Her Story
About Holly
Holly DeLorenzo is the Founder and CEO of Abundant Leaf Brands, a New Jersey-based cannabis wellness company focused on developing targeted cannabis products designed to support health and wellbeing. With nearly eight years of experience in the cannabis industry, Holly has built a career that combines entrepreneurship, product development, cannabis education, business development, and marketing. At Abundant Leaf Brands, she and her small team oversee the full business lifecycle, including formulation, production, packaging, sales, and marketing. Her product development work has included extensive research and experimentation with cannabis, terpenes, medicinal plants, and targeted-effect formulations.
Holly's path into the cannabis industry was shaped by a deeply personal experience. After being diagnosed with cancer in 2017, she explored cannabis as an alternative approach to managing anxiety and post-surgical pain. Her experience during recovery prompted her to question why more people were not aware of the potential benefits of cannabis. That experience ultimately led her to transition from her insurance career into cannabis, where she helped establish the first cannabis insurance division in New Jersey and wrote the state's first crop policy. She later spent approximately three and a half years conducting research and development in her home laboratory, developing formulas that eventually became the foundation of Abundant Leaf Brands. Her educational background includes an Associate of Arts in Fashion Merchandising from the Fashion Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing/Marketing Management from Temple University's Fox School of Business and Management.
Holly is passionate about changing perceptions of cannabis through education, wellness-focused product development, and authentic entrepreneurship. She believes strongly in persistence, self-belief, remaining open to possibilities, and following one's own path rather than becoming consumed by competition. She is particularly focused on women's health and wellness and sees education and greater access to funding as important opportunities for the industry's continued development. Holly is a member of the New Jersey Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, the New Jersey Cannabis Business Association, Women Grow's South Jersey Chapter, and 420EDX, where she serves as a South Jersey Market Leader. In 2026, she was selected as an IgniteHER recipient, recognizing women founders building with purpose in New Jersey's cannabis market.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Holly
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to believing in myself, knowing that I could accomplish what I set out to do, and refusing to give up. There have been many times when I have been pushed down or faced significant challenges, but I have continued moving forward. I believe persistence is essential, especially when building something from the ground up. I also try to remain open to possibilities and opportunities rather than limiting myself to one predetermined path. My faith and belief that I am divinely guided have also played an important role in my journey.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I do not believe in focusing on competition. Everyone is working from their own roadmap and following their own path. When you spend too much time watching what your competition is doing, you take your attention away from your own business, goals, and purpose. I would encourage young women to stay focused on what they are building, remain authentic to themselves, and concentrate on their own journey rather than comparing themselves to others.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in the cannabis industry is that it can still feel like a boys' club, particularly when it comes to access to funding and opportunities. The continued stigma surrounding cannabis also presents a challenge because there is still significant work to do in educating people about its potential health and wellness applications. At the same time, I see an opportunity to educate more people about the potential health benefits of cannabis and to help develop the next generation of professionals by bringing interns into the industry. Education, awareness, and greater inclusion can help move the industry forward.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Health and wellness are the values that are most important to me in both my professional and personal life. They are central to the mission behind the work I am doing and to my desire to help people discover new approaches to health and wellbeing.
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