On Saturday, November 11, entrepreneur Ariane Kirkpatrick will receive the Black Professional of the Year Award from the Black Professionals Association Cleveland Foundation’s 43^rd Annual Scholarship and Awards Gala.

The event is sold out.

Kirkpatrick, a Cleveland business mainstay and staunch advocate of social equity and social justice, is the CEO of the AKA Team Construction Company; the Jabali Development Group; and Harvest of OH, which operates three medical marijuana dispensaries throughout Ohio. Collectively, these companies employ nearly 200 people.

Get to know Ariane Kirkpatrick through the interview below:

How does being named Black Professional of the Year compare to other acknowledgements you've received?

I’m honored and humbled to receive the BPOY Award. Truthfully, I’m honored for any recognition I receive.  It’s great when you get recognized by your peers for what you do. This award is very special; it’s from such an esteemed membership. Sometimes it’s a lonely world in the black community.

When did you know business was your field of expertise?

I always wanted to be an entrepreneur, although as a child I didn’t know that was the name of it.  Growing up on East 100th Street and Cedar Avenue, there were many businesses. They were black-owned businesses, but I didn’t think of them that way, because I lived in the community.  That’s all I saw, until I moved to Warrensville Heights and saw the look was quite different there. Remembering the customer service of places like Art’s Seafood and Wright Grocery Store and Beatrice Academy, I paid attention to watching the business owners work in their establishments and create a rapport with the customers. My grandfather, who died before I was born, owned a barber shop in our neighborhood. Business was always a part of my upbringing.

Give me some background on your businesses

The AKA Team is a legacy business. I have been in construction in some form or another for more than 30 years, starting with residential rehab, followed by commercial storefront renovation.  In November 2009, I created the AKA Construction Management Team, specializing in construction management, commercial cleaning, and commercial waterproofing. There’s also a self-performance division.

Although Jabali Development Group was created after the AKA Team, it is the umbrella company which our companies are under.  Jabali means ‘rock, or foundation.’ The primary goal of Jabali is to support mission-minded people while advancing diversity, social equity, and economic development. Underneath Jabali, we have Servicemaster Cleaning Company, AKA Team, and Harvest of OH. Harvest of OH launched in 2017 and is comprised of three medical marijuana dispensaries located in Athens, Beavercreek, and Columbus.

What are the challenges of success?

“A major challenge of success is getting in your own way,” Kirkpatrick says jokingly. Also, you must be a risk taker. Back in 2011 I had the opportunity to meet President Barack Obama at a small business forum titled “Winning the Future.” I got to sit next to him, and he asked me, ‘What is your secret sauce? How do you feel about taking risks?’ And I told him I’ve been a risk taker all my life. I never feared taking that step over into entrepreneurship – not saying that every step has been successful. The important part is realizing that your failures are part of your journey to success; you should learn from every failure.

Do you consider HUD Secretary and former Congresswoman Marcia Fudge a role model?

Marcia Fudge – most definitely! I had the opportunity to work with her in the City of Warrensville. She and my sister plotted for me to follow through on my desire to continue the entrepreneur path. At the time, I was experiencing burnout from all the work I was doing. Marcia knew entrepreneurship was my talent and she had a path for me. She told me to go back to school and follow my dream, and because of their pushing I’m where I am today. 

We’ve grown from starting the AKA Team with four employees in November of 2009 to over 80, and combining both the construction and cannabis businesses, we have nearly 200 employees, and 60-70% of the staff for those are minorities. I am unapologetically black, and it’s very important to me that we impact the black community. Social justice and social equity are our mantra because there is an obvious difference in where we, as a people, are placed in the workforce, and I have the ability to change that.

What role has politics played in your career?

I’ve been involved in politics and community activism since I was a little girl. When I was five years old, my mom had us boycott McDonald’s because they wouldn’t allow black franchises. I learned early that my voice could be heard. We worked on Carl Stokes’ campaign.  How exciting it was to be a little girl and to see on the news how Stokes became the first black mayor of a major city, and I had a part in that! My mom made so many impactful decisions in the lives of my sister and me. We grew up being fighters for the cause; being involved in the community was what we were supposed to do. My nickname as a child was Little Angela Davis Jr. To this day, I still participate in the 11th Congressional District Parade every year. I feel so proud watching that district come together. I learned so much watching George Forbes, the Stokes Brothers and Arnold Pinkney initiate that parade, and I continue to contribute as the baton has been passed to Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Marcia Fudge, and now Shontel Brown.

You participated in the Ohio Cannabis Health & Business Summit (OCHBS) in October at the I-X Center, and you recently hosted a discussion on Issue 2 with Tom Haren, Partner & Chair of the Cannabis Law Group. What is the most important facet of Issue 2 that Ohioans need to be aware of?

As a business owner, but specifically as a black woman in the industry, a lot of people don’t understand the history of the scheduling of marijuana and how it was a Schedule 1 drug that had systemic racial connotations. It’s always been interesting because it’s referred to as a gateway drug, when really it was preventing a gateway for entrepreneurship and healing in the black community. 

We have so many qualifying conditions; only 2% of the population obtain medical marijuana cards. Many are hesitant to do so, largely due to the stigma attached, although they may be in pain.  And before we complain about regulation, that regulation is good for the testing of the products. Cannabis purchased from a dispensary approved by the State of Ohio, you know that product is coming from a cultivation; it’s been tested to make sure there are no dangerous additives. That regulation is good for the community, and it’s very important.

Are there plans for a Harvest of OH Cleveland dispensary, or does that depend on whether Issue 2 passes? *

It depends on if Issue 2 passes; we would love to have one here. We are hoping that will be something we can definitely look into.

What can you say about the lawsuit brought against you by Trulieve? ^* *

I think it’s sad and very disappointing. It’s further evidence of the disparities, the systemic barriers, the complications for people who look like me to get into this business.  When we first got into this business, there was a minority set-aside program, and they said the legislation wasn’t written well, so the program was disbanded. The issue went to the Supreme Court, and a disparity study was done which stated there was no proof of any discrimination in the cannabis industry, which we know isn’t true. The industry is so new, there was no data to show signs of discrimination. This would have been the prime time to ensure that minorities were a part of it. But once again, it didn’t happen. And considering my upbringing, having pride in everything that I do, I had no interest in being a front company, or starting something that didn’t have the cause and effect of building sustainable, generational wealth in the black community.

Could I have bowed out earlier? Yes, I could have, but I made the choice to be a trailblazer in this field that didn’t allow people like me. If we complain and sell out, then we’re not building sustainability in our community. When you see folks who look like me in this field it’s because sustainability is the key. I get tired of hearing how quickly black dollars leave their communities.  It’s time to change that narrative.

What's next on the horizon for you?

Jabali Development recently bought a 46,000 sq. ft. building on 55^th & St. Clair.  Our headquarters are already located there, and this is our first development project. We’re looking into development as a family, and we’re very excited about that, as it will contribute to the rebuilding of the city and the community.

Jaballi Development, 1306 East 55 St, Cleveland OH 44103 

–––

*

Issue 2 passed on Tuesday. The citizen-Initiated state law will take effect in December, although the General Assembly may choose to modify it. Recreational marijuana is expected to hit the Ohio retail market in the latter half of 2024. For more information on this issue, go here.

^{* *}   Trulieve Entities, parent company to Harvest Health and Recreation (HH and R), the former partner to Harvest of OH, are attempting a hostile takeover of Kirkpatrick’s medical marijuana business. Her company is mounting a vigorous defense both in court. Go here for more information and to see Harvest of Ohio's public statement on the dispute.

• • •• • •