Who is April Pride?
April's work sits at three intersections.
Emerging markets and women's health.
Culture and regulation.
Experience and long-term behavior change.
photo credit: Alessandra Brescia
April Pride is a strategic creative, category builder, and serial entrepreneur working at the leading edge of emerging, highly regulated consumer markets where education is critical to public health.
Her career has been defined
not just by what she’s built, but
by when she built it.
Throughout her 20+ year career, April has consistently identified cultural and commercial shifts early—then translated them into products, platforms, and brands that shape how new categories take hold in the real world.
In 2015, she founded Van der Pop, a female-focused cannabis lifestyle brand that helped define how women engage with cannabis. Through original research, such as the Women & Weed Survey, and a distinctly design-forward approach, the benchmark brand became the most recognized female-focused cannabis brand and in 2018, was acquired by Canopy Growth, one of the world’s largest cannabis companies.
Watching a stigmatized, regulated market
evolve from fringe to mainstream
proved that consumer education
drives responsible adoption and leads to
better outcomes for individuals and industry.
Most recently, April founded SetSet, the first clinician-approved platform for women’s psychedelic education. She has expanded the conversation around women, plants, and wisdom through her Substack, live events like Psychedelic Salon, and a growing community of women seeking support during personal transformation.
Her work explores what happens
beyond the clinical setting—
where behavior, identity, and environment
shape outcomes
in ways that protocols alone cannot.
April is widely recognized for her ability to see patterns across industries and translate them into valuable consumer offerings. She is a sought-after speaker and advisor to founders, platforms, and investors navigating complex, fast-moving categories—bringing an intuitive perspective that blends consumer insight, regulatory awareness, and brand authority.
April holds a Master’s from
Parsons School of Design
and is a graduate of the
University of Virginia’s
School of Architecture.
She lives in Seattle, where
she nurtures her sons, plants,
and dog—rain or shine.
consulting for founders & brands
Work with April
Brand, product, experiential strategy
for businesses serving women —
The demographic responsible for
80% of consumer spending
and the secret to scaling.
a community for women (coming soon)
OF LIKE MINDS
A community for women pursuing
expanded health and happiness,
and exploring their own consciousness
to better contribute
to the greater collective.
Her vision is to increase
women’s capacity for creativity, courage,
and trusting in their own intuition.
Founding members are being invited now.
a gathering for women
Women in the Wild
Private gatherings at April’s home
in Seattle, a decriminalized city.
Small groups, carefully structured,
for women ready
for an evening exploring with intention.