Her Story
About Sara
Sara Rivera is a Market Development Manager at The Pack Labs, bringing extensive experience in market development, account management, merchandising, and marketing within the hemp and cannabis industries. Based in Sacramento, California, she specializes in B2B sales, sales strategy, lead generation, brand development, and customer relationship management. With a background in merchandising and marketing, Sara combines her understanding of consumer behavior and emerging market trends with a strong commitment to helping businesses grow.
Sara began her career developing expertise in merchandising, marketing, visual presentation, and customer service before transitioning into the cannabis and hemp sectors. At Velvet Cannabis, she progressed through leadership and retail merchandising roles, developing experience in customer support, retention, account management, and product presentation. She later joined The Pack Labs as an Account Manager, where she expanded her expertise in sales and client relationships before advancing to Market Development Manager in 2026. Her professional toolkit includes Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Office, Google applications, and a range of sales and marketing strategies.
Beyond her professional work, Sara values resilience, consciousness, and integrity and is passionate about entrepreneurship and emerging markets. She has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to community and environmental causes through volunteer work with organizations such as Heal the Bay and the Salvation Army. Her career reflects a combination of strategic business development, relationship building, merchandising expertise, and a genuine interest in creating opportunities for businesses and brands to succeed in evolving markets.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Sara
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to having a great mentor, Nicci Vaswani, who challenged me, believed in me, and provided invaluable guidance in a male-dominated industry. Her direct feedback and consistent support helped me grow, especially during difficult days.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
You belong here, even when the room doesn’t look like you. Don’t let that intimidate you. Be persistent, driven, and use empathy as your superpower. Lead without ego, embrace challenges, and have the courage to run with the bulls.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest opportunities in my field is building a strong client base while demonstrating that women can pursue ambitious, successful careers. I’m proud to have built a client book of $2.5 million in sales, while inspiring my daughter to see what’s possible through my work.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are wellness, compassion, entrepreneurship, and community. I believe in exploring innovative approaches to health, supporting local small businesses, and giving back through charitable causes and volunteer work. I strive to use my experiences to help others and make a positive impact in my community.
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