Outreach

ELEVATE Northeast

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Community Outreach Program Overview

The goal of ELEVATE Northeast’s Community Outreach program is to promote diversity, inclusiveness, equity, and economic growth in the nascent cannabis industry. All program initiatives and activities have been designed to expand industry access, education, and networking opportunities for underrepresented communities. ELEVATE Northeast aims to empower both industry participation and business ownership of women, minorities, veterans, lgbtqia+, the economically distressed, and communities disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs. As such, ELEVATE Northeast practices a community-centered approach, and also collaborates with and supports the efforts of like-minded organizations delivering direct goods or services to the previously identified empowerment communities.

Our Community Outreach program and related activities are made possible by our business and individual members, event sponsorships, and donations. Learn more about our recent outreach activities below, and become a member or contact us to learn more about how you can support ongoing and new initiatives.

Initiatives & Activities

Providing Access to Professional Development & Network-Building Opportunities for Empowerment Communities

Discounts

Discounts/free access available to monthly professional networking events that feature industry experts, policy leaders, regulators, and etc.

Up to 100% discount offered to all individuals who communicate and/or demonstrate a financial hardship

Job Fairs

Promote and participate in industry-specific job fairs that promote diversity & inclusion

Collaborations

Collaborations with businesses to provide free and discounted tickets to events produced by other organizations and businesses

FREE Community Education Opportunities

ELEVATE Northeast’s Community Conversation Series is a free public education event series created to educate, empower, and provide professional resources to individuals interested in participating in an emerging industry. The Community Conversation Series also aims to improve industry participation and support by addressing stigma and miseducation. Prior to moving to a virtual platform during the COVID-19 pandemic, live events were hosted in accessible locations in designated empowerment communities, and featured field experts, community leaders, industry professionals, policy experts, scientists, nurses, and doctors. See upcoming events here.

The Community Conversation Series also explores the genesis, nuances, opportunities, and risk associated with cannabis industry participation. See upcoming events here.

National Expungement Week

ELEVATE Northeast is proud to participate in the annual week of record expungement and sealing activities known as National Expungement Week (N.E.W.). 2020 ELEVATE NE N.E.W. activities included a “Know Your Rights” social media campaign, PPE giveaway, and an expungement and sealing virtual educational event co-hosted with Boston Cannabis Week. The aforementioned efforts are supported and promoted by the National Expungement Week organization.

Community Advocacy

More Than A Moment

A community partnership event led by Minorities for Medical Marijuana (M4MM) and the Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA) aimed at dismantling systemic racism in the cannabis industry, ELEVATE’s executive leadership team was proud to participate in the creation and promotion of a formal call to action with measurable goals.

Associations Day at MJBizCon

ELEVATE Northeast has been invited to participate in MJBizCon’s Associations Day since 2019. Associations Day is an invitation-only feature of the largest and most respected cannabis industry conference created to promote the community advocacy accomplishments and efforts of select 501c3 nonprofit organizations and other nonprofit business associations from across the globe.

Boston Freedom Rally

Members of ELEVATE Northeast’s executive leadership team and board of directors are regularly invited to speak at community advocacy events, including the Boston Freedom Rally.

Institutions of Higher Learning Collaborations

High Stakes:
Social Equity in the Massachusetts Cannabis Industry

Boston University research initiative partnership that matched students with ELEVATE NE to develop research projects and deliverables that were both useful in developing hands on experience and developing possible solutions for important social equity problems in the MA cannabis industry

Guest Lectures

Members of ELEVATE’s executive leadership team have also been invited to guest lecture regarding cannabis and social equity-related topics at Babson College, Suffolk University Law School, and Boston University

Charitable Acts of Giving & Economic Empowerment Efforts

Youth on Fire

Spotlight feature and donation drive for a community organizations providing accessible services and goods to LGBTQIA+ youth experiencing homelessness

Everyday Miracles Peer Recovery Support Center

PPE donation drive for members of the recovery community and MWBE Spotlight feature (IB Designs)