Please join us in a virtual networking session, featuring our guest speakers, Amanda Gettes, Executive Director – Strategic Initiatives and Dhyia Thompson-Phillips, Executive Director, Workforce Equity, Olive Harvey College

The hour-long session is fully focused on building connection, alignment, and community among IWC members. While it’s undoubtedly tough to create community while the world is virtual, this will be a strategic session that seeks to support authentic opportunities for professional growth. The session will include a post-event directory to promote continued connection.

Groups will rotate every 15 minutes to keep the networking flowing. Networkers should have their intros ready: Name, business, or specialty, or role, and what business opportunities are you seeking.

Olive-Harvey College (OHC), a community college on the southeast side of Chicago, one of the City Colleges of Chicago has a growing cannabis education and training program. Development of the program has included creating a robust Advisory Council which consists of college stakeholders, Industry leaders, community partners, government agencies and social equity license applicants. The council has driven curriculum development, workforce opportunities and program improvements, such as mentoring and soft skill training. In addition to the council, we have hired multiple industry professionals as adjunct faculty to assist with the creation and teach the different courses. In Fall of 2019, OHC was awarded a $1.5 million dollar workforce equity grant which helped fund the program. Our first year we had 120 enrollees into our Dispensary Operations basic certificate with a 75% completion rate. Fall 2021 will be the start of the full suite of programs including cultivation, processing, business and transfer track programs with an Associate of Science.