Creating Momentum
by Gary Cohen, CEO of Cova Software
Minnesota’s adult-use cannabis market is still in its earliest days — and that makes this moment incredibly special. With only a handful of shops open, today’s pioneers are experiencing something rare in retail: real first-mover advantage. Customers are lining up, new consumers are walking in with curiosity, and demand is high.
But every new state eventually discovers the same truth: early momentum is fragile. It doesn’t sustain itself. You have to build it, reinforce it, and protect it — intentionally.
Since joining Cova in 2017, I’ve sat across from dispensary owners almost every day, from first-time entrepreneurs to multi-state operators. After working with more than 2,500 retailers, the patterns are impossible to miss. You see why some stores scale year after year while others stall — even when they all started strong.
The retailers who grow steadily share three strengths–they deliver a customer experience people return for, they establish operational and compliance discipline early, and they use data to guide decisions instead of guessing.
Their stories have shaped how we build technology at Cova — and they offer Minnesota’s new retailers a clear roadmap for turning early advantage into long-term success.
Winning Loyalty Through Consistency & Care
Before opening their first store, the team behind A Little Bud visited more than 150 dispensaries across the U.S. They weren’t collecting décor ideas or chasing trendy SKUs — they were studying what made some stores unforgettable and others instantly forgettable. What struck them most wasn’t the lighting or the branding. It was how technology shaped the customer experience from the moment someone walked in.
“We kept seeing Cova in the stores customers loved,” says owner, Randy Tingskou, “retailers trusted it the most. If you want reliability, great support, efficiency, and the data you need to grow, go with Cova.”
From day one, A Little Bud built their brand around warmth, ease, and community connection — and that required a rock-solid operational foundation behind the scenes. Cova kept their lines moving quickly, ensured accurate inventory, and gave staff a system they could learn in minutes. When compliance stays smooth in the background, budtenders are free to focus on people, not screens.
And customers felt it. A Little Bud went on to win back-to-back Service Excellence Awards in 2024 and 2025, becoming one of Canada’s most loved retailers.
For Minnesota stores — whether already open or still preparing — the takeaway is clear:
Customer experience isn’t just a front-of-house strategy. It’s shaped by every operational decision behind the scenes.
The Non-Negotiable Foundation of Sustainable Growth
Before becoming the CEO of HighLife Health NY, Jennifer Gierum was a hard-working mom raising her sons in New Rochelle. When she stepped into cannabis retail as a first-time dispensary owner, she entered one of the most tightly regulated markets in the country — and she knew immediately she couldn’t afford mistakes.
She needed a technology partner that understood cannabis, simplified compliance, and removed unnecessary risk. In New York, where regulations shift frequently and enforcement is strict, compliance wasn’t a task to check off — it was the backbone of her entire business.That’s where Cova made the difference with built-in safeguards — automatic age verification, purchase limits, and real-time inventory syncing with the state’s traceability system. Her team didn’t need to memorize every rule or manually track limits. The system handled it for them, reducing errors and keeping HighLife aligned with New York’s requirements.
As her operations grew, Cova also helped her establish clear SOPs and accountability measures, bringing consistency and discipline to her staff — critical in a fast-changing regulatory environment.
As Jennifer put it,“When I reached out to Cova, I instantly started getting real-time information — ‘this is what I’m seeing in the industry, this is how long it’s taking people to implement.’ Instead of trying to sell me, Cova was educating me.”
For new Minnesota operators, her experience is a powerful reminder: In a tightly regulated industry, choosing the right tech partner can be the difference between staying compliant and staying open.
The Critical Nature of Data-Driven Decision Making
When Ali Wasuk, Co-Founder of WestCanna, evaluated their dispensary technology, he realized their previous platforms weren’t giving them the clarity or confidence he needed to run the business effectively. After trying a few systems that fell short, WestCanna switched to Cova — and the impact was immediate.
“What really drove us to Cova was the analytics,” Ali said. “I love that you can be at home and get an email at the end of the day showing exactly how you did — your numbers, margins, returns. In cannabis retail, data is everything, and the POS is the backbone of that.”
Beyond the standard reports, Ali relies on Cova’s Report Hub for deeper insights that help WestCanna run more efficiently.
“The Report Hub gives me things like ‘this day last week you had X customers, and today you have X.’ That lets me dig into the why — is there a concert, a hockey game, something happening in the city?” he said. “Based on that data, I can plan ahead… do I need another person on from 12 to 3? That’s how we save on labor — by scheduling based on projected demand.”
For Minnesota operators in a brand-new, fast-moving market, this kind of visibility is invaluable.
Your Momentum Starts Now
Minnesota’s early retailers have a rare opportunity — and a responsibility to shape consumer expectations. Early demand brings excitement, but lasting success takes discipline, consistency, and smart decisions. These pioneers are defining what legal cannabis retail can and should be.