🎙️ From Harvard to Cannabis Distribution: Will Brophy's Journey Building the #1 Licensed Wholesaling Platform
In this inspiring episode, Will Brophy, Chief Operating Officer at Nabis, shares his remarkable journey from helping a college friend hire for an operations role to becoming COO of the nation's leading cannabis distribution platform operating across California, Nevada, and New York. Through candid stories about his wife recognizing his passion during a walk through Prospect Park, the "420 from hell" that exposed critical capacity planning flaws, building modern technology to let 400+ brands "choose their own adventure" with customizable pricing rules, and navigating banking restrictions where federally illegal status blocks access to Chase mortgages and most software vendors, Will reveals how Nabis is professionalizing cannabis distribution through best-in-class supply chain operations—proving that normalizing cannabis requires more than just removing stigma; it demands clean testing, accessible products, and railroad tracks built for an industry defining moment.
✨ Key Insights You'll Learn:
Wife's Prospect Park observation shifted career: "You sound way more excited about this than your real job"
Joined at 40 people with demand exceeding technological capacity, now 450+ employees across three states
Distribution role: warehousing, delivering to retailers, collecting capital, remitting to 400+ brands with 9,000+ SKUs
Technology differentiation: 2,000 customizable pricing rules letting brands "choose their own adventure" on self-service platform
"420 from hell" capacity crisis: 3-4X peak volume exposed warehouse overflow, drove four years of process improvements
Federal illegality cascades: no major bank access, 90% of software vendors initially unavailable, capital extremely difficult
California state vouching enabled East West Bank partnership that followed Nabis across state expansions
Testing critical after "vape gate": legacy market health crisis proved need for third-party testing and clean products
🌟 Will's Key Mentors & Influences:
June (Nabis Co-founder): College friend who convinced Will to leave finance for cannabis industry mission
Will's Wife: Recognized passion mismatch during Prospect Park walk, encouraged cross-country move to Oakland
Sean Arroyo (Nabis President): Brought liquor industry expertise from beer company and large distributor experience
Nabis Executive Team: Responded to "420 from hell" by working warehouse shifts alongside staff
Brand and Retail Partners: 400+ partners whose trust and feedback drive continuous platform improvement
👉 Don't miss this powerful conversation about professionalizing emerging industries, building technology that scales human relationships, leading through operational failures that become defining learning moments, and why the cannabis normalization fight extends beyond consumer perception to banking access and political advocacy.
🔗 Connect with Will Brophy:
LinkedIn: Will Brophy Email (Brand/Retail Partnerships): partnerships@nabis.com Nabis: #1 Licensed Cannabis Wholesaling Platform Markets: California, Nevada, New York Fleet: 90+ vehicles delivering 400+ brands and 9,000+ products Website: nabis.com
📄 Transcript Available: Building Railroad Tracks for Cannabis: Will Brophy's Mission Normalizing the Industry Through Nabis
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📄 Special Thanks to Anthony Codispoti & AddBack Benefits Agency: AddBack Benefits Agency - Providing innovative employee benefits solutions that improve employee well-being while optimizing your bottom line Website: addbackbenefits.com
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