High & Rising: AAPI Women Redefining Cannabis
This AAPI Heritage Month, Canapé is proud to honor four trailblazing AAPI women who are shaping the cannabis industry with vision, resilience, and purpose. These leaders aren’t just growing businesses—they’re building bridges across cultures, generations, and stigmas. As DC’s cannabis delivery service rooted in equity and community, we’re thrilled to spotlight the brilliance and boldness of these change-makers. The following references inspiring women featured on Asian American for Cannabis Education.
🌿 Mei-Ling Campbell — The Queen of the Cross Fade
A master of strategy and adaptability, Mei-Ling Campbell transitioned from the corporate world of tobacco to the creative chaos of cannabis—and she’s never looked back. As founder of Higher Dama Consulting, she’s helped brands navigate fragmented markets while staying rooted in equity and authenticity.
Her most recent highlight? Smoking an ice-cold steel bong at the National Cannabis Festival, just steps from the U.S. Capitol.
“Cannabis has come a long way from hotboxing hotel bathrooms. Now we get to celebrate it, out in the open, together.”
Mei-Ling brings structure to a freewheeling industry, and through her work, the cannabis community continues to become more inclusive, data-smart, and future-ready.
🍬 Angela Cheng — From Spirits to Spirit Plants
Angela Cheng, now leading national and international growth for KANHA, draws on deep marketing roots from Grey Goose and Bombay Sapphire to elevate cannabis branding. She’s brought experiential storytelling to cannabis—even as the industry fights for mainstream marketing access.
“We often expect magic in cannabis without the strategy or spend to back it up.”
Angela’s insights into hemp marketing vs. cannabis regulation reveal a seasoned operator with a deep love for building brands, empowering budtenders, and amplifying innovation.
🌞 Vy Nguyen — Edibles with Soul
Vy Nguyen co-founded Sunshine Brands to bring joy—and quality—to cannabis edibles. Her flagship product, Paradise Club, was born from a love of gummy texture, flavor balance, and a desire to make cannabis both fun and approachable.
Her first critic? Her mom.
“I told her [mom] I was making candy… then I added cannabis. She said, ‘Hmm. Not illegal, huh?’”
Vy’s story is full of humor, heart, and hustle. From family kitchen experiments to a full-scale edibles brand, she’s bringing cultural warmth and curiosity to every bite.
🚀 Natalie Tran — The Future Is Fluent
As a Partnerships Manager at Nabis, Natalie Tran is helping cannabis brands scale smarter and more sustainably. Born to Vietnamese refugees, Natalie balances her corporate hustle with a mission to educate—and de-stigmatize—cannabis within immigrant families.
“We question, research, and seek nuance. We’re not buying into the old narrative.”
Natalie’s vision includes a future of interstate commerce, bilingual cannabis guides, and culturally inclusive cannabis education. She represents a generation unafraid to challenge old norms while building something new.
🌸 Aisha Alves — Building the People Power
Aisha Alves didn’t expect to become a recruiter—but in cannabis, that’s exactly where she found her purpose. After pivoting from the beauty world during the pandemic, she joined FlowerHire and quickly rose from entry-level recruiter to State Director (Florida) and Director of Education + Programming at CannabisLAB.
“The cannabis industry is our generation’s dotcom era… so be prepared to wear a lot of hats, thrive in the grey, and be nimble.”
Aisha’s passion lies in connecting talent with opportunity—especially women and BIPOC professionals often left out of the hiring conversation. Through events like HAAPI Hour at MJBiz and her support of orgs like AACE and Asian Cannabis Roundtable, Aisha is building not just careers, but community.
🎉 Celebrating AAPI Excellence in Cannabis
Cannabis is more than a product—it’s a platform for self-expression, healing, and justice. These four women show us how AAPI identity and cannabis entrepreneurship can coexist boldly and beautifully.
This May, Canapé salutes Mei-Ling, Angela, Vy, Natalie, and Aisha. Their stories inspire us to keep pushing boundaries, asking deeper questions, and delivering more than just cannabis—delivering culture, compassion, and community. To read more about these badass babes, visit https://www.asianamericansforcannabis.org/news
Happy AAPI Heritage Month from all of us at Canapé.
Let’s continue to uplift and elevate—together.
