Ayanna Henderson Launches Higher Ground, a Business, Marketing and Technology Platform Built for the Cannabis Economy

LOS ANGELES, CA — October 1, 2026 — Entrepreneur, marketing strategist, producer and educator Ayanna Henderson, MBA, has announced the launch of Higher Ground, a business, marketing and technology platform created to help entrepreneurs build stronger, more professional and more sustainable businesses within the evolving cannabis economy.

Operating under the promise "Build Higher," Higher Ground is a division of Ayanna Henderson Marketing (AHM) and brings together business strategy, brand development, digital marketing, content, technology and artificial intelligence to address a critical challenge within the industry: helping promising businesses become truly business-ready.

Higher Ground is intentionally non-plant-touching. Rather than selling, cultivating or distributing cannabis products, the company focuses on the infrastructure surrounding the industry — helping founders strengthen how their businesses are positioned, presented, marketed and operated.

"The opportunity I saw wasn't simply cannabis — it was readiness. There are talented entrepreneurs with great products, important ideas and powerful stories who still need the business infrastructure that allows those ideas to compete. Higher Ground was created to help close that gap."

— AYANNA HENDERSON, FOUNDER, HIGHER GROUND & AYANNA HENDERSON MARKETING

Building the Business Behind the Brand

Higher Ground works at the intersection of business, creative and technology, helping entrepreneurs examine the complete ecosystem behind their companies. Services and areas of support include:

Introducing the Higher Ground Launch Lab

At the center of the Higher Ground ecosystem is the Higher Ground Launch Lab, an eight-week business-building experience designed to move entrepreneurs from opportunity to execution.

"Having a logo isn't the same as having a brand, and having a product isn't the same as having a business. We want entrepreneurs to leave Higher Ground with stronger systems, stronger positioning and a clearer understanding of how all of those pieces connect."

— AYANNA HENDERSON

Technology and AI as Business Infrastructure

Artificial intelligence is integrated into the Higher Ground model. Through Henderson's broader work in AI-powered marketing, creative production and business development, Higher Ground helps entrepreneurs identify practical ways to use emerging technology for research, content development, workflow automation, marketing, customer engagement and internal operations.

The goal is not technology for technology's sake — it is to give smaller businesses access to tools and systems that can help them operate with greater sophistication and efficiency. Higher Ground is also developing technology-based resources designed specifically for the cannabis business ecosystem, including centralized regulatory-awareness tools intended to help entrepreneurs more efficiently identify official federal, state and local resources relevant to their businesses.

Built from Decades of Marketing and Business Experience

Higher Ground builds upon Henderson's career spanning entertainment, marketing, production, education and entrepreneurship. Through Ayanna Henderson Marketing, Henderson has worked across entertainment, beauty, education, sports, nonprofit and consumer brands, with experience connected to organizations and projects including Steve Harvey Global, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Capitol Records, SAG-AFTRA, Mattel, Paramount, UCLA, e.l.f. Beauty's Keys Soulcare, the People's Choice Awards and others.

Henderson also brings the perspective of an educator to Higher Ground, having taught business, digital marketing, social media marketing and creative disciplines at the college level. That combination helped shape the Higher Ground philosophy: entrepreneurs don't simply need information. They need the ability to turn information into execution.

"Entrepreneurs in this space shouldn't have to lower their expectations because the industry is difficult. They should have access to the same caliber of strategy, creative thinking, technology and business infrastructure available in every other major industry. That is what Build Higher means."

— AYANNA HENDERSON

Higher Ground does not provide legal advice, regulatory compliance services, investment advice or funding guarantees. Entrepreneurs are encouraged to consult qualified legal, financial and regulatory professionals regarding their individual businesses.