ABOUT THE BOSS BABE
Ishqa Hillman didn’t expect to go into cannabis but she was called to it. After nearly 20 years of achieving corporate success and helping businesses grow exponentially, her childhood trauma - filled with abuse, gangs, juvenile halls and homelessness was calling her back to help others like her heal. It didn’t happen overnight, in fact it wasn’t long ago that Ishqa spent 4 years not leaving home except for work, due to social anxiety that had resulted from the unhealed trauma of her youth. Cannabis helped Ishqa find a little peace and eventually start to build more peace until she left her job late 2019 to help businesses grow and speak in juvenile halls. She had no idea she would be starting a whole other business just two months later – The Canna Boss Babes LLC®.
Ishqa formed The Canna Boss Babes LLC® as an entrepreneurial support platform to support the women in the space who previously felt unheard, unsupported and unsure how to compete with the men when so many resources appear to come from being a part of a “boy’s club”. The Canna Boss Babes LLC® are not anti-men “everyone’s a babe!” They focus on creating safe space for all people to come together to share their stories, learn from each other and grow together.
Ishqa’s ability to connect people was immediately put to good use, helping to coordinate educational cannabis networking events CBD Sundays, CannaGather, and others across Orange and Los Angeles Counties. Initially this was through in person events and to keep the connections and growth going however with the onset of the pandemic, Ishqa began hosting live interviews March 15, 2020. In the first two weeks she completed 40 live interviews with other experts, advocates, enthusiasts and operators in the industry. She then built a more sustainable system and grew her community by nearly 8,000 organic followers by providing a safe space to share cannabis stories worldwide.
"I have been so thankful for Ishqa's guidance and support as a fellow canna-boss-babe and I think anyone that crosses her path business wise is lucky! From helping me with my website rebuild to really being there for me, I am blessed to have her in my life!"
- Safiyah Kadoura OG Kush Babes
After 85 weeks and 804 lives, numerous awards and a nomination for best podcast – Instagram removed the page. This created the opportunity for Ishqa to return and focus on the work she loves and is here to do – helping businesses grow sustainably through storytelling that connects.
Ishqa is an experienced leader who has a history of creating healthy work environments where employees are cultivated to be their best and are confident in their value. With nearly 20 years of corporate Human Resources, Sales, Customer Service, Operations, Business Administration and Marketing for large and small businesses, she now uses her expertise to help brands stand out with compelling and representative storytelling and build sustainably by creating workflows and systems that work for the capacity of the business. As organized as she is creative, Ishqa likes to cut to the bottom line to discover to root of any issues you may be experiencing and find a solution.
In addition to The Canna Boss Babes LLC® Ishqa used 2020 to co-found Long Beach Peer Education Community Center 501c3 whose purpose is “Empowering Generations” by uniting businesses to neighborhoods though education and training and by providing system navigation, “everyday” education, and support groups. Currently we are focusing on homelessness, veterans and harm reduction and working with other organizations to address this need locally with plans to expand nationally. You can learn more at www.lbpecc.org
Ishqa has worked with The Social Impact Center from Los Angeles through which she has received PowerUp Meeting Facilitator certification and training to work with people currently and formerly incarcerated. This work came from her volunteer efforts with 2020 National Expungement Week’s clinics held throughout Los Angeles County where she received a Certificate of Recognition from the California State Assembly. This work continues to be important to her and her passion for this work has led to her further organizing with The Social Impact Center.
Currently Ishqa works as a consultant with businesses both in and out of the cannabis space and is enjoying her free time pursuing her passion to help others within the non-profit sector.
"In our first conversation Ishqa & I connected. She understood right away my purpose & passion and she connected me with AMAZING like minded individuals. Together, we are all creating change.
Thank you Ishqa!"
Amy Simpson
Join Humanity Heroes