Meet The Founder of YANA

Ariana Fleishman, also known as “Ari Tokes” in the cannabis industry, is a dynamic force in Tech Startups and in the East Coast Cannabis industry. Ari was born, raised, and educated throughout the DC Metropolitan area. Her educational background is as diverse as her professional journey, holding a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Maryland with a focus on Human Computer Interaction (HCI). She then went on to receive a Master’s in Technology Management from Georgetown University while working full time as a Managing Director of an Intellectual Property Consulting Firm. Ariana's expertise spans over 10 years in start up culture environments and in Private Equity.

Ariana came to a breaking point during COVID due to a decline in her mental health and her self fulfillment not being reached. She finally decided to take a leap of faith and break free from working for people who would never view her as an equal. She knew her story was not unique and wanted to connect with people that felt the same. It was time for her to live with purpose.

After taking a break to cultivate her mind and body, YANA came to fruition as her soul purpose in 2022. YANA’s mission is to connect creative communities through plant medicine alternatives and holistic wellness.

YANA Wellness Center is now opened as a medical cannabis dispensary that also offers mental health services and holistic wellness community events. Ariana also spent 3 years on research and development of the YANA Wellness Product line that is available for nationwide shipping. Her products were developed with plant based alternatives such as cannabis, functional mushrooms, and kava root to help reduce the need for pharmaceutical dependencies and addictive drugs.

Ariana is channeling her vast experience and visionary leadership to create a new paradigm in the mental health and plant medicine sectors with her Conscious Consumption Program coming in the Summer 2025. Continue to follower her journey on social media and on her new podcast, The YANAcast. Join the YANA family at their upcoming events in the DMV area here!