Faces of Kelowna was created to provide a connection between business owners and consumers, offering a deeper look into what makes them unique and recognized in their sectors. Over the next few months, expect to see 20 different entrepreneurs and community business leaders sharing their stories of business in Kelowna. We hope after reading about all of this year's Faces of Kelowna, you feel more connected to our community and the businesses that help it thrive.
It’s been a smoking hot topic lately — pun intended. But actually, Tyler Robson of Valens GroWorks has taken a different approach to cannabis.
By focusing on extraction, Valens is widening the range of high-quality and effective medicinal products available for everyone, including non-smokers.
Tyler Robson became interested in the cannabis industry when he started learning about its various health benefits and medical applications.
He noticed that many of the people he knew who were using cannabis medicinally were non-smokers, and spotted an opportunity in the field of cannabis extraction.
Tyler was onto something. He started researching extraction as an alternative to smoking cannabis, and then used that knowledge to help others with product development initiatives.
A few years later in 2012, he co-founded Valens GroWorks. In 2017, he became the CEO.
“Valens has established a business model which strategically benefits from the expected evolution of the cannabis consumer consumption patterns alongside the new wave of legalization,” said Tyler.
“We strongly believe in the commitment to producing a consistent and quality product backed by our accredited and respected science team.
Our end goal is to participate in producing safe and reliable cannabis to be placed in the hands of consumers, both domestically and globally.”
Valens has seen significant growth over the past seven years, and not only because of the recent legalization. Tyler credits much of the company’s success to their personal approach.
“We believe that cannabis has always been a deeply personal experience, we know that cannabis can’t be corporate. It’s an experience driven by intimate and individual needs and wants, so it needs to stay in the hands of the people,” said Tyler.
Tyler also feels that the impressive growth that Valens has achieved over the years would not have been possible without the amazing team of people he works with.
“We have curated a group of intelligent individuals who together possess the education, experience, passion and ambition necessary to propel this company and industry forward,” said Tyler.
“From a young age I participated in competitive sports, where I quickly learned that we are all working together for a greater purpose beyond ourselves.
It is this culture that is present within our company that is also reflective of the Kelowna community.”
What’s next for Valens? They are more motivated than ever to become a driving force in the Canadian market, with a goal to be known as the best-in-class cannabis extractor on a global platform.
All photography taken by NowMedia. Makeup provided by Jenny McKinney
Check out the rest of this year's Faces of Kelowna on our online publication page!
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