Change MakeHERS: Spotlighting Dana Baranovsky from Elevated Signals
Written by: Aly K. Benson
AKB is a biracial indigenous media personality & digital strategy consultant in the Canadian cannabis industry based out of Abbotsford, BC.
Why Women in Cannabis Matter
As the cannabis business continues to grow at a rapid pace, more and more powerful women are establishing themselves as leaders of the industry. These women significantly influence their businesses and set the way for future generations of female leaders. We can celebrate the successes of women in the cannabis sector by showcasing their achievements, which is why White Ash Group began our series Change MakeHERs. Within this collection of interviews and spotlight articles, women embracing strength, integrity, and hard work will share their advice and perspectives on striving in the world of cannabis.
Join us as we share insight into various cannabis industry professional roles, and this time we're tackling Elevated Signal's own Marketing Associate, Dana Baranovsky.
Our Latest Change MakeHER: Dana Baranovsky
Dana is a skilled marketer whose goal is to help brands communicate their story while keeping compliance, whether with industry regulations or on social media. After working in the cannabis space for five years, Dana has created a unique perspective in brand presentation and representation. Her strong background in cannabis regulations and personal adventure through her Instagram platform, Totally Blunt, she's helped groups like Elevated signals strive in the cannabis industry.
About Elevated Signals
Elevated Signals is a cannabis program with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) capabilities. This group of talented individuals handles cultivation, manufacturing, processing, inventory, financials, and compliance for your business. It will track your real-time data, providing compliance reports and increasing productivity. Work orders, lot tracking, and customized forms are all available. There's also a module that uses AI and sensors to monitor your production environment.
Direct Advice For Women In Cannabis
Question: What potential do you see for women in technology and programming in the cannabis space?
Answer: When we talk about the cannabis space, we often think about cannabis production, but an extensive ecosystem surrounds this. Tech and ancillary businesses are very much a part of the cannabis industry. As the industry evolves, cannabis producers are starting to prioritize efficiency and profitability - and many are turning to technology to help with this, creating a big opportunity for tech to thrive.
The positive trend in cannabis legalization worldwide means the global market's size is increasing yearly - making cannabis tech an excellent industry for women to grow their careers. At Elevated Signals, we work with customers in Canada, the USA, Europe, and Australia.
Cannabis tech companies are looking to hire people with practical experience in cannabis facilities. Having in-house cannabis experts is a bonus to continually building a product that fits the needs of their customers.
They're also searching for roles like developers, sales, marketing, and customer success, so if you have the experience and transferable skills from another industry, you can absolutely apply them in cannabis tech.
Question: What would you advise our industry to do to attract and retain more women?
Answer: Like many industries, gender diversity in cannabis is sadly lacking. It's essential to have corporate goals of increasing the number of women within a company to counter this.
At a minimum, teams should ensure they invite talented women from their network to apply for open positions and aim to work with more women-owned businesses in the industry.
Hiring women in leadership positions allows for better representation within the company and for women's perspectives to be considered at the highest level of the organization.
Women in leadership roles can act as great role models for women in the organization and provide mentorship, creating a more inclusive culture within the company.
Question: Is there any guidance you can share for the women looking to enter the cannabis space?
Answer: Firstly, it's a great industry to work in, there's a real sense of community, and everyone works very hard to ensure the success of the cannabis space. The cannabis industry needs a diverse pool of talent from various industries to thrive - so I'd definitely urge women to consider cannabis roles.
Speaking to people in the industry is an excellent way of learning about job opportunities. In my experience, a great way to meet people in the cannabis industry has been through virtual and in-person events and social media platforms such as Instagram and LinkedIn.
The cannabis industry is very tight-knit and friendly, so I'd encourage you to reach out to people on LinkedIn for a quick meet and greet and ask about their careers. Another great way to meet more people is by asking your existing network about other people they think you should connect with regarding a particular career path or question.