About Grown In

Grown In is a civic and commercial platform focused on how complex, highly regulated industries evolve — beginning with cannabis, but extending to the broader infrastructure of science, policy, and markets that shape modern economies.

Founded in Chicago, Grown In operates at the intersection of civic leadership, industry expertise, and public understanding. Our work centers on the Midwest while engaging national and global perspectives, recognizing that regional ecosystems often determine how emerging industries ultimately mature.

Cannabis is a primary lens because it touches nearly every domain at once: agriculture, medicine, consumer products, finance, law, logistics, public health, and culture. Understanding its development requires more than sector-specific knowledge. It requires the ability to navigate competing incentives, evolving regulations, and diverse stakeholders — often simultaneously.

The Middle Ground Methodology

Grown In is powered by The Middle Ground, a facilitation approach designed to bring together organizations and individuals who may not otherwise collaborate but whose decisions are interdependent.

Rather than advocating for a single constituency, we focus on identifying areas of practical alignment across:

Government and regulators
Industry participants
Research institutions
Financial and professional services
Community leaders
Consumers

Complex industries rarely advance through unilateral action. They move forward when credible actors compare incentives, clarify misunderstandings, and build workable frameworks that acknowledge both opportunity and risk.

What We Do

Grown In functions as a hybrid platform combining journalism, research, convening, and advisory services.

We:

Publish analysis and reports on market developments
Convene private and public meetings among stakeholders
Provide educational programming and executive briefings
Conduct research on policy, regulation, and industry dynamics
Advise organizations navigating entry into or expansion within regulated markets

Our goal is not to promote specific products or companies but to improve the conditions under which responsible activity can occur.

Our Sweet Spot: The Middle of the Market

We work most often with organizations operating in the “middle” — established companies that recognize both the opportunities and complexities of emerging sectors.

These frequently include firms in:

Financial services
Life sciences and healthcare
Food and beverage
Supply chain and logistics
Advanced manufacturing
Marketing and communications
Professional services

For these organizations, success depends not only on understanding regulations but also on navigating cultural expectations, reputational risks, and operational nuances that are rarely documented in formal guidance.

Grown In’s network and institutional memory provide context that cannot be easily replicated through traditional market research alone.

Conversely, incumbent cannabis and hemp businesses seek our platform to connect with mainstream partners, institutions, and markets as the industry becomes more integrated into the broader economy.

Convening as Infrastructure

A core function of Grown In is bringing people into the same room — physically or virtually — who might otherwise remain siloed.

Our flagship gathering, the Midwest Cannabis Forum, will convene leaders from across sectors on May 28 in Chicago. Future meetings, educational initiatives, and research projects will continue to explore how regulated industries can evolve responsibly while maintaining public trust.

These convenings are not conferences in the traditional sense. They are working sessions designed to surface insights, test assumptions, and identify practical next steps.

Chicago Roots, National Scope

Chicago has long served as an “application city” — a place where new ideas are translated into scalable systems. From commodities trading to consumer goods to transportation networks, the region’s strength lies in operationalizing complexity.

Grown In reflects that tradition. While rooted in the Midwest, we monitor developments across the United States and internationally, recognizing that policy, capital, and innovation flow across borders.

Beyond Cannabis

The Middle Ground framework also supports communities working in adjacent frontier domains, including:

Education transformation
Artificial intelligence
Quantum computing
Civic innovation

These fields share common characteristics: rapid technological change, incomplete regulation, ethical uncertainty, and significant societal impact. Lessons learned in one domain often inform progress in others.

An Insider–Outsider Perspective

Grown In operates with a deliberate balance of proximity and independence.

We are close enough to industry participants to understand operational realities, yet sufficiently independent to maintain analytical credibility. This dual perspective allows us to translate between technical specialists, policymakers, investors, and the public.

Join the Conversation

The future of regulated industries will not be determined by any single organization or sector. It will emerge from ongoing dialogue among those willing to engage constructively despite differing perspectives.

We invite you to learn more about our work, participate in upcoming convenings, and contribute to the development of responsible, sustainable markets.