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Mireille Souvenir is the finance manager for Athenian Royalty Group, a licensed Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary that hopes to open in Queens.
In the newest entry of “NY’s women in cannabis,” Souvenir talks about her inspiration for launching Athenian Royalty Group, barriers for women in the cannabis industry, and her advice to the next generation of women leaders.
Women are vastly underrepresented in cannabis, and not just in New York. From 2019 to 2022, executive-level females have seen their industry wide status drop from 37% to 23%. Yet the MRTA makes things very clear: women-owned businesses are a key component of the state’s social and economic equity plan.
NY Cannabis Insider is seeking to elevate women in cannabis through a hyper-focus on female story sourcing and balanced representation in articles.
This series will last for as long as submissions come in.
Why did you launch your career in the cannabis industry? Were there any women who inspired you to do so? How did you do it?
I saw there was an opportunity in New York to get into an industry at its infancy. I am an accountant by trade and after doing some research into the cannabis industry, I decided to go for it. My partner and I at first were going to start a cannabis farm in Athens, NY. We had a friend that had just purchased a plot of land and we were going to redevelop it.
Then we realized how much it costs to cultivate and we looked at retail in the process. I started working out accounting strategies for the cannabis industry and different tools to utilize with the restriction of IRS code 280E. My company, Valkyrie Accounting, is building up to be a prime resource for cannabis businesses in New York where we offer accounting and tax structuring for cannabis businesses.
Today my partner and I are in the process of general licensing and I am assisting applicants in applying for general retail and microbusiness licenses. The woman who inspired all of this was my mother, who – no matter what I did – always had my back. She passed away in 2015, but in her place my sisters have always supported and continue to support me in growing in the cannabis field. My oldest sister is the human resource manager of our dispensary that we are planning on opening in Queens, NY.
What do you think is the most significant barrier to women leadership? Are the barriers different in cannabis than any other industry?
The most significant barrier is that we are not always taken seriously by our male counterparts. When we have a strong opinion, we are seen as being too challenging or difficult to work with and at times as women we don’t always look to each other for support, but see each other as competition.
I surround myself with women because I believe in us. I have been seeing more and more women at different cannabis events I attend but this is a very male-dominated industry. In the finance or accounting industry, I have seen the same. Personally, I am not only a woman, but a Black woman, so I do see the dominance of white males. But it is changing and I am confident that as women continue to uplift themselves and each other that the room will start to change.
Why do you think women are so underrepresented in leadership roles in cannabis?
Women don’t always have the same opportunity as men to establish themselves in leadership roles. Cannabis is technically a drug so, in my opinion, the stigma of cannabis plays a big part in representation. Some cultures still view it as taboo and women who are usually the caregiver of a family may not want to introduce cannabis to children even as a career topic. I know for myself getting into the cannabis business was a discussion that I had to have with my own children.
What are some ways in which companies can support gender diversity at senior levels?
Opportunity. Give an opportunity for a woman to be great and great things will happen.
Shout out your other favorite women-owned or women-led businesses in the industry.
Who/what are your favorite tools and resources in the industry?
LinkedIn, NY CAURD Coalition, CANY, Wei Hu, Paula Collins, NY Cannabis Insider, LI Cannabis Coalition.
What advice would you give your 25-year-old self? What advice would you give to the next generation of women leaders?
Invest in yourself and don’t apologize in doing so. Allow yourself to grow mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually and don’t be afraid to fail. It may be the best thing that happens to you.
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