Katherine "Kay" Villamin has been a professional photographer since 2007 and has provided creative & marketing services for small businesses in the last 14 years. Currently, she is the co-founder & creative director of HUSH Chicago: a full-service event & marketing agency for the cannabis industry. Having her own photography business since 2011 has allowed her to participate in a wide gamut of industries & exposure to a diverse clientele, gaining her skills in event production, event marketing, media, business management, client relations, workflow automation, and digital marketing.  As an advocate and supporter of cannabis for over 18 years, Kay entered the regulated cannabis market by providing photography services for a multi-state operator. Seeing the gap between the regulated industry & legacy operators led her to co-create HUSH to serve fellow minority business owners, startups, social equity operators who are in need of marketing resources to boost their companies in the cannabis industry. HUSH offers full-service marketing services, event production, branding, creative services & consulting. HUSH also carries a curated cannabis jewelry collection as a way to represent the culture positively & to change the perspective on what a cannabis consumer looks like. Currently, she provides leadership, strategy, creative services and consulting for the company and its clients. Kay’s goal is to continue to lead the development & growth of the company, be a strong influence in the global cannabis community, and be an all-encompassing resource for brands big & small by providing support through creative services, purposeful marketing, mentorship, and business development. She is a member of the National Cannabis Industry Association & part of the Marketing & Advertising committee. Kay is also a member of the Cannabis Equity Illinois Coalition, Minority Cannabis Business Association, and Chicago Norml.