many successful career pursuits which inspired her to want her own Cannabis business. She has gone from working in a call center in Los Angeles, to being a Marketing Director for the West Africa Enlightenment Foundation, and then ultimately to becoming a business owner. One of her pursuits led her to West Africa remotely in 2014, which was during the devastating outbreak of the Ebola outbreak. Totimeh served in the African Enlightenment Watch program where she participated in a campaign about proper handwashing and other standard precautions to prevent the spread of disease. In 2017, Totimeh was physically in West Africa devoting this time to implement an educational plan for the children of Monrovia, Liberia.
BLACK-WOMAN OWNED BUSINESS: AEQUILIBRIUM CANNABIS DELIVERY by Contributing Writer, Cheryl D Howard
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f there is ever a spirit of an entrepreneur, Naweh Totimeh possesses it. Since she was a little girl, she did not have visions of sugar plum fairies, she had visions of becoming a business owner. In July 2019, at the age of 37, Ms. Totimeh became the President and Founder of Aequilibrium Cannabis Delivery, soon to be a Cannabis dispensary. Totimeh was born in San Francisco, California. She is third generation Liberian. Her parents are originally from Liberia, West Africa. Although Totimeh was born and raised in the U.S, she sincerely claims that she is 100% Liberian. “I was American born, but you can’t tell me that, I was born in Liberia like my sisters, raised by two young adults that came over here to get their masters.” she said in jest and with a smile. When her family moved to Sacramento, Totimeh was raised in the Valley High Community. At the age of 16, she worked as a youth coordinator in the G Parkway Apartment complex community center (now called the Franklin Villas). She has had | 5 4 | T H E HU B MA G A Z I N E
Totimeh is currently an equity applicant with the Sacramento Core program. She entered as a marketing consultant focusing on equity strategic partnership. She is excited that the core program will afford her, and other equity applicants, the opportunity to obtain licensing to own a retail storefront dispensary in the city of Sacramento. She states that with her delivery and dispensary business she will be able to contribute revenues to Sacramento’s Cannabis and economy and give back to the community from which she came. “I plan on when I apply for that RFP (request for proposal) and gain a dispensary. I’m putting back into 95823 and to the whole city of Sacramento through different work force development programs and different community outreach to give back for economic stability for our black and brown communities.” Totimeh said. While waiting for her full licensing processes to be complete with the state of California, she has entered into a joint venture with a Bay Area company to begin a delivery retail business. A team under her direction will be delivering recreational Cannabis to the homes of clients. Since the onset of COVID, Totimeh has been met with the challenge to obtain a location for her dispensary. She will need well over $100,000 to secure a location. She will not be able to apply for her dispensary until a location lease or purchase is finalized. Totimeh is not discouraged, she is confident that all will come together. She said initially when COVID hit, there was a pause, “We had to re-forecast our business goals and business training.” Totimeh said. COVID may have caused some glitches, but she states that the COVID has allowed the Cannabis business to blast off. So, in due time, she will have a location and her business will thrive. Totimeh is a driven young woman, she has recently been contracted with the Greater Sacramento Urban League for the 2020 census for the “Make Black Count” Sacramento campaign. This contract also links her to the State Census campaign. As a young black female entrepreneur, Totimeh has insight for herself far beyond her years. “I see myself hitting high heights, being very successful, definitely taking off partnering with other core equity black individuals or businesses, sticking together, maybe we can all purchase big pieces of land together and come up with a whole hub, have a new black wall street Sacramento, those are the things I would like to see here, in the nation, or anywhere for black individuals.” she proclaimed. Totimeh is sincere as she advises other young black women entrepreneurs who may want to enter the Cannabis industry. “They have to be finishers, you have to be somebody who
FALL 2020
