Kelly H. Whyman

Kelly H. Whyman — Senior Consultant | Cannabis Licensing, Compliance & Operations

‍

Kelly Whyman is a cannabis industry veteran and senior consultant at RLG. Since entering this dynamic space in 2010, she has built a reputation for strategic acumen, licensing expertise, and an unwavering focus on operational excellence. Her deep understanding of the complexities surrounding medical and adult-use cannabis has helped her secure over 200 licenses across 20+ states for clients, an unparalleled achievement in a rapidly evolving market and one that has made her a trusted advisor to both new entrepreneurs and established players.

‍

Her influence extends far beyond licensing. Whyman guides businesses through the entire cannabis lifecycle, from meticulous seed-to-sale tracking to sales optimization and inventory management, navigating multi-jurisdictional protocols in a way that keeps clients both compliant and competitive. Her tailored methodologies have propelled start-ups and established enterprises alike toward profitability, sustainable growth, and exit strategy.

‍

Kelly's path into this industry began with a personal experience as a patient. As an athlete managing debilitating migraines, she found relief through cannabis, an experience that gave her firsthand insight into the plant's therapeutic value. That insight became a driving force behind her work: building a market that serves patients and consumers as responsibly as it serves business, helping ensure safe access, standards, quality, and compliance in the regulated market.

‍

That commitment to responsible growth carried into education about the regulated cannabis business. Whyman regularly teaches CPAs, bankers, attorneys, and other professionals about the nuances of the industry, and she has extended that same commitment to the next generation of operators. In 2022, she was selected to assist Jessica Gonzalez in architecting, building, and structuring the curriculum and launch framework for the New Jersey Business Action Center's state-run Cannabis Training Academy (NJCTA), an online technical assistance program supporting the state's social equity entrepreneurs. She assisted in the launch of more than 60 courses on application preparedness and 11 courses on badging and training, work that continues to shape how New Jersey's current and prospective operators enter the regulated market. She remains an active teacher and mentor to entrepreneurs navigating that path today.

‍

At RLG, Whyman is known for turning regulatory complexity into a foundation for growth. Beyond her deep technical expertise, she brings a general solutioning mindset to every engagement, identifying practical paths forward for clients facing challenges that don't fit a standard playbook. Investors, private companies. and publicly traded entities within the cannabis sector seek her out for strategic insight, due diligence, system implementation, and audits, and for her proven ability to build high-performing teams that carry that growth forward. Much of that success comes down to mentorship: Whyman works closely with entrepreneurs and their teams to build strong leadership and core business skills, from inventory and operations to compliance and accounting, giving clients the foundation to sustain growth long after her engagement ends.