Emerging Markets Coalition
Emerging Markets Coalition is a non-profit trade association founded in 2019 that serves financial services companies in the cannabis industry through advocacy, education, and proprietary industry standards. Its Executive Council members serve approximately 90% of US cannabis businesses.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersHouston, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Emerging Markets Coalition does
Emerging Markets Coalition (EMC) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) trade coalition founded in 2019 and headquartered in Houston, Texas. It serves financial services companies operating in the cannabis industry across banking, payments, insurance, lending, retirement, and investment verticals. EMC's mission centers on educating, advocating, protecting, and promoting on behalf of its members, positioning itself as the front-facing industry body to government, legislators, regulators, law enforcement, and taxation authorities.
EMC's core offerings consist of proprietary industry standards and educational content. Its published standards include Cash Management Standards, Cannabis Payments Guidelines (updated 2024-05), Cannabis Financial Risk Management Best Practices (published 2024-11), and Cannabis Lending Guidelines (published 2025-11). The coalition also produces a whitepaper, webinars, an annual Out of the Weeds Conference (5th edition in 2025), and The Rant publication. Membership is tiered based on organization size and desired level of influence, with an Executive Council whose member companies collectively serve approximately 90% of US cannabis businesses and 85% of US financial institutions actively serving the cannabis industry. EMC is administered by IRC Advisory, a women-owned and disadvantaged business certified firm.
The coalition operates with 1-10 employees and sustains itself through tiered membership dues. Its strategic partnership ecosystem spans legal (K&L Gates LLP), compliance (Shield Compliance, Valkyrie), standards (DAMA International, Greene Street), and trade associations (INCBA, RSPA, NACAT Pros, ACBA, ACB, Cannabis News Hub, NewsBank). Co-founder Kirsten Trusko also serves as CEO of Valkyrie, and co-founder Dan Henry chairs DAMA, indicating tight integration between EMC leadership and key partner organizations.
Emerging Markets Coalition firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Emerging Markets Coalition
- Legal name
- Emerging Markets Coalition
- Website
- https://emcoalition.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Emerging Markets Coalition is a non-profit trade association founded in 2019 that serves financial services companies in the cannabis industry through advocacy, education, and proprietary industry standards. Its Executive Council members serve approximately 90% of US cannabis businesses.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Emerging Markets Coalition is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Houston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Emerging Markets Coalition business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership dues: EMC generates revenue through membership fees from financial services companies. Membership is open to all FS companies who agree to follow EMC Best Practices and Code of Conduct. Membership tiers are based on the size of the organization and desired level of influence, presence, and benefit.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Tiered membership based on organization size |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Emerging Markets Coalition product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Emerging Markets Coalition is a non-profit 501(c)(3) trade coalition of financial services companies serving the cannabis industry across banking, payments, insurance, lending, retirement, and investment services. Its core offerings consist of industry-developed standards and guidelines (Cash Management Standards, Cannabis Payments Guidelines, Cannabis Lending Guidelines, Cannabis Financial Risk Management Best Practices), educational programming (webinars, podcasts, whitepapers), the annual "Out of the Weeds" conference, and the "The Rant" publication. The coalition convenes FS companies, cannabis operators, and government stakeholders to drive normalization of cannabis financial services.
Product overview
Emerging Markets Coalition (EMC) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) trade coalition, not a software product company. EMC functions as an industry advocacy and educational organization that produces guidance documents and facilitates knowledge-sharing for the cannabis financial services ecosystem. The organization's core offerings include: Cash Management Standards developed jointly with NACB for financial institutions; Cannabis Payments Guidelines addressing payment processing best practices; Cannabis Lending Guidelines for lenders serving the cannabis industry; and Cannabis Financial Risk Management Best Practices. EMC supplements these guidance products with educational programming including webinars, podcasts, an annual 'Out of the Weeds' conference, and publications like 'The Rant.' The coalition's value proposition centers on normalizing financial services for cannabis businesses through education, advocacy, protection, and promotion of its member companies rather than through technology products or platforms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cash Management Standards Standards and self-assessment tools developed by EMC and NACB for financial institutions serving cannabis businesses to implement proper cash management policies and procedures.
- Cannabis Payments Guidelines Official guidelines establishing best practices for payment processing and transaction management in the cannabis industry, addressing electronic payments and cash handling.
- Cannabis Lending Guidelines Comprehensive guidelines for lenders providing financing to cannabis businesses, covering risk management and compliance requirements.
- Cannabis Financial Risk Management Best Practices Best practices framework addressing financial risk management for cannabis businesses and the financial institutions serving them.
- Cannabis Financial Services Whitepaper Whitepaper titled 'Cannabis Financial Services: Opportunities & Challenges' authored by Kirsten Trusko, Kelly Whyman, and Sarah Londberg, addressing the state of cannabis financial services and pathways to normalization.
- Webinars and Educational Content Educational programming including the Quarterly Bankers Webinar Series, Cash Management Webinars featuring officials like California State Treasurer Fiona Ma, and on-demand webinar library covering cannabis banking topics.
- The Rant Publication EMC's periodic publication covering industry news, analysis, and commentary on cannabis financial services.
- Annual Out of the Weeds Conference EMC's annual 'Out of the Weeds' conference providing discussion forums and networking for cannabis financial services professionals.
- EMC Membership Program Tiered annual membership open to financial services companies who agree to follow EMC Best Practices and Code of Conduct, with levels based on organization size and desired level of influence, presence, and benefit.
Companies that use Emerging Markets Coalition
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Emerging Markets Coalition technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Emerging Markets Coalition partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Shield CompliancecoreTony Repanich serves as President and COO of Shield Compliance and is a member of EMC's Executive Council, representing financial compliance technology providers serving the cannabis industry.
