We had the good fortune of connecting with Summer Westerbur and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Summer, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
The cannabis industry is filled with innovative, thoughtful, dedicated, brilliant people. We are also a global community with friends anywhere we go. Last week while speaking at a cannabis conference in Jamaica, I visited a cannabis farm in Orange Hill. Our guide explained Orange Hill is a community farm project. Cannabis tends to attract passionate activists. Some are passionate about the healing potential of the plant. Others, like me, are most passionate about normalizing and ending the drug war that has destroyed so many lives. Some people are motivated by the potential of hemp to reduce climate catastrophe. It is a community of activists trying to use their platforms and positions to make the world a better place. We choose to work in a highly-regulated industry when most of us could make more money in less regulated industries.
Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Kairos Insurance Group Cannabis Division was one of the first employee benefits companies to openly assist cannabis companies. As an agency located in Colorado, we had the opportunity to work with cannabis companies early. Cannabis companies struggle to find banking solutions and in those days, frequently needed to pay their bills in cash. I recognized a real need for experienced business professionals to solve their unique problems. Just a few years ago, very few health insurance companies would provide health insurance to cannabis companies. It was a real struggle to find a carrier to underwrite the policies. Today, we still struggle to place group disability policies and life insurance. I have been a licensed health insurance agent since 2004 and like a challenge. I also discovered a community of cannabis clients I really enjoyed working with. They are targeted by predatory insurance carriers and just appreciate having someone knowledgeable and honest. It was the perfect fit for me. I lost clients when I began advertising my cannabis division, but I gained satisfaction in my career. I recently launched my own line of full-spectrum whole plant CBD/CBG products: Simcha.
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?
We would spend our morning working at the Wild Goose coffee shop downtown. I don’t really have days off and I love a good latte. I would definitely take them hiking at Red Rock Canyon and a quick drive through Garden of the Gods. We would enjoy drinks at Odyssey Gastropub. Downtown Colorado Springs has changed a lot since I moved here in 2002. It is known for its conservative, evangelical mainstream culture but downtown is the center of a vibrant counterculture community. You will always run into familiar activists in these spaces.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Robert Hoban, a corporate and M&A attorney, who sits at the center of the world’s largest commercial cannabis industry network, is both a mentor and friend. The management team at Herring Bank in Colorado Springs.
Client and friend Mark Eccer at Healing Canna whose valuable guidance helped me enter the plant-touching side of the industry.
My mom, Sandee Wilson, who mentored me in the insurance industry since I was a teenager managing her agency.
Website: Kairosinsurancegroup.com and simchalife.com and cannainsurancepro.com
Instagram: kairos1130
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/summerwesterbur/
Image Credits
CanEx Jamaica