Meet O’Neil Rudolph | CEO of cannachange

We had the good fortune of connecting with O’Neil Rudolph and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi O’Neil, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
For me, not taking risks has always felt riskier than taking them. When I’ve been at points in my life where I was so unhappy, so unfulfilled, and felt completely stuck, taking a risk was the only way to get out of that space, and deciding not to take them would mean allowing those feelings to grow and take over, which has always seemed much scarier. One of the most memorable times where that applied was when I worked so hard to get into the college I thought I’d be happiest at, moved my whole life to another state to attend that college, and then found myself at a complete loss when I realized the college experience was not at all for me. I’ve always loved learning- in fact- it’s my favorite thing to do. However, people so often mistake attending classes, passing tests, and memorizing information for the purpose of receiving a simple letter grade that feels definitive of your worth with learning. None of that is learning, and I’d argue that the way our education system functions often discourages learning. I know people who absolutely thrive in school and love the type of learning that they receive through the education system, but I knew I needed more. I wanted to learn in the real world. I wanted to make mistakes outside of school and learn from them as my form of education. I wanted to take risks and remove myself from the box that I had forced myself into of “needing college” to be seen as intelligent and worthy in the world, and so I did. I find myself going by the phrase “ask for forgiveness, never permission” quite a lot, and although I know that’s not always a realistic way to function, that’s how I went about dropping out of college. I withdrew from my classes, lined up job interviews, created a plan for where I would be six months from then, and when everything was aligning, I revealed the decision I had made. During that time, I also started working on a business called cannachange, something I was so passionate and excited about- the exact feelings I had been lacking in college that made me feel so stuck. I worked so hard on cannachange and have now launched my own app and am working to further expand my business while remaining motivated, passionate, and excited to keep taking risks. I could’ve never done any of that and felt truly accomplished, fulfilled, and successful without taking a risk and making a decision that many people would disapprove of. I truly don’t believe there’s a better feeling in the world than being scared to take a risk, taking it anyways, and seeing yourself reap the rewards right before your eyes.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
The cannachange app allows consumers to return their recyclable cannabis packaging to participating dispensaries for points that turn into dispensary credit. As a consumer that regularly uses cannabis for medical reasons, I quickly realized how much waste I was accumulating with my use. After learning that the cannabis industry produces over 150 million tons of waste every year, I felt compelled to change the way consumers like me dispose of their cannabis packaging. I knew that most of the packaging for the products I purchase is recyclable, but most of it would go to the landfill if it wasn’t diverted to a different waste stream like a recycling facility. Unfortunately, even when cannabis packaging is disposed of in a typical recycling bin, most of it goes straight to the landfill. This inspired me to facilitate a sustainability initiative that strives for consumer engagement and creates strong customer loyalty for dispensaries that care about sustainability, and I felt that an app was the best way to do so. There’s such a high consumer demand for cannabis sustainability initiatives, so if consumers are offered a very direct and accessible recycling option like cannachange, dispensaries can differentiate themselves and increase their profitability, so it’s beneficial for everyone involved.

Some dispensaries have tried to implement independent recycling programs, which I think is great, but the problem arises when there’s no consumer incentive. Incentivizing consumers creates the strong customer loyalty that dispensaries need to differentiate themselves from others and increase their profitability. If you’re listening to the high consumer demand for sustainability initiatives and giving them something like dispensary credit to keep them coming back, you’ve mastered the key to creating consumer loyalty, and cannachange helps seamlessly implement that into dispensaries. Independent recycling programs also don’t allow consumers to track their waste, which is another huge incentive, and motivates consumers to keep participating in cannachange and coming back to dispensaries that participate in cannachange as well.

As for the challenges I’ve had to overcome, some states are still lacking on sustainability legislation and the implementation of sustainability initiatives, along with reliable recycling services. Unfortunately, many companies that start with a mission of sustainability get caught up in what’s often referred to as “greenwashing”, meaning what’s supposed to be sustainable doesn’t remain that way. This can lead items that should be recycled to still end up in the landfill, which is exactly what we’re working so hard to avoid, so we make sure our participating dispensaries have well established relationships with recycling services on the back-end before they make cannachange available to their customers. This may mean that states lacking in recycling services won’t have access to cannachange as soon as those that have well established recycling services, which has been a challenge, but we’re working hard to make both recycling services and initiatives like cannachange more available in states that need it.

Additionally, considering most of the people in executive positions in any given industry are white, straight, cis men, starting a company as a Black, LGBTQ+ woman that involves the cannabis, tech, and sustainability industries has brought many challenges. Being at the intersection of three industries that are even more clearly male dominated comes with the pressure to prove yourself and your worth, even if you’re confident in what you bring to the table. I often get addressed in a condescending tone by men in executive positions, and they ask questions as if I’ll slip up and won’t know the answer- even if it’s regarding my own business. Then involving race and sexuality brings even more of a challenge when I’m regularly conversing with people who have never faced the discrimination I face on a daily basis, which effects all aspects of my life including my career. It’s also been really difficult to navigate the world of entrepreneurship being only 19, but I see my age as an advantage and it gives me even more pride in what I have and will continue to accomplish with cannachange and beyond. I’m most proud of my ability to stay true to myself and my values in the face of adversity, and to remain proud of my identity, regardless of what obstacles I’ve had to overcome.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would definitely take them to all my favorite vegan spots- Metaburger, Native Foods, City o City, and Watercourse foods. Next on our list would be Meow Wolf. I recently went and am still in awe of all the exhibits and the insane amount of thought and detail that went into creating each one. Having a picnic at City Park or visiting the Botanic Gardens on a sunny day is always nice and two more things that we’d definitely do. The Denver Art Museum is great, and I love the MCA for more eclectic exhibits, so I’d make sure we had time for those too!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My mom is so unconditionally supportive, loving, and caring and has helped me grow as a person more than she’ll ever know. No matter what choices I make and how many mistakes come along with them, she’s always there to support me and never lets me forget that. She’s such a ray of light with an abundance of wisdom, and anyone who gets to be in the presence of her is so lucky. I would’ve never been able to create something like cannachange and push through the obstacles of doing so without her guidance and I’m so grateful for her. Also, right around the time I had the idea for cannachange and started turning it into more, I read a book called the Celestine Prophecy. It changed my life and the way I think about my “purpose”- including with my career- and I recommend it to everyone, especially if you’re feeling like you’ve lost your way in life or aren’t sure what to do next.

Website: https://cannachange.co/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cannachange/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/canna-change

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cannachange-106587935194210/