Lucas Nelson
Q: What do you love about your career?
A: I love that my work at Bud & Mary’s allows me to have a specific and positive impact on thousands of people every day through the products we create for Iowa’s medical cannabis program. Knowing that we are making a real difference in their lives is motivating.
Q: What professional or personal accomplishments are most meaningful to you?
A: Launching our entire Iowa medical cannabis business was one of the most significant accomplishments of my career. In just 12 months, we built out an entire facility, started our first grow, completed extraction and purification of our first batch of extract, formulated and tested our products, and delivered the first shipments to all five dispensaries across Iowa.
Q: What are the personal values that drive you?
A: My grandparents, Bud & Mary Nelson, instilled in me the value of servant leadership. To me, that means working hard, leading by example and never asking others to do something I wouldn’t do myself. Additionally, empathy, integrity and giving back are also core values of mine.
Q: What advice would you give to others starting in your industry?
A: In the cannabis industry, having a thick skin and being resilient are critical. You must be able to embrace fast-paced, groundbreaking innovations and navigate bad actors looking to take shortcuts. Also, watching other industries and learning from people outside your network is important. Some of the best ideas are created when you broaden your perspective and collaborate with those unlike yourself.
1953 E Market St. | Des Moines, IA 50317 | (515) 348-8400 | budmary.com
