TribeTokes

TribeTokes is an American hemp and cannabis wellness brand founded in New York City in 2017 by Degelis "Dege" Pilla and Kymberly "KymB" Byrnes. The company was built around a single conviction: that cannabis belongs in the wellness category, and wellness brands should not use harmful ingredients. At a time when most cannabis vape cartridges were cut with fillers, additives and artificial flavors, TribeTokes launched a strain-specific vape line made from plant-based, additive-free oil. The brand has since grown into a multi-million-dollar direct-to-consumer business serving more than 100,000 customers, with a catalog spanning THCa, CBD and Delta 8 vapes, gummies, flower, prerolls, cartridges, all-in-one pens, pain cream, tinctures and pet products. TribeTokes is women-founded and independently owned. Co-founder Degelis Pilla launched the company in 2017 with a $10,000 check from her personal savings, and the brand has taken no outside investment or board control since. Pilla, a former investment banking and equity research analyst with a CFA charter, serves as CEO; Kymberly Byrnes, a community activist, cannabis advocate and influencer, serves as CXO. The company positions itself as "clean cannabis, lab tested," publishing certificates of analysis for every batch and emphasizing third-party testing. Its tagline, "Your Vibe Attracts Your Tribe," reflects a lifestyle-oriented, upscale-but-approachable brand identity that has been covered by Allure, Forbes, Rolling Stone and Vice. TribeTokes sells primarily online through its own e-commerce site, supported by a wholesale retail network. The brand has also extended into adjacent wellness categories, including a skincare line that was brought to the seventh floor of the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship in New York City through a partnership. Its product range is organized around consumer needs and occasions such as better sleep, stress support, pain relief, focus and energy, date night and party time, with vapes further segmented by indica, sativa and hybrid profiles. Beyond commerce, TribeTokes operates the Pot Luck Program, a "CannaCharity" initiative run in partnership with Dr. Lynn Parodneck, a leading medical marijuana practitioner in New York State. The program connects patients in need with free CBD products and personalized educational evaluations, prioritizing U.S. veterans and people with qualifying conditions. The company reports more than 7,000 reviews at a 4.9/5 average rating and describes itself as serving over 100,000 customers.

TribeTokes was founded in New York City in 2017 by Degelis "Dege" Pilla and Kymberly "KymB" Byrnes. The company's origin traces to Pilla's earlier career in finance: she worked in investment banking at J.P. Morgan and in equity research at Sands Capital, covering nearly $2 billion in global retail investments, and held a CFA charter. After reading Robert Sapolsky's book "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers" and watching the National Geographic documentary "Stress: Portrait of a Killer," she left finance, later serving as COO at startups including the influencer agency Instafluence, which was acquired by Maker Studios in 2015. Pilla's search for a gentler way to use cannabis — after finding that smoking flower was rough on her lungs and that vaping extracts at lower temperatures worked better — led her to identify a specific problem in the market: most vape cartridges were cut with fillers, additives and artificial flavors, and labels rarely disclosed which. She built a supply chain from scratch and launched a strain-specific vape line that was plant-based and potent. TribeTokes launched in 2017 on a $10,000 check from Pilla's personal savings, with no investors, no board and no outside money since — a structure the founders say they kept on purpose. From that starting point, TribeTokes grew into a multi-million-dollar direct-to-consumer brand with more than 100,000 customers, a full cannabinoid product catalog and a wholesale retail network. The brand expanded beyond vapes into gummies, flower, prerolls, cartridges, all-in-one pens, pain cream, tinctures and pet products, and organized its offerings around consumer needs such as better sleep, stress support, pain relief, focus and energy, date night and party time. It also extended into skincare, with a partnership that brought its skincare line to the seventh floor of the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship in New York City. TribeTokes has emphasized third-party lab testing and publishes certificates of analysis for every batch. Its "clean cannabis" positioning and women-led identity have drawn coverage from Allure, Forbes, Rolling Stone and Vice. In 2024, Inc. named co-founder Degelis Pilla to its Female Founders 250 list. The company also operates the Pot Luck Program, a charitable initiative in partnership with Dr. Lynn Parodneck, a leading medical marijuana practitioner in New York State, which connects patients in need with free CBD products and personalized educational evaluations, prioritizing U.S. veterans and people with qualifying conditions.

• 2024

  Inc. names co-founder Degelis Pilla to its Female Founders 250 list.

• 2017

  TribeTokes is founded in New York City on a $10,000 check from Degelis Pilla's savings, with no outside investors.

• 2016

  Degelis Pilla begins developing a gentler, additive-free cannabis vape supply chain after leaving finance.

• 2015

  Instafluence, where co-founder Degelis Pilla served as COO, is acquired by Maker Studios.

Clean, lab-tested, women-founded cannabis and hemp wellness brand with an upscale-but-approachable lifestyle identity.

• THCa, CBD & Delta 8 Vapes

  Strain-specific vape line made with plant-based, additive-free oil, segmented by indica, sativa and hybrid.

• Gummies

  Cannabinoid gummies positioned for needs such as better sleep, stress support, pain relief, focus and energy.

• Flower and Prerolls

  Hemp flower and prerolls sold online.

• Cartridges and All-in-One Pens

  Vape cartridges and disposable all-in-one pens, including a concealed flip-car-key style vaporizer.

• Pain Cream and Tinctures

  Topical pain cream and tinctures in the wellness catalog.

• Pet Products

  Cannabinoid products formulated for pets.

• Skincare

  Skincare line brought to the seventh floor of the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship in New York City through a partnership.

1. 1Shop THCa, CBD & Delta 8 Products | TribeTokestribetokes.com
2. 2Our Story | Meet the Founders of TribeTokestribetokes.com
3. 3About TribeTokes | Women-Founded Since 2017tribetokes.com
4. 4Pot Luck Rewards Program | TribeTokestribetokes.com
5. 5TribeTokeswikidata.org