- ValkyriecoreKirsten Trusko, EMC CEO & Co-Founder, also serves as CEO of Valkyrie, a FinTech company in the financial services space.
- K&L Gates LLPcoreLinda Odom serves as Partner at K&L Gates LLP and is a member of EMC's Executive Council, providing legal expertise in regulatory and compliance matters.
- Greene StreetcorePhil Valvardi serves as CFO of Greene Street and is a member of EMC's Executive Council, representing financial leadership in cannabis-related businesses.
- DAMA International (Data Management Association)coreDan Henry, EMC Co-founder, serves as Chair of DAMA. DAMA joined EMC as a Founders' Circle member to play a leading role in setting the gold standard for compliance and risk.
- NewsBankminorStrategic alliance listed on EMC's Board of Directors page as a strategic alliance partner.
- INCBA (International Cannabis Bar Association)minorStrategic alliance listed on EMC's Board of Directors page as a strategic alliance partner providing legal expertise.
- RSPA (Retail Solutions Providers Association)minorStrategic alliance listed on EMC's Board of Directors page as a strategic alliance partner.
- NACAT Pros (National Association of Cannabis Trade Association Professionals)minorStrategic alliance listed on EMC's Board of Directors page as a strategic alliance partner for cannabis trade association coordination.
- ACBA (American Cannabis Bankers Association)minorStrategic alliance listed on EMC's Board of Directors page as a strategic alliance partner representing cannabis banking professionals.
- Cannabis News HubminorStrategic alliance listed on EMC's Board of Directors page as a strategic alliance partner for industry news dissemination.
- ACB (Association of Cannabis Businesses)minorEMC partners with ACB which administers the Executive Council, providing governance and industry coordination for cannabis financial services.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Emerging Markets Coalition competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- American Bankers Association (ABA): ABA is the largest U.S. trade association for the banking industry, representing banks of all sizes. Comparable to EMC as a financial services trade association with member-driven advocacy and standards work, though ABA serves the entire banking industry at much larger scale, not just cannabis.
- Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA): ICBA is a U.S. trade association for community banks, providing advocacy and compliance resources. Comparable to EMC as a banking trade association with member services and policy advocacy mission, though broader in scope and much larger in scale.
Direct peers
- Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA): MCBA is a non-profit trade association advocating for diversity and inclusion in the cannabis industry. Comparable to EMC as a member-driven cannabis industry organization with similar advocacy and education mission, though focused on equity rather than FS standards.
- Drug Policy Alliance: Drug Policy Alliance is a leading drug policy reform advocacy organization. Comparable to EMC as a non-profit advocacy organization pursuing cannabis and drug policy reform, with similar member-driven funding and education mission, though broader in scope.
- National Cannabis Roundtable (NCR): NCR is a trade association of cannabis companies focused on federal policy reform and banking access. Highly comparable to EMC as both advocate for cannabis banking reform, with overlapping policy goals (SAFER Banking Act) and shared member-driven advocacy model.
- Marijuana Policy Project (MPP): MPP is the largest U.S. policy organization focused solely on marijuana reform. Comparable to EMC as a cannabis advocacy non-profit with similar membership funding model, though MPP focuses on legalization legislation rather than financial services industry standards.
- International Cannabis Bar Association (INCBA): INCBA is a cannabis-focused legal bar association and a strategic alliance partner of EMC. Comparable as a cannabis industry member organization with shared advocacy and educational missions, though focused on legal professionals rather than financial services.
- Americans for Safe Access: Americans for Safe Access is a non-profit advocacy organization focused on medical cannabis access. Comparable to EMC as a cannabis advocacy non-profit with membership-driven structure, though oriented toward medical access rather than financial services.
- National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA): NCIA is the largest U.S. trade association for the legal cannabis industry, advocating for federal reform and industry standards. Comparable to EMC as a member-driven advocacy organization, though NCIA represents the broader cannabis industry while EMC focuses specifically on financial services.
- NORML: NORML is a long-standing non-profit advocacy organization focused on marijuana policy reform. Comparable to EMC as a cannabis advocacy non-profit operating in the same policy reform space, though NORML focuses on consumer/legalization reform rather than financial services standards.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Emerging Markets Coalition social profiles
Digital presenceEmerging Markets Coalition financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Emerging Markets Coalition leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Emerging Markets Coalition funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Emerging Markets Coalition M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Emerging Markets Coalition
What does Emerging Markets Coalition do?
Emerging Markets Coalition is a non-profit 501(c)(3) trade coalition of financial services companies serving the cannabis industry across banking, payments, insurance, lending, retirement, and investment services. Its core offerings consist of industry-developed standards and guidelines (Cash Management Standards, Cannabis Payments Guidelines, Cannabis Lending Guidelines, Cannabis Financial Risk Management Best Practices), educational programming (webinars, podcasts, whitepapers), the annual "Out of the Weeds" conference, and the "The Rant" publication. The coalition convenes FS companies, cannabis operators, and government stakeholders to drive normalization of cannabis financial services.
Is Emerging Markets Coalition a public or private company?
Emerging Markets Coalition is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Emerging Markets Coalition founded?
Emerging Markets Coalition was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Emerging Markets Coalition based?
Emerging Markets Coalition is headquartered in Houston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Emerging Markets Coalition make money?
One revenue line is on record: membership dues.
Who are Emerging Markets Coalition's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are American Bankers Association (ABA) and Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA). Direct peers are Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA), Drug Policy Alliance, National Cannabis Roundtable (NCR), Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), International Cannabis Bar Association (INCBA), Americans for Safe Access, National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) and NORML.
Does Emerging Markets Coalition have an API?
No public API is recorded for Emerging Markets Coalition.