Cameron Forni is based in Las Vegas, Nevada, and is the President of Select at Curaleaf. Cameron is also the former CEO and Co-founder of Cura Cannabis Solutions and the founder of Select Oil. Cameron Forni was a part of the largest acquisition in cannabis history in May of 2019 when Curaleaf acquired his brand. This essentially became the largest legal cannabis company by revenue in a record-breaking, billion-dollar deal. This cemented Cameron Forni’s position as one of the biggest power players in the industry.
In his years before establishing Select, Cameron Forni was an entrepreneurial force to be reckoned with. To Cameron, entrepreneurship and business run in his blood. It all started from the time he was a child, at the ripe age of four years old when he sold flowers on the side of the street in Milwaukie, Oregon. As a high schooler, he operated a car detailing business and when he was in college, he built an event company. Cameron Forni has always loved the incredible challenge and obstacles that entrepreneurship presents––always taking the opportunity to solve problems that no one has ever dealt with before.
After graduating from college, Cameron’s ultimate goal was to create jobs instead of just taking one. His official foray into entrepreneurship came when he co-founded TextNoMore, an app that rewarded drivers who avoided texting and driving, and TryEco, a patented, starch-based, biodegradable superabsorbent polymer used primarily for agriculture, to reduce water usage in agricultural crops. With a constant focus on creating businesses that enhance people’s quality of life, Cameron led the cannabis business.
As the owner of a medical and caregiver card, Cameron’s entrepreneurial mindset began looking into the future of cannabis. After extensive research, he focused on safety and vaporization, as combustion seemed like an unsustainable long-term option for the majority of cannabis users. After researching and deconstructing every vaporizer the market had to offer, he quickly learned low grade, unbound silica fiberglass was used in a majority of the cartridges as well as low grade electroplated copper and nickel were being used as well. At this point, Cameron began the product sampling and design process of a new cartridge combining best practices from professional vape and nicotine e-cig industry into the cannabis space —thus began Select.
In 2015, Cameron Forni launched Select Strains and quickly began carving a significant space for his brand in the market. In 2016, Select Strains was acquired and merged into Cura Cannabis Solutions. Today, the evolution in hardware development, advanced sourcing standard operating procedures and extraction processes has played an important role in the growth of the business and customer acceptance through better experiences and lower failure rates. Select Oil is the #1 selling cannabis brand in the U.S. sold in 16 States as of November 2020.
Cameron Forni’s success with Cura Cannabis Solutions and the Select brand has earned him numerous honors, including being named two times as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Cannabis by High Times Magazine. Cameron was also featured in Marijuana Venture Magazine’s 40 Under 40 to Watch in 2018. With the acquisition by Curaleaf, Cameron Forni will continue to lead his brand’s rapid expansion across the country. Fueled with a relentless pursuit of progress, he will continue to innovate better hardware, establish a healthier supply chain of pesticides, and help build a company that offers stellar health insurance, benefits, and a higher minimum wage.
Cameron Forni on How To Build a Trustworthy Cannabis Brand
Cameron Forni knows better than anyone that the cannabis industry is booming. With new businesses entering into the competitive market every day fighting for shelf space, it’s hard for a consumer to know which one to trust. An overrun marketplace makes it that much harder for cannabis business owners to establish trust and credibility with their customers. It is the end of prohibition, mistakes will happen if you grow too quickly or spread yourself too thin. It is important to build a solid foundation of standard operating procedures and hire appropriately to fortify those processes.
Know Your Customers
When building the brand for your cannabis business, it’s essential to understand that it is impossible to make everyone happy, every minute of every day. This is a lot of entrepreneurs’ greatest stress points and everyone is different, so try to not take things so personally. Cameron Forni suggests knowing who your customers are and how to appeal to them directly. Identify what makes your business stand out and qualified to meet a specific customer need. To find the right customers your business can cater to, focus on a customer’s job title, demographics, how they spend their free time, and their specific lifestyle. With your specific customer in mind, you’ll be able to streamline your communication and marketing efforts.
Listen to Feedback
When it comes to creating a trusting relationship with your customers, Cameron Forni knows how powerful listening can be. It’s imperative to spend time listening and asking questions to find out exactly what your customers want and make their needs a priority. Too many businesses make the mistake of delivering “improvements” to their product or service that may not have any impact on the value proposition. Instead, listen to what your customers have to say and deliver to their needs. By actively listening to their feedback and making improvements based on data, you show your customer the depth of your commitment to them.
Look at the Big Picture
Cameron Forni understands how essential it is to always keep your brand’s big picture in mind. To build trust in your brand for your customers, it’s important to be unique and stand apart from other cannabis businesses. Copying what other brands do makes you seem less genuine.
Also, instead of looking only at short-term gains, focus on what will make your business stick around for years to come. Take the time to create a narrative for your brand that will make your business more in demand and show customers what makes you unique. When customers know who you are and what you stand for, they’ll be more trusting in your cannabis business.
