"Opening Urban Weeds: A Journey into New York's Cannabis Market"

"Creating Economic Mobility in Low-Income Communities: The Urban Upbound Model"

In this episode of the Proud to Work in Cannabis podcast, Karson Humiston is joined by Bishop Mitchell Taylor, the co-founder and CEO of Urban Upbound. They discuss the journey of Urban Upbound, a nonprofit organization dedicated to breaking cycles of poverty in public housing neighborhoods. Bishop shares how his father's ministry inspired him to create a movement that addresses the socioeconomic issues faced by residents in public housing.

Bishop explains that Urban Upbound focuses on four key areas: business development, career development, one-on-one financial counseling, and youth development. They also offer tax preparation services and have their own credit union. The organization aims to empower individuals and provide them with the tools and resources for economic mobility and self-sufficiency.

The conversation then shifts to the topic of cannabis and how Urban Upbound decided to enter the industry. Bishop saw an opportunity to reduce their dependency on conventional philanthropy by opening a cannabis dispensary. He shares the challenges they faced in navigating the cannabis industry, including the unique requirements set by the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) in New York.

Bishop recounts the story of how they acquired a building for their dispensary on Steinway Street in Queens. Against all odds, they managed to purchase the building from a family that traditionally does not sell property. He also discusses the process of renovating the space and the importance of repurposing materials to save costs.

They then delve into the hiring process for Urban Weeds and the importance of finding the right team members. Bishop expresses his gratitude for the assistance of Vangst and the team at Vangst in recruiting qualified candidates, including their new general manager, Desiree Sookoo. He emphasizes the focus on customer service and hospitality, ensuring that every customer has a personalized experience and leaves the store with something, even if they don't make a purchase.   He reminds people that there are job opportunities available, and interested individuals can visit vangst.com to apply.

Overall, this episode showcases the inspiring journey of Urban Upbound and their foray into the cannabis industry with the opening of Urban Weeds. Bishop's entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to making a difference in his community shine through, and listeners are encouraged to support this groundbreaking endeavor. 

 

Timestamp Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction and Background of Urban Upbound

00:03:48 - Programs and Initiatives of Urban Upbound

00:10:26 - Starting a Cannabis Business and the Decision to Open Urban Weeds

00:12:06 - See a Problem, Solve a Problem Approach

00:17:54 - Navigating the Cannabis Industry and Winning the License

00:20:49 - Challenges and Successes in Acquiring a Building for Urban Weeds

00:25:15 - Renovating and Building Out the Urban Weeds Dispensary

00:30:04 - Hiring and Building the Urban Weeds Team

00:34:57 - Focus on Customer Service and Hospitality at Urban Weeds

00:38:19 - Details of the Soft Opening and Location of Urban Weeds

00:39:55 - Job Opportunities at Urban Weeds and Future Projects

 

QUOTES:

"We wanted to create a movement and we did 20 years ago, that could break cycles of poverty in public housing neighborhoods by giving residents the tools and resources for economic mobility and self-sufficiency." - 00:01:00

"We wanted to create something from the inside out and from the bottom up." - 00:01:00

"Being in the business means being able to protect myself." - 00:23:33

"A crisis is a terrible thing to waste." - 00:31:28

"We're going to double and triple down on customer service and hospitality." - 00:38:01