Five Michigan residents are among the first class of the DaySavers Higher Potential Scholarship Award Winners, a first-of-its-kind initiative to help forge the next generation of cannabis industry leadership.
Among the Michigan winners are two Top Award Recipients: Jackson Rund of Sault Ste. Marie and Sonya Kachinski of Detroit.
Consisting of more than 200 prizes totaling more than $25,000, the Higher Potential Scholarship provides opportunities for current and future members of the industry, all donated by 25 different brands, businesses and organizations inside the cannabis space.
Rund was awarded a 1-on-1 entrepreneurial advisement from The Mycelia Group, a mentorship with the Cannabis Ombudsman for the State of Connecticut, a meeting and mentorship with Custom Cones USA co-founders Harrison Bard and Fredrik Rading and tickets to multiple cannabis trade shows.
Rund has a dual Bachelor of Science in Cannabis Chemistry and Business from Lake Superior State University and is presently working as an intern at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Rund recently spoke at the United Nations Headquarters as a youth representative for Students for Sensible Drug Policy and his goal is to lead a research-driven cannabis company that creates safe, effective products while investing in education, transparency, and public health.
“Cannabis helped me heal. It gave me purpose. And now, it has opened the door to a future I never thought possible,” Rund wrote in his application essay. “I am excited to keep building that future: for myself, for this industry, and for everyone who believes we can do better.”
Kachinski was awarded a package of consulting services, an internship, editorial coverage, and tickets to partner organization events from Cannabis & Tech Today.
Kachinski is an industry veteran stretching back to the legacy days. She is a former journalist who presently consults for both MSOs and mom-and-pop operations with a focus on how data can help reveal hidden complications and provide opportunities to overcome them.
“This internship is a chance to take those skills into a broader arena‚ merging the rigor of operations with the reach of media,” she wrote in her essay.
Other Michigan award-winners are:
-
Kyle Cherubini was awarded a tuition-free seat to the Operator Academy and free seats in the Green CulturED Responsible Vendor Training Program and specialized certificate program of his choosing;
-
Michael Hole of Sault Ste. Marie was awarded a free seat in the Green CulturED Responsible Vendor Training Program and a specialized certificate program of his choosing; and
-
Sara Spurgeon of Detroit was awarded a tuition-free seat to the Operator Academy.
Winners come from 30 different states and were selected based on their application and personal essay detailing their background, interests, passion and journey in the cannabis space.
The Higher Potential Scholarship Initiative is part of DaySavers’ broader mission to advance cannabis education, equity and industry innovation. Founding sponsors include Custom Cones USA, the DaySavers family of brands, Ganjier, SUNY Niagara and Cannabis & Tech Today, among others.
“These awards will help provide potentially life-changing access to education about one of the fastest-growing and most exciting industries in the country, impacting both the lives of the students and the business of cannabis in general,” said James Valentine, DaySavers’ Communications & Content Marketing Manager and Scholarship Administrator. “This is an investment in people and in the future of the industry.”
Other Higher Potential Scholarship recipients received:
-
Education & Resources: Tuition-free seats in cannabis programs from Ganjier, SUNY Niagara, Operator Academy, Green CulturED, Veterinary Cannabis Society, and resources from DaySavers, Sage Advice, Women Employed in Cannabis, and CannaSiteCo.
-
Mentorship: One-on-one developmental mentorships and experiences with industry leaders Dr. Miyabe Shields and Dr. Riley Kirk (Co-Founders of Network of Applied Pharmacognosy), Harrison Bard and Fredrik Rading (Co-Founders of Custom Cones USA), Jessica Ferranti (Founder & CEO of The Mycelia Group), Erin Kirk, Esq. (Connecticut Cannabis Ombudsman), Ashley Manta (Creator of CannaSexual), Trinity Madison (Founder & CEO of Camp Laughing Grass), Ishqa Hillman (Founder & Host of The Canna Boss Babes), and M. Omari Jackson (Founder & CEO of Ganjactivist).
-
Industry Access: Event access and editorial opportunities through Marijuana Venture, Cannabis & Tech Today, NECANN, IgniteIt Cannabis, CannaCon, The Cannabis Alliance, Fill-a Blunts, and Smoke Temple.
