Dr. Chanda Macias

NEW ORLEANS, USA // Dr. Chanda Macias is a trailblazer in the legal cannabis industry many times over. In 2015 she became the country’s first woman of color (WOC) medical cannabis operator as CEO of National Holistic™ Healing Center (NHHC) in Washington DC. A few years later, she became the first WOC MSO (multistate operator) in the United States as CEO of Ilera Holistic Healthcare in Louisiana.

At Ilera Holistic, Dr. Macias maintains a unique strategic partnership with Southern University, one of only two cannabis license holders authorized to provide medical cannabis statewide. In 2020, this partnership made history twice when Southern became the first HBCU in the country to launch hemp-based and cannabis-based THC products.

As the Chairwoman of the Board of Managers and CEO for Women Grow, the global leader in connecting, educating, inspiring, and empowering the next generation of women leaders in the cannabis and hemp Industry, she leads the organization’s mission to educate women entrepreneurs and patients.

Dr. Macias is also the co-Vice Chair of the National Cannabis Roundtable (NCR) Board, dedicated to promoting common sense federal legislation, tax equity, and financial services reform.
She serves as an advisory council member on Benzinga Cannabis and Marijuana Business Daily, and has previously served on the Board of Directors for the Minority Cannabis Business Association, focusing on business development for communities adversely impacted by the War on Drugs. In her local markets, she proactively engages in legislation, regulations, and compliance, and is a proud member of Americans for Safe Access.

Dr. Macias earned her MBA in Supply Chain Management from Rutgers University, and her PhD in Cellular Biology from Howard University, where she was later the Director of STEM Education in the College of Engineering, Architecture, and Computer Sciences. Dr. Macias also served as the Queen Zulu Select for Mardi Gras 2020 and 2021, and additionally holds a cannabis license in West Virginia.