Jess Dugan

Jess Dugan is right hand woman to cannabis industry pioneer, Mara Gordon. She is the Chief of Staff at The Oil Plant & manages the Aunt Zelda’s brand as seen in Ricki Lake’s groundbreaking film, Weed the People.

Her work draws on her experience as employee number one at The Arcview Group-- our nation's first cannabis investment firm--where she helped facilitate the funding of more than 60 companies with a capital raise of $50+ million and an additional $750k for drug policy reform initiatives. While stewarding Arcview’s investor community, she launched a business-mindfulness initiative to help combat the heavy demands felt across the emerging sector.

Jess believes a sustainable business starts with sustainable employees. Her commitment to wellness in the workplace has led her to produce and sell-out private retreats designed for cannabis professionals.

In 2017, Jess became the first teacher to expand Ganja Yoga™ -- a cannabis enhanced yoga practice -- into a new city. Her classes have been featured internationally and continue to grow with a returning student base.

Prior to her work in VC, Jess ran a conscious-living blog dedicated to the appreciation of live music and covered events internationally.

[Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.]