GoKawiilFast Company panel: Cann, Folx Health, Daré Bioscience leaders on scaling stigmatized industries
At a Fast Company-moderated discussion, executives from cannabis brand Cann, telehealth provider Folx Health, and biotech firm Daré Bioscience described how they built profitable companies in sectors long considered taboo—cannabis, gender-affirming care, and sexual wellness. The panelists, including Cann cofounder Jake Bullock, Folx CEO Liana Guzmán, and Daré CEO Sabrina Martucci Johnson, discussed operating amid funding gaps, regulatory hurdles, and public backlash.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
These industries have grown into multibillion-dollar markets despite facing disproportionate barriers compared to mainstream sectors, including frozen research grants, state-level restrictions, and abrupt policy shifts like hemp bans. The panel highlights how founders in stigmatized categories must build resilience and adaptive strategies that mainstream businesses rarely need to consider.
- Cannabis, sexual wellness, and gender-affirming care have become large markets despite ongoing stigma.
- Founders in these sectors face unique challenges: funding freezes, regulatory unpredictability, and social pushback.
- Leaders from Cann, Folx Health, and Daré Bioscience shared strategies for scaling businesses under sustained opposition.
Source: fastcompany.com, 2026-09-17
Published there as: “Scaling against the current: How to build through opposition”
Read the original report → The summary and analysis above are GoKawiil's own, written from reporting by the source above. Facts and quotes belong to the original publisher.