strategic marketing or product development or product commercialization, there is a need for that so deeply in this space. So really leaning into your own superpowers and finding the role that you want, and bringing that value to a team is quite welcomed. Many cannabis companies are really seeking ‘best athletes,’ —people who are really well-rounded and really strong who also bring those differentiated backgrounds. There is so much I learned in the beverage space, in the beauty space, that's quite relevant to what we work on now. So I would say really, you know, knowing your own value and your own skillset and finding the right place to fit in is a great way to approach it.”
