Todd Hughes

Todd Hughes, PMP is a graduate of Howard University’s school of computer science, architecture, and engineering, a serial entrepreneur, community organizer, and mechanical engineer from Pittsburgh, PA. Todd focuses his attention on facilitating entrepreneurship through his company, EntreVation (Entrepreneurship + Innovation), a business accelerator and consultancy in Washington, DC. He has applied his engineering and analytical skills, as well as his project management expertise toward helping establish numerous businesses that practice corporate social responsibility and diversity in the cannabis industry.

Over the last 10 years Todd has emerged as a thought leader and passionate change agent within the cannabis industry. His advocacy work has removed implicit biases, facilitated reform, and enabled minority equities in an otherwise unstructured and unstable industry. More recently, Todd has forged a relationship between the Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA) and Cannabis Venture Capital Firm, Merida Capital Partners in an effort to lower barriers to entry for minorities into the Cannabis Industry through the Inclusive Industry (i2) Accelerator. i2 resulted in $500,000.00 awarded to minority owned businesses. Todd’s extensive experience reflects his commitment to creating and maintaining diversity in the cannabis industry, through professional development, community engagement and governmental collaboration. Todd is also the board chair of MCBA where he has assisted in executing multiple policy summits that resulted in model bills for the Federal, State, and Municipal levels. The language from these model policies were used by political leaders as references for constructing new legislation, particularly in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Todd is also leading strategy for BLVCK MRKT Cannabis, a licensed cannabis cultivation and retail business in Maryland.