Emerald & Sage Dispensary: Supporting LGBTQ+ Cannabis Retail in Palm Springs
- C. Aigner Ellis
- Jun 28, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 28, 2025
A Case Study in Regional Strategy, Retail Systems & Cultural Positioning
🧠 The Challenge
When a small investment group sought to launch a dispensary in South Palm Springs, they turned to Rob Street — a seasoned retail operations professional with roots at Nespresso, Cole Haan and Trulieve, and a deep understanding of the Palm Springs market. The goal: create an LGBTQ+-affirming, design-forward cannabis retail experience that could stand out in a saturated space.
Rob joined the project as General Manager and simultaneously served as Project Manager within Icon City Entertainment, aligning the group's business goals with Icon City's expertise in culturally competent operations and storytelling strategy.
🎯 Partnership Objectives
Retail Goal: Build a compliant, efficient dispensary infrastructure from the ground up.
Marketing Goal: Establish a distinct brand voice tailored to LGBTQ+ consumers and tourists.
Cultural Goal: Integrate Palm Springs' regional identity into the retail and customer experience.
🛠 Icon City’s Role
Retail Operations Support
Created operational systems for daily store management, compliance, and staffing.
Supported in-store setup, training templates, and POS protocols.
Provided embedded leadership through Rob’s dual role as Icon City Project Manager and on-site GM.
Marketing Strategy
Developed core brand language, visual strategy, and launch assets.
Advised on seasonal outreach campaigns to intersect with tourism and local lifestyle events.
Delivered culturally relevant content and design recommendations focused on LGBTQ+ inclusion.
📊 Outcomes & Milestones
Soft launch executed with full retail functionality and compliance in place
Increased visibility in LGBTQ+ and Palm Springs tourism networks
Operational systems documented and handed off to internal team post-partnership
✍🏽 What We Learned
Win: Embedding leadership within both the client and consultant team ensured alignment, speed, and shared accountability.
Lesson: LGBTQ+ relevance in cannabis retail isn’t about rainbow flags — it’s about hiring, design, tone, and systems that reflect the culture.
Question: How can Icon City formalize this embedded consultancy model to support other non-equity but values-adjacent projects?
💡 Tied to the Icon City Theses
This engagement demonstrated our belief that:
“Narrative Infrastructure = Cultural Power.”
Even without full brand ownership, Icon City helped steer Emerald & Sage toward a culturally resonant retail identity, one rooted in community care and operational precision.
🔗 After the Partnership
Icon City formally ended its partnership with Green Room LLC (d/b/a Emerald & Sage) in Q4 2023, after successful delivery of operational systems and early-stage branding. The collaboration remains a model for how we can bridge independent ventures with creative infrastructure and community-rooted leadership.
📩 Interested in embedded project management or brand consulting? Partner With IconCity