It’s been a minute since the last time I posted, but the Ratiofarm has been incredibly busy these past few years. 2019 started out with several exciting collaborations including Mahlkonig Coffee Grinders, Morton Salt, and Rishi Tea. And then, all of a sudden, I was swept up into the burgeoning, cyclonic world of cannabis as I began a position as a Senior Graphic Designer for Rise Dispensaries at Green Thumb Industries (GTI) in Chicago.
About the time I felt I had finally found my footing, Rise began its 3rd rebrand, which I helped direct. Simultaneously, I was co-creating what would become one of GTI’s most popular brands, &Shine, as well as advising on Green Thumb’s corporate rebrand. On January 1st, 2020, the Illinois cannabis market became recreational, which was a massive undertaking in and of itself. We started the roll-out of the new Rise brand identification…and COVID hit. Where my team had plans to open exciting stores with beautiful merchandise and a focus on in-store experience, we suddenly had to shift to being a web-based retailer with a glorified pick-up window as the store experience. With astoundingly dexterous leadership and foresight from the then-brand director, Meg Kinney, we pivoted rapidly and with aplomb and grew the business in 13 states over the next 2 years, all while working remotely! Additionally, I did a complete overhaul of the &Shine brand identity, created in-store experiences in Nevada, and spent time in Oregon and California helping to conceive and direct photoshoots for Rise lifestyle and in-store experience. It was a complete whirlwind.
Halfway through 2021, my partner and I realized that we needed easier access to the outdoors than living in Chicago was able to provide. Working from home, partially due to the pandemic, afforded us an opportunity we thought we would never have until much later in our lives and we decided to up sticks and move to the country. We took a targeted tour of New England with the intention of finding a preferable location to hunt for property in over the following year. Instead, we almost immediately fell in love with a house and community nestled in the Berkshires. Two months later we were settled into a beautiful, well-preserved Victorian home in the shadow of Mount Greylock in a little Western Massachusetts village. The Northern Berkshires are a hidden gem and I’m still in disbelief daily that we live here! We take full advantage of the multitude of outdoor activities that are available to us now, as well as the amazing community of artisans and farmers we’re fortunate enough to have found ourselves in the midst of. We’re surrounded by mountains, valleys, farms, truly kind neighbors, and world-class restaurants, as well as the largest contemporary art museum in the country, Mass MoCA, a mere ten minute drive from our door. I never imagined that a pandemic would bring so many opportunities to us.
Since the move to New England, I’ve also moved laterally within Green Thumb. I’m now out of retail and on brands, working once again on &Shine (the number one vape brand in Illinois in 2022!) as well as one of our other most popular brands, Dogwalkers Pre-rolls. It was an amazing experience working in retail cannabis, learning how the customer-facing side of the industry works. I had the unusual opportunity in this new industry to create merchandise, in-store experience, and promotional materials and even help with one of the nation’s first cannabis consumption lounges. I learned so much along that journey, but I’m thrilled to have the chance to focus on packaging and brands again. I’m looking forward to the new perspectives and experiences on the horizon!
The view of Mount Greylock from behind my home
