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Red Rodriguez

FounderIconoclast Agency

New York, NY

Skills

Business Development & Partnerships
Retail
Creative Strategy

About

Red Rodriguez has spent over a decade deeply immersed in the cannabis industry, collaborating with top dispensaries to curate exceptional products and advising leading brands. His expertise in retail was pivotal in shaping the renowned Flower Menu at America's first Cannabis Cafe. Formally the Director of Brand Partnerships at GRAV, Red created and spearheaded the development of innovative brand collaborations that amplify the company's influence and reach. As the founder of Iconoclast Agency, Red leverages his extensive hands-on experience to offer culturally dynamic strategies that drive meaningful impact. This agency is built on more than a decade of industry knowledge, crafting unique approaches tailored to the evolving cannabis market. A California native with east coast roots, Red has witnessed the state's cannabis landscape transform over the years. This journey has fueled his commitment to advocating for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. Identifying strongly with counterculture movements, he uses his deep cannabis expertise to elevate the voices and experiences of those most marginalized. For Red, advocacy is not just a professional pursuit but a personal mission, making him a true counterculture professional dedicated to driving change.

Published content

12 Ways to Speak With Confidence in Any Setting

expert panel

Presenting your business to an audience can feel intimidating, but the right mindset and preparation can make all the difference. Whether you're delivering a keynote speech, joining a panel or meeting potential clients face-to-face, confidence when speaking isn't necessarily something you're born with — it's something you build. And when you understand your audience, believe in your message and allow your passion to guide you, your delivery becomes more natural and impactful. To help you improve, Rolling Stone Culture Council members share their top tips for becoming a more engaging and self-assured speaker in any setting. From leaning into your passion to mastering your elevator pitch, these insights can help you connect authentically and speak with greater impact.

Can't Decide Which Media Outlets to Work With? Eight Questions to Consider

expert panel

Choosing the wrong one could be detrimental to your company’s credibility. One of the best ways to get your business in front of more potential customers is to work with or be featured by a media outlet. Whether it's on an influencer’s social media page, a podcast or on a more traditional media platform, leveraging the opportunity to amplify your message and promote your product or service is essential for businesses looking to scale and succeed in their industry.  However, not every media outlet is created equal, and the platform that might work for one industry or business may not be the best choice for another. So what does a business leader need to consider before selecting a media outlet to work with? Here, eight members of Rolling Stone Culture Council share their insights and the top questions they ask themselves when determining who to work with and the impact it will have on their brand’s image.

Trying to Keep Up With Industry News and Trends? 11 Smart Places to Look

expert panel

Without a focused approach, it can be all too easy to get lost in a sea of useless information. With new platforms, a multitude of media options and endless content being produced each day, those hoping to keep up with the latest trends or news may have a difficult time finding a single source they can rely on. This is especially true of business leaders in the culture space, who must not only keep up with the trends but stay ahead of them to better target and influence their customers. While simply hopping on social media or your chosen news outlet is one way to stay in the know, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council have a more focused approach. Here, they each offer up one specific resource they turn to to help them keep up with industry trends, news and updates and why it’s so useful to their business.

11 Ways to Balance Authenticity and Marketing While Developing Your Brand

expert panel

You don’t necessarily have to sacrifice one to achieve the other. All companies must eventually make sales if they want to last as a business. And to make sales, you need to work on marketing — or getting your brand and products in front of potential customers and detailing the reasons why they should pass their hard-earned cash off to you. But while earning sales is one of the main goals of good marketing, some efforts can sometimes come off too “salesy,” turning off customers with far too insistent and persistent language and messaging. Today’s consumers crave more transparency from brands, so marketers must work to balance their sales pitch with their brand’s authentic voice. Drawing on their own experiences as business leaders, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council weigh in below on how brands can balance authenticity and marketing when developing their unique brand story and why it’s so important to do so.

How Dispensaries Can Transform Customer Interactions into Exceptional Guest Experiences

article

Understanding what people are looking for — and why they consume cannabis — isn’t just a best practice; it’s essential to create a meaningful, guest-focused experience.

Is Your Brand Misaligned? 10 Red Flags (and Solutions)

expert panel

Watch out for these telltale signs that your brand may need some fine-tuning. Brand alignment is crucial to any business's success, both on an initial and ongoing basis. If your brand doesn't deliver on its mission and value proposition — or communicate this information in a way that resonates with your target audience — you might find yourself with decreased engagement, fewer sales and a lack of clarity on how to move forward. But how do you know if your brand is misaligned, and what can you do to fix the problem? Here, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council share some red flags that your brand needs realignment, along with actionable steps to get things back on track.

Company details

Iconoclast Agency

Company bio

The Iconoclast Agency is a consulting firm with over a decade of expertise in the cannabis industry, we’re not just about strategy—we’re boots on the ground, bringing a hands-on approach to every project. As tastemakers and storytellers, we champion culture with creativity and a commitment to authenticity. Driven by the belief that real change emerges beyond societal boundaries, we forge new paths to shape the future, staying true to our values of originality and integrity.

Industry

Cannabis

Area of focus

Brand Marketing
Collaboration

Company size

2 - 10