We’re excited to announce that five New Yorkers 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 New York winners are two Top Award Recipients: Antoinette Picone of North Tonawanda and Kameko Overs of Batavia.
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.
Picone was awarded a tuition-free seat to SUNY Niagara cannabis courses, passes to the SUNY Cannabis Conference, a tuition-free seat to the Operator Academy and free seats in Green CulturED cannabis certificate programs.
Picone is a gold medal winner at the American Culinary Federation Cannabis Cooking Competition. She graduated with honors from the NFCI Pastry Institute and hopes to blend her knowledge of pastries with her experience as a legacy grower in Colorado.
“I would like to teach in some capacity or start a small business by blending my background in massage therapy and pastry arts with the cannabis industry,” she wrote in her application essay. “I’m passionate about learning everything I can about the cannabis industry, and growing new opportunities to build a small business utilizing my accumulated knowledge.”
Overs was awarded a mentorship with one of the scientists at the Network of Applied Pharmacognosy and tickets to the SUNY Cannabis Conference.
Overs is a medical cannabis patient who graduated with honors from SUNY Niagara’s cannabis program. She began work on her bachelor’s degree in Medicinal Plant Science this fall with a goal of working in cannabis research.
“I want to study how cannabis can be better understood, applied, and shared in ways that improve patient care and advance scientific knowledge,” she wrote in her application essay. “Cannabis has given so much to my family and me, and I am committed to giving back through research, advocacy and education.”
Other New York award winners include:
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Kristal Ramirez of the Bronx was awarded free seats in the Green CulturED Responsible Vendor Training Program, awarded a tuition-free seat to the Operator Academy and a consulting and mentorship with CEO and host of The Canna Boss Babes podcast;
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Adele Green of Brooklyn was awarded free seats in the Green CulturED Responsible Vendor Training Program; and
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John Averill of Cheektowaga 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:
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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.
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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).
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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.
