since 2016, Creator of the Most trusted brands for women with open,curious Minds

 
 
 

2016

https://www.forbes.com/sites/julieweed/2016/02/20/van-der-pop-keeps-cannabis-in-style-with-upscale-accessories/#15ad9c4d5e50

When April Pride considered the way her friends stored their marijuana and the type of experience they wanted to have, she noticed a mismatch. “Storing pot in washed out jars and plastic baggies doesn’t give the experience a very luxurious feeling” she said, “and people don’t necessarily want Rastafarian colors or dragons on their gear.”  A serial entrepreneur with a Masters degree from the Parsons School of Design, Pride set about creating storage pieces and accessories for upscale marijuana consumers. Her new company, Seattle-based Van der Pop, launched in January 2016.

2017 

https://www.salon.com/2017/05/28/meet-the-stylish-entrepreneur-making-cannabis-gear-that-women-actually-want_partner/

“Women don’t want to go into dispensaries,” Pride says, noting men run many of the shops. “They find them intimidating and they’re worried they’re going to run into their kid’s teacher.”

“When I discovered Van der Pop, I thought ‘What a breath of fresh air,’” says Gigi Mae Cueva, a merchandising consultant who wants to work with Pride and is a cannabis user herself. “Men just think women are such delicate figures that it’s not what they expect. I think with [Pride] coming into play, it sheds some light that we do think about [weed] in a certain way, in a sexualized way. I think it’s great Van der Pop can break that mold.”

https://coveteur.com/2017/05/22/cannabis-skincare-products-actually-work/#

Until then, Van der Pop is launching a range of hemp seed oil beauty products in just a few days. Hemp seed oil contains less than 0.3% THC concentration, and therefore has been used widely in skincare already. “Hemp seeds contain all kinds of goodness, like vitamins A and E, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and it’s high in antioxidants,” says Pride. When the 5-piece range of all-natural serums and pimple-clearing creams arrive in their sleek black lacquer jars, I’m reminded of the antique ashtray given to me by my grandmother, and the skin-softening balm leaves my hands silky until evening.

2018

https://www.inc.com/cathy-huyghe/leadership-lessons-from-entrepreneurial-women-in-marijuana-industry.html

Your definition of success may not be anyone else's definition of success.

April Pride founded Van der Pop, a cannabis lifestyle brand created for the modern day woman, as a resource beyond what's traditionally accepted or ubiquitous. It's for women who seek out what speaks to them, regardless of expectations.

The same is true for Pride when it comes to defining success. She wasn't described as an entrepreneur, she said, until she sold her second company. Her professional focus, regardless, remained steadily on doing what was right for herself and with her family's best interests in mind.

"Overcoming these 'serious' challenges lies in recognizing the good results of my efforts and choices," she said. "There's great confidence that has come with success on my own terms."

"Fun" industries are real industries too.

Just because we work in "fun" industries (like wine, cannabis, fashion and design), and just because we are often more visibly juggling work and home responsibilities, doesn't mean women entrepreneurs take our business endeavors any less seriously.

Whether the challenge to be taken seriously derives from our gender or from a work-life balancing act that can appear out of balance, it's familiar territory, particularly for self-described creatives who work in "fun" industries.

"Before I was a woman to take seriously," Pride said, "I was a seriously driven girl."

Part of that motivation and drive extends to the advocacy component of cannabis use. Pride's personal evolution from recreational cannabis consumer to advocate, she said, "was born out of being a mother who cannot deny the plight of other mothers; as the 'last resort' medical alternative for a child, desperation leads women to cannabis, not deviance."

2019

https://www.forbes.com/sites/katieshapiro/2019/11/19/podcast-drop-how-to-do-the-pot-answers-most-googled-cannabis-questions-for-women/

Today, one of the smartest yet has dropped, promising to give women guidance on How to do the Pot. The seasonal, narrative podcast tackles the most common questions curious female cannabis consumers Google most—usually in secret. 

Through her work, Pride recognized that women were an underserved and fast-growing market who wanted information about cannabis, especially as legalization and positive acceptance continued to spread across North America. Her foresight earned her the title from FASHION magazine (aka Canada’s Vogue) as “the unofficial godmother of the women and weed movement.” 

