Heady Vermont Growing Presence on Campus: Meet Senou

Editors Note: Thanks to Dr. Rob Williams, one of the founding members of the Vermont Cannabis Collaborative and a professor at the University of Vermont and Champlain College who introduced Senou Lynn to Heady Vermont and helped us find a great addition to our team! Save the date for the evening of Thursday, December 1, when Heady Vermont will be working with UVM to host a large public event … stay tuned.

My name is Senou Lynn. I was born in Western-Africa in a tiny country called Benin. My given name means “gift-of-nature” in the local dialect, hence the obscure moniker. Like 99% of the people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting, you’re probably asking how to even pronounce my name. The easiest way I’ve come up is that it’s combination of two words – Say- New. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let me tell you a little bit about myself.

Since my birth, I’ve ping-ponged across the map, living briefly in Washington DC, then moving to Dakar, Senegal for elementary school, then finishing high school in semi-rural Windham County Vermont. I spent my first two years of college in Montreal, where I studied biology. Ultimately, I found the city to be too stimulating and found that my studies fell to the wayside as I explored the melting pot that is Montreal. I decided to take some time off from education and vowed to travel as far from home as possible and throw myself to the elements. I took 6 months to travel up and down the east coast of Australia working on farms, finding hidden beaches, and borderline starving until I realized the value of school.  I came back and enrolled at the University of Vermont where I am now finishing a Community Entrepreneurship degree with a minor in Music Technology and Business.

I contacted Heady Vermont after being referred to Eli Harrington by an entrepreneurship professor of mine. Seeing prospect in the emerging industry and seeing the economic success in Colorado and Washington, I was excited to get involved in a startup right here in Vermont. I had long been contemplating how I myself could become part of the movement, become involved, and find my niche in this emerging market so I was elated to meet and discuss with Eli how I could be an asset to Heady Vermont.

Currently I do two things: I serve as an analytical source for social media outreach and design marketing plans for various platforms as well as building a Heady Vermont presence in the UVM community. As far as social media management, I am tasked with examining demographics and psychographics, setting and reaching traffic and engagement goals, and regulating content timing.

At UVM, my goals are to build a community to get people engaged locally and regionally to disseminate as much information as possible regarding the legalization process, act together as a community to foster local sustainable businesses as well as create a positive and inclusive community. EMAIL SENOU ABOUT GETTING INVOLVED WITH HEADY VERMONT ON YOUR CAMPUS AT [email protected]. 

My vision, as far as cannabis goes, first and foremost is legalization. For us a society, both on the state and federal scale, we need to be well-educated on the subject. We need to prepare for various externalities, understand the medicinal and homeopathic uses for the plant, gauge and set boundaries on the economic structure in which to release various products, and figure out how to allocate the tax revenue stream stemming from cannabis. This pertains to both voters and policy makers who will ultimately mold the environment in which the cannabis market will evolve.  

Unfortunately, much of the East Coast doesn’t have immediate access to relevant and up-to-date news surrounding the cannabis movement. It’s my hope with Heady Vermont to create an inclusive local environment for both business and cannabis culture to thrive. I foresee Heady Vermont as a regional hub for cannabis news and as a connector and catalyst to convene entrepreneurs and create sustainable local businesses. I understand the incrementalism necessary for change, as is dictated by our political system, but as the years go by I hope that the stigma surrounding marijuana use is lifted and legalization can come about in an effective and timely manner.