• Celebrity
    • OTE – Screen Kings
    • Daniel Kaluuya Digital Cover
    • Digital Cover Method Man
    • Digital Cover Zazie
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
    • If Not For My Girls
  • Fashion
    • ESSENCE Fashion House 2022
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Best In Black Beauty 2023
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weave
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Black History Month
    • ESSENCE Gift Guide 2022
    • ESSENCE + smartwater Live Well Challenge
    • Build Your Legacy 2022
    • Dream & Plan with Confidence Prudential
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Homecoming Season 2022
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
  • News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Sponsors Recognition Page 2022
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Video
  • Festival
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2022 Fest Videos
  • Events
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Girls United Summit
    • 2022 ESSENCE Fashion House
    • 2022 Homecoming Season
    • She Got Now
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • Power Tools
  • Studios
  • Girls United

WHERE BLACK CULTURE, COMMUNITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS MEET

Sign up for ESSENCE Newsletters the keep the Black women at the forefront of conversation.

Your email is required.
Your email is in invalid format.
Confirm email is required.
Email did not match.
Select the newsletters you'd like to receive:
Please select at least one option.
By clicking Subscribe Now, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Skip to content
SUBSCRIBE
  • MAGAZINE
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Celebrity
    • OTE – Screen Kings
    • Daniel Kaluuya Digital Cover
    • Digital Cover Method Man
    • Digital Cover Zazie
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
      • Paint The Polls Black
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
    • If Not For My Girls
  • Fashion
    • ESSENCE Fashion House 2022
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Best In Black Beauty 2023
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weave
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Black History Month
    • ESSENCE Gift Guide 2022
    • ESSENCE + smartwater Live Well Challenge
    • Build Your Legacy 2022
    • Dream & Plan with Confidence Prudential
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Homecoming Season 2022
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
  • News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Sponsors Recognition Page 2022
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Video
  • Festival
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2022 Fest Videos
  • Events
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Girls United Summit
    • 2022 ESSENCE Fashion House
    • 2022 Homecoming Season
    • She Got Now
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • Power Tools
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Home · Money & Career

Dia Simms Is Bringing Real Hustle And Diversity To The Cannabis Space

The former president of Combs Enterprises is shaking up the cannabis industry in the best of ways.
Dia Simms Is Bringing Real Hustle And Diversity To The Cannabis Space
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Sean Combs
By Ashley J. Hobbs · Updated November 4, 2020

Listen and subscribe to Unbossed Podcast from your mobile device:
Via Apple Podcasts | Via Spotify | Via Stitcher or wherever you listen to podcasts
.

Dia Simms, CEO of the BRN Group (pronounced “burn”), brought insight and inspiration to the UnBossed podcast with her inspiring career story. From the Department of Defense to managing Sean “Diddy” Combs’s alcohol division to delivering new cannabis brands to a flourishing market —Simms consistently marries excellence with hustle for impressive results.

The former CEO of Combs Wine & Spirits has created a steady, upwardly mobile path. Her hustle caught Diddy’s attention and put her in a prime position to learn from the best and to demonstrate the power of women in leadership. Under Simms’ direction, Cîroc Ultra Premium Vodka, DeLeón Tequila and spirits innovation projects for the company went from obscurity to over 1000% growth in the first 24 months after launch.

“Around 2008, I went to the CFO at the time and actually asked to do a backwards analysis of when you had women in leadership versus when you had men in leadership and to show how much more profitable he was. And it wasn’t surprising to me to show [that] you make more money when women are in charge,” Simms says.

In 2019 Simms took all she had accomplished across her already robust résumé and went out on her own — into the ever-expanding cannabis space as CEO of the BRN Group, which focuses on building and managing CBD brands, developing interactive and personalized e-commerce experiences, and providing relevant learning to inform and engage customers within the CBD market.

“After 14 years, it was just a wonderful run. But I really wanted to have real significant and deep levels of ownership and authority over my work. Puff was a phenomenal partner, but this was a chance… I thought, “Hey, this is an industry that is burgeoning and I’m really excited about the opportunity in the cannabis space.”

Simms’ focus? Building quality and diverse cannabis brands.

“I’m just obsessed with building things from scratch. So I was like, “Oh, my gosh. It’s not only just a product, but this is a whole industry.” How can I go and actually shake up the whole industry? I can’t be the only one. We need 5,000 CEOs of color. So for me, those were the things that were so attractive and exciting. And it has not disappointed so far.”

To learn more about Dia’s experiences working with Diddy, the music business and her company BRN group, listen below:


TOPICS:  Black Woman President black women in business business cannabis Dia Simms diddy Unbossed Unbossed Podcast
COMPANY INFORMATION
  • Our Company
  • Customer Service
  • Essence Ventures
  • Change Your Address
  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Internships
  • Media Kit
  • tag
SUBSCRIBE
  • Newsletters
  • Give a Gift of ESSENCE
  • Magazine Tablet Edition
FOLLOW US
MORE ON ESSENCE
  • Home
  • Love
  • Celebrity
  • Beauty
  • Hair
  • Fashion
  • ESSENCE festival

ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

©2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms

Get The ESSENCE Newsletter and
Special Offers delivered to your inbox

By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Get The ESSENCE Magazine
by subscribing below
subscribe now