teams

Sephida Artis-Mills

Adult Use Cultivator, Processor, Manufacturer, Distributor

Sephida is Co-Founder and President of the United Empowerment Party and she also serves as Chief Strategy Officer at HPI Canna. She began her journey within the cannabis industry over 5 years ago, developing disruptive technology that would address issues of consumer safety, regulatory standards, and compliance within the space. She co-founded the technology platform along with Redman, which is known as BirthMark, further developing the tech alongside UEP. Her background has heavily been in experiential marketing, specifically immersed in the technology, consumer electronics, and gaming sectors. She’s been able to bring her unique skillset into cannabis with an innate ability to quickly build and cultivate relationships. Sephida has spent over a decade advocating for social programs and equal access to opportunities in tech for black and brown communities. Now she is bringing the fight for equity empowerment to cannabis. She is a proud CannaMom and caregiver to her five-year-old daughter Khansaa, who is a heart transplant recipient that was born with Congenital Heart Disease (CHD). As a strong believer in the plant and all its medicinal properties, she has used cannabis to treat her daughter and help improve her quality of life. This is one of the many reasons she has been an 

advocate for equitable access, education, and a patients’ right to choose cannabis as their medicine. She has continued to diligently serve as a bridge between underserved, marginalized communities, by addressing the lack of resources that cause economic disparities in urban neighborhoods. Emphasizing the health disparities due to inadequate access to proper healthcare. As President of UEP and Chief Strategy Officer of one of the largest, woman owned cannabis operators in NY State, she is determined to help move the cannabis industry forward in the right direction. Her goal is to ensure fair and equitable representation of the people regarding policy and legislation, and establish a successful pathway for sustainable business and an educated workforce, which Sephida deems as non-negotiables for an equitable and cohesive cannabis ecosystem.