Lantern spins off Drizly Group with $40M capital, announces leadership changes
Lantern, among the leading on-demand cannabis e-commerce marketplace and home delivery platforms in the U.S., today announced three changes within its leadership team. Meredith Mahoney, who has served as Lantern’s President since the company launched in May 2020, was named Co-Founder and CEO. Katie Neer, who has served as Head of Industry Affairs, was named General Counsel, and Akele Parnell, the company’s Head of Equity Partnerships, was also appointed to lead Lantern’s social equity incubator program. Additionally, Lantern Co-Founder, Justin Robinson, has transitioned to a full-time role at the company following Uber’s acquisition of Lantern’s sister company, Drizly Group.
In February 2021, Uber announced an agreement to acquire Drizly for approximately $1.1 billion in stock and cash. As part of the deal close, Lantern has transitioned to a separate corporate entity and received $40 million in capital from Drizly Group. Lantern currently offers on-demand cannabis delivery for patients and adult-use consumers in Massachusetts, Michigan, and Colorado.
Justin will oversee Lantern’s growth operations and product development. Meredith will work closely with Justin to further develop the platform’s personalized discovery features and expand to new legal markets. He will also continue to work with Katie and Akele to expand social equity provisions in new legalized markets and create valuable business opportunities for social equity candidates through Lantern’s incubator programs.
As General Counsel, Katie will lead the company’s legal and government affairs, as well as social equity initiatives, together with Akele, who will oversee Lantern’s social equity business incubators. Lantern’s incubator programs provide mentorship, educational programming, and operational resources to aspiring social equity licensees in Massachusetts, Colorado, Michigan, and New Jersey.
“Cannabis is expected to become the final frontier in the e-commerce landscape, and I am thrilled to focus my efforts on fulfilling our company’s long-term vision of bringing transparency, equity, and access to the legal space,” said Justin Robinson, Co-Founder of Lantern. “I am immensely proud of the novel marketplace opportunities that have been introduced through Drizly, and I look forward to working with Meredith and the rest of the Lantern team to help consumers and all industry stakeholders reimagine what is possible for cannabis e-commerce.”
“Justin’s marketplace and consumer insights have been instrumental to Lantern’s growth throughout the past couple of years, and his leadership will be an invaluable asset as the legalization movement gains momentum,” said Meredith Mahoney, Co-Founder and CEO of Lantern. “Lantern has already made a meaningful impact in each of its local business communities, and I am eager to work with Justin, Katie, Akele and Lantern leadership to bring our on-demand platform and mission-driven service to compelling new markets in the near future.”
Drizly was co-founded by Justin in 2012 and is currently the largest on-demand alcohol marketplace in the United States. Under his leadership, Drizly’s network grew to over 5,000 retailer partners that reach 235 over markets across North America. In 2015, Justin was named to Forbes’ prestigious 30 Under 30 List under the Food and Wine category. Lantern, which was incubated out of Drizly, launched in May 2020 and uses Drizly’s leading marketplace technologies and operational expertise to support best-in-class consumer and retailer experiences.
About Lantern
Lantern is among the leading cannabis e-commerce marketplace and delivery platforms in the U.S. With the speed and convenience of on-demand delivery, Lantern partners with the best local dispensaries and cannabis brands to bring transparency, safety, and access to cannabis for both new and experienced consumers through intuitive, personalized shopping experiences. Lantern’s best-in-class expertise in regulated industries helps dispensaries operationalize on-demand delivery, helping them to reach new customers, tap into key consumer insights, and diversify their businesses to grow sales. Lantern is an independently operated company within Drizly Group, the most popular and reliable online alcohol delivery platform in North America.