Pride Stories: Hannah Lanoue-Carrizo

How do you create a sense of belonging in a professional setting? For Hannah Lanoue-Carrizo (she/her), Digital Merchandise Manager at Ethos Cannabis, she connects with patients, customers, and staff on an individual level, building meaningful bonds that define a resilient community. 

“Getting to know people on the individual level is one of the most important ways to make connections and build community,” Hannah said. “I want to hear from people, what’s going on in their lives. I want to find ways that they connect to and with me, which is especially relevant as a manager.”  

But due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, meetups came to a screeching halt. For Hannah, that meant time spent at work became her “biggest platform” for forging new connections with the LGBTQIA+ community. And that started with creating a safe and welcoming environment within the four walls of the dispensary. (Hannah was General Manager of Ethos – Fitchburg prior to becoming Digital Merchandising Manager at Ethos.)

“For both employees and guests, you’re accepted here for who you are … It’s instilled in our values,” Hannah said. “We want people to feel welcomed when they walk in the door because a lot of us, directly or indirectly, know how it feels to not feel welcomed and accepted. The world is going toward the direction of more acceptance and beyond, and thankfully we’re seeing that develop into company cultures as well.”

This is especially important for the LGBTQIA+ community, Hannah said, when acceptance in a retail establishment is not always a given.

“Unfortunately, LGBTQ+ folks don’t always know if they can walk into a place and know they won’t be discriminated against … So if someone sees someone who looks like them when they come into the store, they can feel more secure,” Hannah said. “They’ll see a Pride shirt, or someone visibly queer, and they’re more likely to feel connected and may start sharing more about their lives. That helps someone feel more comfortable.”

Noting that inclusion has “a trickle-down effect that our guests can feel,” Hannah sought out dispensary employees who were open minded and compassionate. 

“Because being accepting is important to us in management, it has the same effect downstream; staff members will have the same values as well,” Hannah said. 

To that end, while general manager of Ethos – Fitchburg, Hannah encouraged all staff to be mindful of a customer’s name and pronouns, especially in the case of trans or non-binary folks whose preferred name may not match their IDs or medical cannabis cards.

“Please tell us if you have a preferred name! We want to be told so we address you properly,” Hannah said.

Hannah has strongly held these values throughout her professional career. Prior to joining Ethos, she worked with a company known for its LGBTQIA+ inclusive policies and for fostering supportive culture. When it came time to change careers, she said she wanted to work for an organization that embodied those same values.

“Work culture is so important to me because it affects me personally – unfortunately, as a part of the LGBTQIA+ community, we’ve all been singled out somehow and some way in our lives,” Hannah said. “I felt from my first interview [with Ethos] that I’d be valued, not despite my identity, but because of it.”

Hannah emphasized the distinct importance of feeling “included, but not different” when creating safe space for LGBTQIA+ patients and staff within the dispensary environment. 

“Being valued doesn’t mean I feel different in any way – it’s that I can bring up my wife and kids just like a straight person, and it’s just a normal conversation about life,” Hannah said. 

Although COVID-19 may have hampered opportunities for Hannah to connect with communities outside the dispensary, organizations she has connected with have inspired her to explore other volunteer opportunities. She has also long been a part of the Massachusetts musician community. A guitar player since she was 12, she found significant overlap between the LGBTQIA+ community and the music scene through her years playing shows and attending concerts in the area.

“I generally gravitate toward things that tend to be queer centric because I know they’re safe spaces – work is a safe space and music has always been a safe space for me too. It feels great to be an active part of something that wholly accepts you.”

Hannah said she’s thankful to come to work and feel safe, respected, and included each day.

“It’s not just Pride Month that we recognize diversity and inclusion – we do that all year long,” Hannah said. “It’s instilled in our values, both my personal values and our values as an organization.”

How do you create a sense of belonging in a professional setting? For Hannah Lanoue-Carrizo (she/her), Digital Merchandise Manager at Ethos Cannabis, she connects with patients, customers, and staff on an individual level, building meaningful bonds that define a resilient community. 

“Getting to know people on the individual level is one of the most important ways to make connections and build community,” Hannah said. “I want to hear from people, what’s going on in their lives. I want to find ways that they connect to and with me, which is especially relevant as a manager.”  

But due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, meetups came to a screeching halt. For Hannah, that meant time spent at work became her “biggest platform” for forging new connections with the LGBTQIA+ community. And that started with creating a safe and welcoming environment within the four walls of the dispensary. (Hannah was General Manager of Ethos – Fitchburg prior to becoming Digital Merchandising Manager at Ethos.)

“For both employees and guests, you’re accepted here for who you are … It’s instilled in our values,” Hannah said. “We want people to feel welcomed when they walk in the door because a lot of us, directly or indirectly, know how it feels to not feel welcomed and accepted. The world is going toward the direction of more acceptance and beyond, and thankfully we’re seeing that develop into company cultures as well.”

This is especially important for the LGBTQIA+ community, Hannah said, when acceptance in a retail establishment is not always a given.

“Unfortunately, LGBTQ+ folks don’t always know if they can walk into a place and know they won’t be discriminated against … So if someone sees someone who looks like them when they come into the store, they can feel more secure,” Hannah said. “They’ll see a Pride shirt, or someone visibly queer, and they’re more likely to feel connected and may start sharing more about their lives. That helps someone feel more comfortable.”

Noting that inclusion has “a trickle-down effect that our guests can feel,” Hannah sought out dispensary employees who were open minded and compassionate. 

“Because being accepting is important to us in management, it has the same effect downstream; staff members will have the same values as well,” Hannah said. 

To that end, while general manager of Ethos – Fitchburg, Hannah encouraged all staff to be mindful of a customer’s name and pronouns, especially in the case of trans or non-binary folks whose preferred name may not match their IDs or medical cannabis cards.

“Please tell us if you have a preferred name! We want to be told so we address you properly,” Hannah said.

Hannah has strongly held these values throughout her professional career. Prior to joining Ethos, she worked with a company known for its LGBTQIA+ inclusive policies and for fostering supportive culture. When it came time to change careers, she said she wanted to work for an organization that embodied those same values.

“Work culture is so important to me because it affects me personally – unfortunately, as a part of the LGBTQIA+ community, we’ve all been singled out somehow and some way in our lives,” Hannah said. “I felt from my first interview [with Ethos] that I’d be valued, not despite my identity, but because of it.”

Hannah emphasized the distinct importance of feeling “included, but not different” when creating safe space for LGBTQIA+ patients and staff within the dispensary environment. 

“Being valued doesn’t mean I feel different in any way – it’s that I can bring up my wife and kids just like a straight person, and it’s just a normal conversation about life,” Hannah said. 

Although COVID-19 may have hampered opportunities for Hannah to connect with communities outside the dispensary, organizations she has connected with have inspired her to explore other volunteer opportunities. She has also long been a part of the Massachusetts musician community. A guitar player since she was 12, she found significant overlap between the LGBTQIA+ community and the music scene through her years playing shows and attending concerts in the area.

“I generally gravitate toward things that tend to be queer centric because I know they’re safe spaces – work is a safe space and music has always been a safe space for me too. It feels great to be an active part of something that wholly accepts you.”

Hannah said she’s thankful to come to work and feel safe, respected, and included each day.

“It’s not just Pride Month that we recognize diversity and inclusion – we do that all year long,” Hannah said. “It’s instilled in our values, both my personal values and our values as an organization.”