Today we’d like to introduce you to Allison Luvera.
Allison, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My career has been an interesting journey, taking me across multiple categories and even across the country, but always through the lens of luxury and premiumization. Creating high-quality products and elevated experiences for consumers has been an area of focus for me ever since my early days in publishing when I worked at iconic media platforms like Vogue and InStyle. From there, I transitioned into the Wine & Spirits space, where I spent three years overseeing the luxury portfolio at Pernod Ricard USA. Fine wine, in particular, is something I’m very passionate about, so it seemed like a natural next step when I was looking to make the next move in my career. During that role, I got to travel the world on behalf of incredible heritage brands such as Perrier-Jouët and The Glenlivet and learned a lot about retail marketing, distribution and how to operate in a tightly regulated category. All of these lessons have helped me find success in the emerging cannabis space, where I’ve been working as Head of Marketing for top California vape brand Kurvana for over a year now.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Each industry I’ve worked in has had its own unique set of obstacles; however, I’m definitely the type of person who is invigorated by such challenges. When I worked in Publishing, for example, the industry was undergoing the big shift away from print-only platforms. Navigating new technologies in digital, social, and mobile, and identifying how to leverage them in our business model, definitely kept us all on our toes. Cannabis presents a very different set of challenges, predominantly stemming from the fact that it’s still a federally illegal substance. In order to succeed in this space, you need to be extremely nimble in the face of constant change. I’ve found the experience to be exhilarating, and I’ve really enjoyed finding solutions that push our brand, and the cannabis movement as a whole, forward. I view my role with Kurvana as an exciting, once-in-a-career opportunity to be part of a completely new industry and help build it from the ground up.
Kurvana – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Kurvana leads the way for premium cannabis products worldwide. As the first brand to put out high-quality vape pens in California back in 2014, the team at Kurvana has continued to innovate and deliver best-in-class products ever since. This pioneering spirit and culture rooted in innovation was what inspired me to join the team and really sets us apart from the competition. Right now, we’re really excited about the rollout of our largest product release to date. We’ve reimagined our portfolio from the ground-up, introducing new ASCND high-potency strains, upgraded custom hardware, a CBD-focused line, and disposables to the market. Even though all of this just launched last month, we’re already working on the development of the next big release!
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I look at success in a couple of different ways. From a personal perspective, I think that success can be as simple as feeling fulfilled in what you do and having the freedom to pursue projects that you’re passionate about. If I can wake up every day and be excited about what I’m working on, that means I’ve done something right. With cannabis, in particular, knowing that I’m part of a movement that is bringing a plant with a lot of health and wellness potential into the mainstream is extremely gratifying. On the flip side, I also define success as a measure of the impact I’m having on others through my work. This could mean anything from bringing an incredible product to market that improves people’s lives or supporting young professionals that look to me and my career path for inspiration. At the end of the day, money comes and goes, and so what really defines your success is whether or not you left the world a better place than where you found it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kurvana.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @kurvana.official
Image Credit:
Erin Simkin
