Mary and Main

Hope Wiseman, CEO and co-founder of Mary and Main, is a trailblazing entrepreneur in the cannabis industry. Along with her mother, Dr. Octavia Simkins-Wiseman, she established a Black-owned dispensary in Capitol Heights, focusing on wellness, education and safe cannabis use.

As a young Black woman in a challenging field, Wiseman has overcome obstacles like limited access to capital and underestimation by potential partners. She prioritizes women’s empowerment, with 70% of her staff being female. Hope’s achievements include participating in Gov. Wes Moore’s historic cannabis-related pardon signing and hosting a virtual fireside chat about equity in Maryland’s cannabis industry.

What does it mean to you to be a women-owned business?

Being a woman-owned business means breaking barriers and creating space for women, particularly women of color, in industries where we’ve been underrepresented. It’s about more than entrepreneurship, it’s about empowerment and creating a platform where women can thrive and claim their seat at the table. I love to use my businesses to demonstrate the power that women can bring to the industry. Being a woman in business allows me to mentor and uplift women entrepreneurs.

What challenges have you faced as a women-owned business?

As a Black woman in the cannabis industry, there have been obstacles, from lacking access to capital to being underestimated by potential partners and investors. The cannabis industry, being highly regulated, often requires upfront investment and Black women are disproportionately underfunded. On top of that, being a younger woman in this space means constantly proving my worth.

This profile is part of The Daily Record's In the Lead: Best Women-Owned Businesses in Maryland list for 2024. Information used in this profile was sourced from the honoree. See the full list at thedailyrecord.com.