2020

Green Entrepreneur 

2021

Wana Brands podcast Demystifying Cannabis

2022

https://fieldtripping.fm/episodes/bonus-ep-the-high-guide-with-april-pride/

2023

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/setset-novel-psychedelic-card-game-183500400.html?guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAALn7Pq2MzVAoWIl_e8o-c1CnOHrdDpORoJJw4th7LVu2m8cjEHooYYvLatoKMPOl3qofNyjJ7Xves8oXa16OmkAJhQzTvXQkDyc0cRmcQYM68L8KMRv5EUK226f6CyTMSGOWGUzpVvLFiqCaPQ3Fkts2G4tTMDW0MAVHij8DoXez&_guc_consent_skip=1727715133

SetSet the Psychedelic Integration Card Game, created by North American cannabis industry pioneers is premiering at Wonderland Conference by Microdose on November 9-11 in Booth #401.

SetSet can also be used for "Set & Setting" work ahead of your trip planning, in-trip exploration, and integration work (post-trip). By providing structure in the form of a card game, SetSet can also reduce anxiety and, therefore, the potential "bad trip" experiences.

https://medium.com/authority-magazine/wisdom-from-the-women-leading-the-cannabis-industry-with-april-pride-of-the-high-guide-f35427f1c4b0

Earn trust by speaking honestly to your community. In both cannabis and psychedelics, proving that you’re a trusted source is difficult for a variety of reasons. I chose to launch a podcast because listeners are 6x more likely to make a purchase they heard about from a podcast host they trust than if they’d heard about it from any other source. That’s compelling intel when you consider how difficult it is for brands to find their customers today.

2024

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/aprilpride_thank-you-remind-for-the-opportunity-to-share-activity-7270102841304739841-_K_U?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

https://www.tricycleday.com/p/psychedelics-without-mansplaining

April Pride dove into psychedelics after hitting it big as a cannabis entrepreneur. For all the categories' differences, April saw the same old problem rear its ugly head—the industry loves to ignore women. So she’s running it back and creating a safe space for the ladies once again.

https://the-ethos.co/setsets-quiet-revolution-in-psychedelic-therapy/

As psychedelic therapies quietly gain acceptance in wellness and mental health, the platform SetSet is at the forefront, blending science, community, and education to redefine the path to healing.

“I foresee a paradigm shift that systematically incorporates these transformative substances into both mental health and general medical practices,” Pride says. “Psychedelics possess incredible potential for treating conditions like PTSD, depression, and anxiety, which traditional treatments often fail to adequately address. In the coming years, I believe we will see rigorous clinical trials further validating the effectiveness of psychedelics, leading to FDA approval and mainstream acceptance.”

For now, Pride and SetSet are increasing efforts to reduce stigma, increase access, and educate both the public and medical communities, psychedelic treatments could revolutionize the way mental health is addressed, Pride says. “The future of psychedelics in healthcare is bright and transformative, promising innovative solutions for mental health and a holistic approach to well-being that could revolutionize medicine as we know it.”

https://www.forbes.com/sites/benjaminadams/2024/06/28/setset-aims-to-be-first-clinician-backed-psychedelic-microdose-platform/

“Consumers need additional support and education because we’ve been conditioned to simply take medicine and wait for the effects to take hold,” Pride continues. “Microdosing is most effective when part of an integrative protocol that includes journaling, time in nature, meditation, and other self-reflection practices. As an industry, we want consumers to see the results they want to achieve with microdosing so accessible tools must exist for the greatest good.”

https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/09/40761700/fda-rejection-of-mdma-could-fuel-black-market-demand-warns-ceo-of-womens-psychedelic-platform-se

Pride's company, SetSet, is addressing these safety concerns head-on. Focused on providing harm-reduction education, SetSet ensures that its female members, many of whom use psychedelics outside clinical settings, have access to safe practices.

"We know that three out of four people take psychedelics outside of a clinical setting, so to ensure safe practices, we provide harm-reduction education created by licensed healthcare practitioners," she said.

SetSet also offers transparency on testing kits, dosage instructions and therapeutic support – all aimed at reducing the risks associated with psychedelic use.

Pride noted that "one in five people have challenging experiences, and intentional, therapeutic support can help unwind thoughts and feelings."

She also pointed out that there’s a higher likelihood of difficult psychedelic experiences among women, which can be linked to hormonal fluctuations. "Female hormones are likely the reason that women are more likely to have difficult experiences, so SetSet also educates them about the optimal timing of administration to align with menstruation."