Joanne Wilson

Founder/CEO, Gotham

New York City, NY

Her Story

About Joanne

Joanne Wilson is the Founder and CEO of Gotham, a New York-based cannabis retail and lifestyle brand she built from the ground up in one of the country’s most complex and highly regulated emerging markets. Drawing on a career that spans 18 professional chapters and more than a decade as an angel investor, Joanne entered the cannabis industry after making more than 150 investments, many of them as the first investor in women- and Black- and brown-founded companies. With an early career rooted in retail, she saw cannabis as an opportunity to combine entrepreneurship, retail, and the challenge of building a new category.

Under Joanne’s leadership, Gotham has grown into New York City’s first woman-owned cannabis concept store, with locations in Chelsea, Williamsburg, the Bowery, and Hudson, New York. The company has expanded beyond retail through Gotham Goods, a home and body product line, and the Gotham Growth Project, a business accelerator designed to create opportunities for Black-owned cannabis brands. Gotham’s brand work has earned a Webby Award and MARCOM Gold, while Joanne has been recognized on the Forbes Cannabis 42.0 list. Her experience navigating evolving regulations, shifting policies, and the realities of building a business in a newly legalized industry has shaped a leadership approach centered on adaptability, teamwork, and continuous learning.

As a leader, Joanne believes in trusting her team, giving people the autonomy to perform, and making decisions collaboratively while remaining willing to step in when necessary. She emphasizes the importance of building a clear roadmap, focusing on one priority at a time, viewing challenges through multiple perspectives, and learning from both past experiences and future possibilities. Today, she is focused on using data to operate more efficiently, developing smaller-footprint retail models, and creating new revenue opportunities beyond Gotham’s physical stores. Through Gotham and the Gotham Growth Project, Joanne continues to build not only a distinctive cannabis brand but also a platform intended to help other entrepreneurs participate in the industry's growth.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Joanne

01What do you attribute your success to?

I attribute my success to adaptability, persistence, and the experiences I gained as an angel investor and entrepreneur. Having invested in more than 150 companies, I learned to make thoughtful decisions, trust talented teams, and remain flexible when circumstances change. Building Gotham in a highly regulated and evolving industry has taught me to keep learning, test different approaches, and stay focused on creating meaningful opportunities for both our business and the founders we support.

02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

The best career advice I’ve learned is that you can’t do everything at once. Build a clear roadmap, focus on one priority before taking on the next, and look at every situation through multiple lenses. I also believe in staying positive, learning from what has already happened while keeping an eye on what comes next, and being willing to adapt when circumstances change.

03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

I would encourage young women to be adaptable, confident, and willing to learn, especially in an industry that is still evolving. Don’t try to do everything at once; build a clear roadmap, focus on your priorities, surround yourself with a strong team, and stay open to changing course when circumstances require it. Most importantly, trust your perspective and look for opportunities to create space for others along the way.

04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

The biggest challenge is operating in a highly regulated and constantly evolving industry where policies and business conditions can change quickly. At the same time, there are significant opportunities to grow intelligently through data, more efficient retail models, stronger brands, and new revenue streams beyond physical stores. I see continued potential to help shape the industry while creating opportunities for other founders, particularly through initiatives like the Gotham Growth Project.

05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

The values most important to me are trust, adaptability, collaboration, and perseverance. I believe in giving people the freedom and support to do their best work, making thoughtful decisions as a team, and staying flexible when circumstances change. I also value positivity, continuous learning, and creating meaningful opportunities for others while remaining focused on building something impactful and sustainable.

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