Philadelphia, PA - Nestled between Fishtown and Northern Liberties is 1100 North Front Street, a renovated PBR factory building that has moved from housing glass beer bottles to a different type of glass. Kannakart Online Headshop, the only company of its kind in Pennsylvania, was started in Philadelphia by two entrepreneurs who are seeking to reinvent the way the glass and vape industry operates.
“As smoking becomes more accepted in society, it is becoming a lifestyle rather than something that is reserved for stoners,” says CEO Jon Monk. “The soccer mom who smokes on weekends may feel intimidated walking into a headshop on South Street, so we’re trying to give casual smokers a place to pick up the stuff they need conveniently.” Chinese glass companies were flooding the glass industry. Glass blown in China is often cheaply manufactured in bulk, by factories. The folks at Kannakart made it a point to offer American-made glass bongs and pipes, so they linked up with companies like Grav Labs, Glowfly, Purr, and Empire Glassworks, all based in the U.S.
A lot of the online smoke shops are only offering pipes and rolling papers. Kannakart offers accessories such as Annabis odor proof fashion accessories and other lifestyle products that appeal to all types of smokers. The Kannakart kangaroo logo is representative of the lifestyle brand that they are building. It’s the only logo in the space that features a mascot.
The team at Kannakart is made up of mostly graduates in their 20’s, all who attended Philadelphia colleges. The culture at their Northern Liberties headquarters is reflective of that. While they put in the long hours needed, even on weekends, to grow their business, they find time to grab a coffee or go out to eat together. “It’s important that we work in a collaborative environment.” says co-founder Claudia Post. “We want everyone bouncing ideas off each other constantly. It gets the creative juices flowing, helps us innovate, and builds relationships between our team members.” Claudia, a baby boomer, is often referred to as the “world’s oldest millennial” by her team.
Kannakart is one of the few online headshops to offer free shipping across the United States. While they sell their products nationally, Jon says Kannakart is committed to Philadelphia and growing with the city that they started in over a year ago. “We see Philadelphia as a place with a lot of opportunity for business owners. We always rep Philly and show our pride in our branding on social media, our website, and in everything we do here.”
Philadelphia's South Street Guide - welcomes more than just hippies these days. Shoppers searching for a statement-making look, visitors hungry for a real Philly cheesesteak and music lovers who want to catch an up-and-coming band head to the storied boulevard. Ethnically diverse restaurants, bars that keep the party going long after dessert and galleries and performance spaces help make South Street the place where everyone meets.
