Going Global: Maryland Cannabis Podcast
In this episode, we discuss the current state of cannabis in the state of Maryland. The interview with sisters Wendy Bronfein and Rebecca Raphael from Curio Wellness cover a variety of topics, including the growth of their company in the medical cannabis market in the state, facets of the newly enacted adult-use cannabis law, and the challenges facing the industry as it expands into adult-use.
Guests:
Wendy Bronfein, Co-Founder, Chief Brand Officer and Directory of Public Policy at Curio Wellness
Rebecca Raphel, Chief Revenue Officer at Curio Wellness
Host:
Jon Purow, Counsel at Zuber Lawler
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Explore Maryland Cannabis: Maryland Cannabis Licensing Opportunities
Wendy Bronfein Biography
Wendy Bronfein is Co-Founder, Chief Brand Officer and Director of Public Policy at Curio Wellness. As a member of the executive leadership team, Bronfein drives the company’s legislative agenda across multiple states, oversees the Curio brand, and all corporate communications. Under her leadership, Curio Wellness has become Maryland’s leading medical cannabis company, securing 90% brand awareness within the first year of operations.
Prior to starting Curio Wellness in 2016, Bronfein served as Creative Director of On-Air Promotions at LIVE! With Kelly & Michael from 2014-2016. In this role she oversaw the team responsible for launch, stunt and daily episodic promotion of the show. Bronfein also worked for NBC Universal’s Oxygen network where she rose from Senior Producer and Editor in 2010 to Creative Director in 2014.
Bronfein was a Managing Producer at BBC Worldwide Americas from 2006-2010 and has also served in various freelance production roles in New York and Los Angeles working on shows such as The Andy Milonakis Show, Wanda Does it, and The Sharon Osbourne Show.
Bronfein is a member of the Board of Directors for Pratt Contemporaries, affiliated with Baltimore City’s largest public library system. She is also on the Board of Directors for the Pearlstone Center in Baltimore, MD.
In 2017, Bronfein was named to Baltimore Business Journal’s 40 under 40 list and to Marijuana Venture’s “Women to Watch”.
She received her Bachelor of Arts in Electronic Media from The George Washington University and went on to receive her MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business.
Rebecca Raphael Biography
Rebecca comes to Curio with 12 years of sales experience in the art world’s commercial and non-profit sectors. Most recently, she was the Director of Collector Relations at Artsy, a technology and arts startup with a mission to make art accessible to anyone with an internet connection. Over her 6.5 years with the company, she helped launch three businesses—inquiry management, online and live auctions, and private sales. Additionally, it was her responsibility to usher in and manage relationships with high profile clients, including Sotheby’s and the San Francisco Museum of Art. What began as a three-month consulting job, Rebecca parlayed into one of the company’s longest tenured positions while working remotely from her home in Syracuse and traveling to New York, Los Angeles, and London to meet objectives and manage a team of Artsy specialists.
In her new role, Rebecca will be responsible for developing effective sales strategies and implementing strategic sales plans and forecasts to achieve company objectives. In addition, she’ll be responsible for meeting with customers and assisting the sales team with maintaining relationships as well as negotiating and closing wholesale agreements. In concert with Deanna Reed, Brand Ambassador Manager, and Joe Hopkins, Order Fulfillment and Inventory Manager, Rebecca will work to ensure that Curio’s salesforce and sales results lead the market.