The first time we met Glenn Brooks at iAccelerate, we knew the guy was a force of nature. Quite literally, he is a force of nature. His business, CannaHelp, manufactures and distributes natural balms from hemp-based products.

As a budding entrepreneur, Glenn shares with us his journey and experience as one of the latest resident companies under the iAccelerate Program. Just like any other conversations that are happening these days—virtual or being 1.5 meters apart—we had a catch up with the founder on his growing interest in hemp and its benefits.

Glenn has been fascinated with the study of plants at a young age. Eventually, he took Bachelors in Sciences focusing on Urban Horticulture. With over 40 years of experience, he has traveled to many parts of the world and worked at various places, including the Northern Lights Hydroponic & Gardens in Michigan, USA, and the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney.

CannaHelp was founded because of Glenn’s growing interest in hemp and how its properties have the potential to provide alternative healing. The business started in 2017 and has now grown to manufacture and distribute quality organic hemp products with pop-up stores and consignments in the Illawarra.

“The journey of being an entrepreneur has not always been easy. Every business has its ups and downs and as an entrepreneur, you have to able to adapt to changes in the environment or you will be left behind,” Glenn shares.

CannaHelp and the iAccelerate Program

Glenn found out about the iAccelerate Program through a friend while walking down the UOW Innovation Campus. He then joined our November 2019 cohort.

 “The program has helped me from the very beginning. I had many ideas and thoughts on running my business. With the iAccelerate program I managed to shape my perspective into thinking how I can make myself different from my competitors in the market,” the founder mentions.

With the guidance of the program, CannaHelp has expanded its outlets in various locations such as Hemp Retail Store in Woy Woy NSW and in Wollongong Flowers and Keiraville Newsagency here in Wollongong. They have also launched their online shop where hemp balms are sold.

“The iAccelerate program tailored to the needs of my business and kept me up to date with the changing environment of business.”

With challenges brought by this pandemic, CannaHelp has managed to make its first online sales after the revamp of its online presence. To date, their sales only keep growing.

“I have learned a lot more about my business and with my online presence. I have an excellent team that helped me cope as I struggled to keep up with rapid changes with technology. The pandemic really helped me take a step back and concentrate on the areas I want to focus on.”

Having recently celebrated its 3^rd year, Glenn says there will be many more anniversaries to come for CannaHelp because of the optimistic response from clients.

“Feedback we have received is all positive, with reports of relief from arthritic pain, diabetes pain, severe skin conditions, muscle injuries, tendon injuries, bruising, dry cracked skin amongst other problems,” he adds.

However, challenges do not stop for a growing business like Glenn’s due to the many government regulations surrounding the usage of hemp-based products in Australia. It is estimated that the global industrial hemp market size in 2019 was estimated at $4.71bn (Grand View Research, 2020). This is expected to grow due to the increasing demand and investment in production for hemp-based products in emerging regions like the Asia Pacific.

Glenn is hopeful that with the increasing knowledge and awareness that is going into hemp-based products, his business will flourish and will provide a wider range of goods and services to the larger community.

About Glenn Brooks

Glenn has over thirty years of experience in amenity horticulture, landscaping, landscape maintenance, landscape design, large scale noxious weed control, experimental weed control, production nurseries, conservation (nursery), retail nurseries, adult training, hydroponics, and plant propagation.

You may contact him here: email, phone.

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