When Crystal Bahena joined Green Thumb’s sprawling employee base of more than 4,000 after having worked at organizations with less than 40 team members, she felt overwhelmed to say the least.
The social and digital content manager found herself in a place that many new hires have been in before: searching for a sense of belonging.
She found it in Green Thumb’s employee resource group, “Siempre Juntos,” which is dedicated to uplifting members of the Latinx community and their allies.
So what makes the ERG a standout? According to Bahena, it comes down to several factors, including a sound structure, a focus on transparency and, most importantly, an emphasis on relationship building.
“Siempre Juntos has given me a sense of community and opportunities to build connections that I wouldn’t have experienced elsewhere,” she said.
For these reasons and more, Siempre Juntos has made Bahena feel more connected to her peers and the business as a whole, enabling her to cherish moments that she considers her “favorite memories at Green Thumb” so far. Below, she shares more about how the ERG is effectively structured, the impact of its cultural initiatives and how her involvement in the group has positively shaped her experience at the company.
Guided by the aim to drive “well-being through the power of cannabis,” Green Thumb manufactures and distributes various cannabis brands, including Dogwalkers, Good Green and Doctor Solomon’s. The company’s retail stores, which operate under the name RISE Dispensary, can be found in cities across the United States.
What structure is in place to uphold the Siempre Juntos ERG, and how do the individuals involved keep the group running smoothly?
Green Thumb recognizes that the size and needs of our multiple ERGs vary, so each ERG sets its own structure. Siempre Juntos holds quarterly calls with our steering committee — a small group of leaders within Siempre Juntos — to review our plans and progress for each quarter.
At the start of the year, we divide our programming by quarter, with two to three ERG leaders volunteering to take the lead for each period. This approach ensures that the workload is distributed evenly rather than falling on one person. We prioritize transparency, which includes checking in with team members, brainstorming ideas and being honest about when a change in programming is needed due to shifts in capacity.
“We prioritize transparency, which includes checking in with team members, brainstorming ideas and being honest about when a change in programming is needed due to shifts in capacity.”
There are also ways ERG leaders collaborate with leaders from other groups throughout the year. We hold quarterly calls in which leaders and executive sponsors from all Green Thumb ERGs come together to support and learn from one another. These calls are also a source of inspiration, offering insights into what other ERGs are doing and providing opportunities to ask questions and navigate any challenges.
What initiatives does Siempre Juntos and the company’s other ERGs host, and how do these events celebrate different cultural heritages?
At the start of each year, all of our ERGs identify the cultural moments each group wants to prioritize. From this list, we work with our communications and marketing teams to highlight these key moments and provide the ERGs with a platform for employees to share their voices.
For example, ERG leaders collaborate closely with our communications team to draft internal email campaigns during selected cultural moments. These campaigns typically include resources curated by ERG leaders, which are designed to raise awareness and provide actionable items to our thousands of team members.
As a leader in Siempre Juntos, we’ve also organized fireside chats featuring Latin@s in leadership positions at Green Thumb. These chats hold space to have open and honest conversations with fellow ERG members. Additionally, we’re able to learn more about other leaders in the cannabis industry while being able to relate to them on a cultural level.
How has your involvement with Siempre Juntos positively impacted your time at Green Thumb?
Before joining Green Thumb, I lacked experience in the cannabis industry, and I had primarily worked at companies with less than 60 employees; a major contrast to our team member base that surpasses 4,000. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being a part of this dynamic role and industry, but it was definitely overwhelming at first. Siempre Juntos has given me a sense of community and opportunities to build connections that I wouldn’t have experienced elsewhere. It provides me with insights into the expertise of other team members, helping me understand different aspects of the business more clearly. The moments during which we create space for genuine connection through this ERG have become some of my favorite memories at Green Thumb.
