Who is on the Hi! People team?
The Hi! People team is co-founder and CEO David Salinas, co-owner Janice Flemming Butler, our store managers, and the budtenders and hosts who work the floor at our Derby store. Our press page names CEO David Salinas, and the company is locally owned.
Owners and how the company began
The company began as a venture between David and Janice, the Hartford Business Journal reported in 2022. We were built by local Connecticut people with local Connecticut investors, and we are locally owned.
After our first store opened in January 2025, David Salinas negotiated with the state Department of Consumer Protection to add the Bud Bar. He also picked 306 Market St for its visibility at the I-84 and I-91 intersection, and that address is now our second store. The longer story of how the company started is on our about page.
Our stores and their licenses
Derby holds Connecticut cannabis retailer license ACRE.0015686 at 90 Pershing Dr, and Hartford holds license ACRE.0015685 at 306 Market St, both listed in the Department of Consumer Protection's open data. Each store is a retailer for adults 21 and older. Our second store takes pickup orders only, while scheduled delivery runs from Derby, with checkout confirming each address.
Store details for both sit together on our locations page.
Store managers and the Bud Bar
Our Pershing Dr store is the home of the Bud Bar. In April 2025, NBC Connecticut quoted Justin Sheridan as general manager, and Justin managed another cannabis store in Groton before joining us. Greg Janerico worked beside him as co-manager at the opening.
NBC Connecticut reported that we are the first in the state with a bud bar. To see what a session looks like before you come in, read our guide to the sit-down session.
Who you meet on the floor
At our Derby store, a host with an iPad helps you browse the menu and place an order. Toward the back of the showroom is the Bud Bar, where a budtender sits down with you. It needs no appointment. If you have questions before you drive over, call us at 860-420-BUDS (2837).
How the team is built and hired
Before our first store opened, it planned for about 30 part-time and full-time employees and received over 500 applications, the Valley Independent Sentinel reported in its grand opening story.
We are hiring at both stores now, with our New Haven store coming soon. Roles can include budtenders, inventory and compliance staff, and management.
How to recognize your budtender
Ask for them by name on your next visit. If you want to say more, leave a Google review for the store you visited and use their name. The reviews we show come from the Google Business Profiles of both our stores.
Questions shoppers ask about our team
Who owns Hi! People?
We are locally owned, and our owners include co-founder and CEO David Salinas and co-owner Janice Flemming Butler. The company began as a venture between the two, as reported in 2022. You can read how it began in the section above, and the longer story is on our about page.
Who managed our first store when it opened?
Justin Sheridan and Greg Janerico co-managed our first store when it opened, the Valley Independent Sentinel reported on January 20, 2025. In April 2025, NBC quoted Justin Sheridan as general manager. Justin managed another cannabis store in Groton before joining us.
Are your delivery drivers employees?
Yes. Every delivery driver is a licensed employee, and we are fully licensed by the Department of Consumer Protection. Scheduled delivery runs from Derby, and checkout confirms each address, so you can check before you order. Hartford is pickup only, so an order there is collected at the counter.
Is Hi! People licensed by the state?
Yes. Derby holds retailer license ACRE.0015686 and Hartford holds license ACRE.0015685, both listed in the Department of Consumer Protection's open data. Each store serves adults 21 and older, and neither is a hybrid retailer, so it sells adult-use cannabis only. Both stores are listed together on our locations page.
Do I need an appointment to talk with a budtender?
No. Our Bud Bar is toward the back of the showroom and needs no appointment. A budtender sits down with you one on one, so walk up to the counter or the Bud Bar when you arrive. Call us at 860-420-BUDS (2837) with questions before you visit.
How do I apply for a job with your team?
Apply through Indeed, where we review applications on a rolling basis. Cannabis store roles in this state generally require workers to be 21 or older. We are hiring at both stores now, and roles can include budtenders, inventory and compliance staff, and management.