At Higher Love, Denise develops and stewards’ valuable business partnerships, overseeing the independent retailer’s diversified revenue streams across their chain of Michigan dispensaries and beyond. With a background focused on retail excellence, she has been instrumental in creating strategic plans that increase top line revenue while protecting margins; developing and implementing an internal sales structure to achieve company objectives; and promoting a company culture which champions continuous innovation. Drawing on years of experience with global wellness brands, Denise has been instrumental in leading transformational retail growth and multi-state expansion.

In addition to her work at Higher Love, Denise is a prominent leader within the cannabis business community. After decades of leading retail sales strategies for major corporations, she brought her experience and skills to the cannabis industry, helping to foster more professional retail environments. Denise is an active member of the cannabis community and stays engaged by helping social equity applicants to enter, thrive, and advance within the industry through her mentorship at The Color of Cannabis. In addition, Denise serves as an advisor within the University of Colorado’s Leeds School of Business, where she is part of the team leading the university’s Customer Experience Certificate program. In the past, Denise mentored emerging business leaders with the Marijuana Industry Group, the largest and oldest Colorado cannabis trade association in the state. During her tenure in Colorado, she was awarded two prestigious awards celebrating women in business.  In 2022, the Denver Business Journal awarded Denise the Outstanding Women in Business honor and in 2023, The Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce selected her as one of the Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business.