The post Executive Spotlight: Olivia Mannix appeared first on Psychedelia.
By Garrett Rudolph
Olivia Mannix established herself as one of the top marketing and branding professionals in cannabis when the industry began its meteoric rise, following the passage of adult-use measures in Colorado and Washington.
She founded Cannabrand in 2013, garnering her a range of honors, from PR Week’s Innovation 50 to AdWeek’s Young Influentials to Marijuana Venture’s 40 Under 40. Mannix has since used her marketing expertise to expand into the psychedelics space, first launching the Cannabrand offshoot Psilocybrand in 2020, then co-founding Felicity Pharma in 2021.
“Felicity Pharma is unlike any other drug discovery biotech company in the space,” says Mannix, the company’s chief strategy officer. “We are for women by women.”
Felicity is taking a two-pronged approach to psychedelic health-and-wellness products, addressing not only mood disorders and mental ailments, but also physical pain.
Psychedelia:
What is it about psychedelics that makes you believe the time is right for Felicity, both from a standpoint of where drug policy is headed and from the perspective of the opportunity presented by treating women’s health?
Mannix:
I think this is a win/win situation. Now that we have the opportunity to use psychedelic drugs, we will be able to have more “natural” relationships with our health care. Psychedelics pose so many mental health solutions and promising research. Felicity is focusing on not only mental, but physical health as well. It is incredible to see how psychedelics rewire the neural pathways in the brain to improve mood, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and physical pain, in a way that has been unprecedented in medicine up until the psychedelic renaissance.
Psychedelic treatments have been outlawed for such a long time, so here is our opportunity to use these medicines to make a global, positive change.
Psychedelia:
Who has been your biggest influence, either in business or in life?
Mannix:
My mom has been my biggest influence in life and in business. She is the hardest worker in all areas of life. She was a labor delivery nurse at Cornell and managed the floor and was basically a doctor. In addition, my mom has also been my biggest fan and has supported me along the way in all aspects of my life.
Psychedelia:
What is the best piece of advice you’ve received in business?
Mannix:
The best piece of advice I’ve ever received is to always believe in yourself. You always have to believe that you are capable and worthy of doing anything you put your mind to and to never give up. Life isn’t all social media highlights and clips of great times; you’ve gotta trudge through to go where you are headed!
Psychedelia:
Have you always had the entrepreneurial bug, or what inspired you to start your own companies?
Mannix:
When I was younger, I started doing any odd job I could talk my way into. Helping out in the neighbor’s garden, selling handmade jewelry or art, lemonade stands, nannying, you name it. Then work became more serious when I turned 13, working for trade at a retail children’s clothing shop in Connecticut where I grew up.
I’ve always been an entrepreneur and come from a lineage of them — my great-great grandfather was Elmer Ambrose Sperry, the inventor of the first electric car in Europe. He was known as the “Father of Modern Navigation Technology.” Given my family history and entrepreneurial spirit, I knew my interests early on.
Psychedelia:
And how did you make the leap to start your first company?
Mannix:
At the University of Colorado at Boulder, I earned some important internships working for Fortune 500 companies where I was able to learn first-hand the ins and outs of corporate business. I was adamant about getting tons of experience before I entered the workforce.
I created my first marketing agency, MARCA Strategic, when I was sitting in my cubicle, in a skyscraper, with no window in sight. Since then, I’ve created Cannabrand, Psilocybrand, and Felicity Pharma.
I’m blessed to have come from a very hard-working and successful family — many members of whom continue to inspire me to spread my entrepreneurial wings and push the business envelope in new and exciting ways. No doubt, I am eager to find my next challenge and continue trailblazing ahead.
Psychedelia:
What are your interests and passions outside of work?
Mannix:
I am blessed to live in colorful Colorado and absolutely love the outdoors. I love to ski, hike, and do yoga. Additionally, I am very into health and wellness, as well as self-care. I’m an avid tennis player, I love to garden, and I love to spend time with my husband Jared and our Wheaten terrier named Stella.
Psychedelia:
What’s the last great book you’ve read?
Mannix:
“The Big Leap” by Gay Hendricks. It is a must-read if you are trying to get to the next level in life. It is about living in your “Zone of Genius” at work, and about how you need to know you’re worthy of anything. It is an incredible book and spot on. I suggest that everyone read it.
Psychedelia:
What musician/musical artist are you listening to right now?
Mannix:
I wouldn’t say that there is one musician I am listening to more than others. I absolutely love music, and it really is all about what you are in the mood for. I find myself listening to music that is relaxing — I like Solfeggio frequencies a lot. I enjoy listening to upbeat and electronic music most of the time. However, I love the classics.
My friend, Stephen James The Artist, is a singer/songwriter I met from boarding school at the Cushing Academy, and he has been releasing some amazing music. Follow him on Spotify.
Psychedelia:
What is something interesting/unique about you that most people wouldn’t know?
Mannix:
I am bilingual; I speak French and my mother is from Paris, so French is my first language. It’s such an amazing gift to communicate with people in their own language, for business and personal reasons.
Psychedelia:
What is your ultimate goal for Felicity? What type of products/services will the company offer?
Mannix:
The ultimate goal for Felicity is to develop novel psychedelic therapeutics that will be approved by the Food and Drug Administration to alleviate symptoms and improve the quality of life for women with chronic pain and mood disorders associated with fluctuating hormones. At the same time, Felicity will be a trusted educator to the public and an important influence on psychedelic policy, while bringing women’s health needs into the light.
We will revolutionize women’s health care as a female-founded company. Typically, pharmaceutical companies and various women’s needs businesses are owned by men, which makes zero sense. Felicity is for women, by women.
Psychedelia:
What can we expect from Felicity over the course of the next six months or so?
Mannix:
Felicity Pharma is going to be on a quick trajectory. First and foremost, there are a lot of strategic partnerships and allies that need to be created from a business standpoint, as well as choosing indications to study. Afterwards, we will research and develop a basis for our thesis.
On the business side of things, we will plan on being the beacon for all women’s health-related needs in the psychedelic medicine sector. We plan on playing a large role in the psychedelics community and are advocates for women’s health and needs. Educating and influencing will go hand-in-hand with public relations and marketing to achieve success for Felicity Pharma and women everywhere.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.