“What we noticed the first couple of years in cannabis was everybody was learning, but there was also a little bit of gatekeeping of information,” Tsui said.

“Very specific people were allowed access or had the ability to fundraise. We thought it was important that if people were interested they would have real information, transparent information, and access to good vendors, lawyers, and all the folks in our community that we’ve built in the past six years within New York, as well as other markets.”

New Market, Different Beast

It’s not wildly insightful to say New York is likely to become a cannabis mecca in the United States. The Empire State has been setting trends for, well… Was there ever a time when New York wasn’t America’s cultural center?

The East Coast has its own cannabis culture and legalization will let people out of their “green closets,” as Tsui remarked, so they can publicly consume. Governor Hochul’s executive budget estimates New York could earn more than $1.25 billion in cannabis tax revenue over the next six years.

Those numbers will draw established cannabis operators from other states and Tsui believes they’ll be met with a surprise. 

“New York is a different beast altogether,” Tsui said. “You have to have your person, your guy, your connections to make anything work in New York.” 

She feels an abundance mindset and a collaborative atmosphere is central to creating a strong, inclusive industry. “It’s still very local and community-driven. It’s what’s beautiful about the opportunities here — there’s something for everybody.”

Something Tsui learned from user design is why it’s crucial to know one’s audience. She engages with her community to understand their questions, goals, and motivations.

This approach will help Revel hold its footing in New York’s unfolding marketplace. More so, it will help Tsui deliver the information New Yorkers need to build successful businesses.

“I’m not an expert in different industries. I’m an expert in understanding how people want to work in these different industries,” she said.

Curated Programming

Tsui is listening to her community and building programming around their needs.

Many businesses are built backward, creating a product or service and then finding a market for it. Tsui takes the opposite approach when crafting Revelry events. 

“[Revelry] figures out the programming based on information and questions and what’s happening in the New York market,” Tsui said.