Josephine & Billie’s is celebrating its grand opening as the first social equity investment of The Parent Company by embracing minority brands and creating a retail store that welcomes all demographics.
On October 28, The Parent Company’s first social equity corporate venture fund investment, Josephine & Billie’s, announced it will be opening its doors to the public on Friday, October 29. The brand claims to be the first of its kind, with a unique “speakeasy-style” concept inspired by “tea pads” that were commonly found in Black communities during the 1920s and 1930s. The name is inspired by entertainer Josephine Baker and singer Billie Holiday—two prominent figures in Black history.
Headed by CEO Whitney Beatty and COO Ebony Andersen, this duo’s main goal was to create a welcoming dispensary experience for women of color. “Most stores are designed and built by white people, with one perspective,” Andersen said in a press release. “And women of color rarely get the opportunity to feel comfortable in those spaces. But Josephine & Billie’s was designed and built by, and for, women of color with that in mind.”
Beatty also added a statement about the need to rethink dispensary experiences for many types of consumers. “Research shows that women are more anxious than men, and data shows that black women are facing the most anxiety—and yet we have not seen a dispensary focusing on this demographic,” shared Beatty. “Josephine & Billie’s is committed to being an educational space and community where women of color, and allies, feel safe and welcomed to learn about the healing benefits of cannabis.”
Josephine & Billie’s will carry a variety of well-known cannabis products such as Monogram, Cann, Select and Kiva Confections—but with also a focus on people of color-owned, queer-owned and …
Read More
Author: Nicole Potter / High Times
