Meet Kristina Lopez Adduci | Founder & CEO of House of Puff

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kristina Lopez Adduci and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristina, what role has risk played in your life or career?
As a second-generation American, risk-taking is in my DNA. My ancestors escaped the Spanish inquisition by migrating to the Canary Islands and then to Puerto Rico. My grandparents were both entrepreneurs in their own right. My grandmother opened her own boutique selling her own designs near Delancey St. and my grandfather sold furniture in the Bronx. My mother sold real estate until she was 35, when she decided to become a physician. So, as you can see, taking risks is something embedded in me. I’ve always had the courage to face uncertainty—it’s in my blood. I took a risk selling my first company to build House of Puff. I know that, with each risk I take, I’ll grow as a leader and become more resilient.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

House of Puff is a Latina-led and women-owned lifestyle company based in New York City. We help people imbibe unapologetically by normalizing cannabis consumption through art-inspired products and our omnichannel content network, which has just surpassed a digital reach of 3.4 million.

My first business was an art content platform. So I understand the critical role that art plays in advancing cultural and social movements. I built House of Puff to be a vehicle for the future of cannabis. Our mission is to evolve and elevate the conversation about everything from consumption rituals to restorative justice.

I started the company because I’m a Latina mom who consumes cannabis and I want to do it like a stylish adult—just like everything else I do. So I created House of Puff to destigmatize and demystify cannabis for others.

House of Puff simply wouldn’t have come to be without my involvement in the visual arts. Being steeped in contemporary art refined my eye and made me want everything around me to be more meaningful. That included the ways that I use cannabis for my health. Art and artists are inseparable from House of Puff’s DNA. Our business model is to hire artists to create our designs initially in small-batch production or to license images from them to feature on our products. Our roots in art are what make us different from everyone else who’s making cannabis products.

I’d like to see more support for Black and Latinx people who were victimized by the war on drugs to enter the legal cannabis space as entrepreneurs. Considering that marijuana prohibition started hand-in-hand with the demonization of Latinx immigrants in the early 20th century, we need to do a lot more to even the playing field.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

I started going to Miami when I was younger, and have been attending Art Basel forever. There’s nothing like Miami locals culture, nightlife, and architecture.

Start off with breakfast on the beach at Soho House Miami. It’s one of my favorite Soho Houses, and the crowd doesn’t start piling onto the beach until noon or so.

I love staying at the 1 Hotel South Beach or Soho House. The latter has bikes you can borrow to cruise down Collins. Pop into the Webster for some shopping, and back to the beach for lunch at 1 Hotel.

Off of South Beach, I’ll head to Wynwood Walls/Downtown Miami to check out galleries, museums, and, of course, the unparalleled street art.

For cocktails, I can’t get enough of the Broken Shaker. I hosted my company’s launch party there a few years ago. The cocktails are seriously some of the best I’ve had.

For dinner, I always make sure to hit up Forte Dei Marmi. They serve this whole Mediterranean fish “al sale,” aka salted crusted fish. It’s life changing.

I’m not much of a party animal. So I’ll usually have a nightcap at whatever hotel I’m staying at. The Lobby Bar at Fontainebleau is always fun for a martini and some people watching.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I wouldn’t be where I am without the support of my husband and my family. My mom’s journey inspired mine, and my twin girls are giving my life even more meaning.

Website: houseofpuff.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinaadduci/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-adduci/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KristinaL0pez

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAf_5fsvF5N_5oadAWo1LMw