420NJEvents Wins the "Excellence in Social Equity" Canny at the First Ever Cannabis Awards Show Hosted by NJ.com & NJ Cannabis Insider
In what’s already been a historic year for New Jersey legal weed after the doors opened to consumers April 21, business insiders celebrated achievements in the industry at the first-ever Garden State cannabis awards gala Thursday night.
NJ Cannabis Insider, a trade journal and events group that is part of the NJ Advance Media newsroom, hosted the upscale event for some the state’s most prominent business and policy leaders at a transformed Carteret Performing Arts Center.
Enrique Lavin, NJ Cannabis Insider publisher and editor, hosted the awards banquet, which featured a live band under a stylized canopy of light and stage fog. Some 200 insiders, including guests who came from as far as Colorado and Texas, showed off their style and fashion in contrast to business or casual attire typical at most industry events across the country.
Winners in 12 categories, including four Publisher’s Choice awards, were handed a statuette called The Canny to recognized their achievements in the cannabis space. They were:
- CannaCoverage, an insurance company owned by Nichelle Santos, for Minority Business of the Year.
- NJ Cannabis Certified, Sarah Trent, for Women-owned Business of the Year.
- Sapphire Risk Advisory Group and CEO Tony Gallo, for Excellence in Consultancy and Professional Services.
- Cova, a point of sale software company and CEO Gary Cohen, for Excellence in Innovation.
- Hiller, PC, and firm partner Lauren Rudick, for Excellence in Cannabis Law.
- Trichome Analytical, a cannabis testing lab and CEO Kristen Goedde, for Excellence in Healthcare and Life Sciences.
- 420NJEvents, a minority advocacy group helmed by Brendon Robinson and Stan Okoro, for Excellence in Social Equity.
- And Hance Construction and CEO Art Hance, for Excellence in Commercial Building Operations. Hance Construction was also named Founding Sponsor for its support of NJ Cannabis Insider since its inception in 2018.
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