Being a chief people officer in the budding cannabis industry comes with unique challenges for Cresco’s Angie Demchenko.

Angie Demchenko has an eye for business and a mind for people, and this mindset is immediately reflected in the environment of her new employer, Cresco Labs. The office, a chic, bright space in Chicago’s trendy River North neighborhood, is abuzz with conversation and collaboration.

It feels focused and fresh, teeming with ideas. And given that Cresco is a major player nationwide in the cannabis industry, it’s something of a novelty to work for a budding business.

Demchenko started her career in the cannabis industry as Cresco Labs’ first chief people officer in July 2019. She got her start in human resources right out of college in Toronto at consultancy giant Accenture before moving to Jones Lang LaSalle, a commercial real estate firm in Chicago, and most recently working with shopping center management company Starwood Retail Partners.

Attending the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada, initially piqued Demchenko’s interest in people management where she attained a business degree with a focus in human resources and a double major in sociology. [Read More @ Workforce]