Vireo Health Becomes First Cannabis Company to Join Growing Coalition of Nearly 900 Organizations Committed to Promoting Workplace Diversity
MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Vireo Health International, Inc. (“Vireo” or the “Company”) (CNSX: VREO; OTCQX: VREOF), a leading physician-founded, science-focused multi-state cannabis company today announced that the Company’s CEO and Founder Kyle Kingsley, M.D. has signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ Pledge.
Vireo Health is the first cannabis company in the nation to sign the pledge, which affirms the Company’s commitment to cultivate a workplace where diverse people, perspectives, and experiences are welcomed, and where all employees feel empowered.
CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ is the largest CEO driven business commitment to advance diversity and inclusion within the workplace. This commitment is driven by a realization that addressing diversity and inclusion is not a competitive issue, but a societal issue that CEOs can play a critical role in addressing. The coalition is a unique collaborative of nearly 900 CEOs of the world’s leading companies, representing more than 85 industries including finance, healthcare, automotive, commercial aviation and entertainment.
Diversity has always been a cornerstone of Vireo’s culture and I am proud to sign the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion Pledge. Along with the rare opportunity to build an entirely new industry, comes a unique responsibility.
Founder & CEO Kyle Kingsley, M.D.
At Vireo, we believe it is incumbent upon us to ensure that diversity and inclusion become key components of the cannabis industry. Signing this pledge demonstrates our commitment to diversity and recognition that there is still much work ahead of us.
The purpose of CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion is to help companies honestly and directly address the concerns and needs of diverse employees and increase equity for all, including Blacks, Latinos, Asians, Native Americans, LGBTQ, disabled, veterans and women. By doing so, companies will become better at engaging and supporting underrepresented groups within their business.
In Vireo’s workforce of more than 400 employees, 62% identify as women, minorities, and/or vets. Additionally, almost half of Vireo’s senior management team and three of its seven Board Directors are women or individuals from diverse backgrounds.
A recent survey of the cannabis industry found that less than 40% of employees across the industry were female-identifying individuals and a majority of companies had one or fewer women in a senior leadership position.
Chief Administrative Officer Amber Shimpa
At Vireo, we’re committed to building an environment that welcomes and empowers employees from all backgrounds. We will therefore continue to promote diversity inside Vireo and within the wider cannabis industry.
About Vireo Health International, Inc.
Vireo Health International, Inc.’s mission is to build the cannabis company of the future by bringing the best of medicine, engineering and science to the cannabis industry. Vireo’s physician-led team of more 400 employees provides best-in-class cannabis products and customer experience. Vireo cultivates cannabis in environmentally friendly greenhouses, manufactures pharmaceutical-grade cannabis extracts, and sells its products at both company-owned and third-party dispensaries. The Company currently is licensed in eleven markets including Arizona, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, and Rhode Island. For more information about the Company, please visit www.vireohealth.com.
