Member Since April 2022
About
With more than fifteen years of seasoned public relations and strategic communications expertise, Cynthia brings a critical level of professionalism to her abilities as a trusted adviser and consultant to today's cannabis industry. Cynthia has managed national and international campaigns that have successfully improved overall valuations and complete image enhancement for industries that range from gaming in Las Vegas, the runways of New York Fashion Week, globally renowned nonprofits and national trade organizations, to government bodies in our nation's capital. She has worked with the United Arab Emirates, Fortune 500 brands such as Harley Davidson and Nascar, Carl Icahn's American Casino and Entertainment Properties as well as direct experience with the Department of Defense. Within cannabis, Cynthia assisted in the launch of Cannafundr which was acquired by MJIC, as well as founded the Salar Media Group which was recently acquired by KCSA Strategic Communications, where she is now partner. She also founded AxisWire and the STAR Source Locator, as well as co-founded the industry's financial news site Green Market Report and the women's network Industry Power Women. Broad knowledge of, and experience in, international communications, media relations, strategic planning, crisis communications, branding, operations research, and analysis have defined her talents in operating successful campaigns for both the private and public sectors in the U.S. and international arena. This skill set has assisted in reversing the stigma in cannabis to help propel and advance the perception for better market conditions. Cynthia has held placements in the areas of international affairs and public policy in Washington, DC. These experiences yielded specific knowledge and proficiency in the implementation of policy objectives and public affairs programs, multinational corporation communication, stakeholder engagement, as well as international and government relations.
Cynthia Salarizadeh
Published content
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The grass is greener on the other side of the Atlantic, and cannabis entrepreneurs are taking notice.
expert panel
To attract and keep customers coming back for years to come, businesses have to maintain their human essence. As the old adage goes, "People buy from people." In today’s technologically-driven business landscape, entrepreneurs now have a multitude of ways to engage with current and potential customers across the world. While changes like automation can increase employee productivity, streamline operations and boost the number of interactions that lead to sales, many businesses focus so much on the efficiency aspect that they don’t recognize the potential of losing the human touch, which is what initially entices customers to purchase and keeps them coming back. As experts, the members of Newsweek Expert Forum have experience making their brand more appealing to customers. Below, 16 of them share concrete ways any business can humanize its product or service offerings and why these actions are essential to building long-term relationships with customers.
expert panel
While failure does come with significant downsides, actively encouraging employees to take risks can be worthwhile. “Failure” has a complex meaning in business. On one hand, failure can mean unimaginable loss ranging from the waste of limited resources to the loss of one’s livelihood completely. On the other hand, failure can also be a harbinger for great personal and professional growth. No matter how one feels about failure, the truth of the matter is that business is all about leveraging the lessons that come out of failure to innovate. Taking risks, building on failure and encouraging your employees to do the same is the key to becoming a major player in your market. As experts, the members of Newsweek Expert Forum have directly experienced the benefits of cultivating a workplace environment that supports experimentation. Below, 15 of them share how leaders can encourage and foster a culture of innovation within their organization.
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Regulation falls behind the scientific advances that could help mitigate addiction — it's time for it to catch up.
expert panel
Having a deep understanding of yourself and your own goals can help prevent feelings of inadequacy. From Instagram and Twitter to now even LinkedIn, having a presence online today means constantly reading about what everyone has going on. This includes the life updates that people typically post but social media has also increased people’s tendency to primarily share the highlights rather than the entire picture. While this is not a bad thing on its own, constantly viewing the success of your peers can amplify your own feelings of inadequacy around personal and professional failures. Simply deciding to take a step back is one approach to consider, but it can negatively impact your relationships with peers over time. Below, 14 Newsweek Expert Forum members share recommendations for how professionals can connect and maintain healthy relationships with peers without comparing themselves to others’ success and accomplishments.
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What women need, and are demanding, from the cannabis industry.
Company details
House of Saka, Inc.
Company bio
House of Saka was founded in 2018 when cannabis industry insider, Cynthia Salarizadeh and wine industry veteran, Tracey Mason , came together with a mission to create the world’s most advanced line of luxury, cannabis-infused products made by and for women. Discovering a shared passion for wine, beauty products and the boundless properties of the sacred cannabis plant, the pair assembled an unparalleled group of powerful females from the both the cannabis and wine industries to help bring their mission to life and provide the foundation on which it could flourish. Launched in October of 2019, House of Saka’s Infused Beverages combines the magic of the Napa Valley with state-of-the-art infusion technology for a truly elevated cannabis experience. Sophisticated, social and simply delicious, Saka PINK and Saka WHITE deliver on the promise for a luxury infused product made by and for women that exceed expectations and help bring cannabis occasions into the mainstream.