We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Aubrey Amatelli a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Aubrey, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.
When I first met a struggling cannabis dispensary owner back in 2022, I was struck by a profound disconnect. Despite running a profitable, fully-compliant business, he couldn’t access the basic financial services that most entrepreneurs take for granted.
“We’re handling everything in cash,” he told me. “Payment processing, taxes, inventory purchases—all cash. It creates enormous security risks and limits how much we can grow.”
Having spent over a decade in payments at J.P. Morgan, I understood immediately that this wasn’t just one business’s problem—it represented a systemic failure affecting an entire industry. Here were legitimate entrepreneurs providing legal products and services, yet effectively locked out of the financial system.
I founded PayRio because I believe these businesses deserve better. The cannabis and alternative medicine industries operate in a challenging regulatory environment—legal at the state level but constrained by federal banking restrictions and risk-averse financial institutions. This creates unnecessary barriers to growth that disproportionately impact communities that have already been marginalized by previous policies.
What drives me personally is seeing the transformation when businesses finally gain access to proper financial infrastructure. One dispensary owner called me six months after implementing our solutions, emotional about finally being able to focus on growing his business rather than worrying about cash management and security concerns.
I’ve positioned PayRio as more than just a payment processor—we’re a trusted partner helping navigate complex regulatory environments. By leveraging my background to vet technologies and help bring them to market, I’ve created a one-stop shop for companies who have been systematically excluded from traditional financial services.
Aubrey, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My journey into this industry began when I recognized a significant gap in the market. Legitimate, state-legal businesses were being forced to operate on a cash-only basis, creating unnecessary security risks and severely limiting their growth potential. With my background in payment processing, I knew I could build something better—a payment processor that wouldn’t discriminate against these emerging markets.
PayRio isn’t just about cannabis dispensaries, though that’s where we started. We’ve expanded to serve numerous e-commerce verticals including ancillary cannabis businesses, seed companies, CBD retailers, hemp-derived THC products, and emerging markets like psilocybin and peptides. Essentially, we specialize in providing payment solutions to businesses that traditional banks consider “too risky” despite their legal status.
What sets us apart is our deep understanding of these industries’ unique challenges. We’ve built our platform specifically to address their pain points—offering transparent pricing models, non-restrictive agreements that don’t penalize growth, and industry-low rates that acknowledge the challenges these businesses already face.
I’m particularly proud of our company culture and team. PayRio features a 100% female executive team and over 80% of our workforce is female. As we grew, I recognized an opportunity to create flexible work arrangements that specifically empower stay-at-home parents to maintain professional careers while balancing family responsibilities. This approach has created an incredible culture of empathy, both internally and in how we approach customer service.
This focus on people—both our team and our clients—recently earned us recognition as the #1 company on Cannabis Business Times’ 2025 Best Cannabis Companies to Work For. This accolade means everything to me because it validates that we’re not just solving payment problems—we’re building a company that genuinely cares for its people.
Our customers frequently tell us that what they value most about PayRio is our exceptional support team. When you’re operating in regulatory gray areas, having responsive experts who understand your specific challenges makes all the difference. We’ve paired this human touch with cutting-edge technology to create seamless, secure payment experiences for businesses that previously couldn’t access these basics.
At its core, PayRio exists to level the financial playing field. We believe that access to basic financial services shouldn’t depend on what industry you’re in, and our mission is to provide those services while maintaining the highest standards of compliance and security. Whether you’re running a dispensary, a CBD e-commerce site, or exploring newer markets like psilocybin therapies, we’re here to ensure you have the financial infrastructure to succeed.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Our reputation wasn’t built through marketing—it was earned through authenticity.
Word of mouth has been our strongest growth driver. In tight-knit communities like cannabis and alternative medicine, trust spreads quickly. When clients experience our service, they tell others, creating a network of referrals more valuable than any advertising campaign.
I’ve prioritized partnering with genuinely good people in the industry, turning down lucrative opportunities when ethics didn’t align with our values. These strategic relationships with respected industry players have reinforced that we’re here as legitimate infrastructure builders—not opportunists.
What truly sets us apart is our authentic passion for these industries. While many entered these markets solely for the higher margins they could charge “high-risk” merchants, we took the opposite approach—offering fair rates because we believe these businesses deserve equitable financial services.
My team actively engages with the industry by attending and sponsoring events while donating to causes that align with our core beliefs. These investments help lift us all up collectively. We support the industry not just as service providers but as advocates who understand the potential of cannabis, CBD, and emerging treatments. When clients see we’re as passionate about their success as they are, they become our strongest ambassadors—creating a reputation that money simply can’t buy.
How did you build your audience on social media?
We began connecting with businesses on Instagram and took a personal approach to our company’s Instagram presence. I personally run that account and connect with business owners on a daily basis, owner to owner. We wanted to become a finance company that was approachable, where the community knows they’re dealing with a real person who’s passionate about their business. This personal approach has resonated well, helping us build a community of 6,600 followers on Instagram. As our social media presence evolved, we transitioned this authentic approach to LinkedIn as well.
Our social media journey centered on LinkedIn—now our most powerful platform with over 1,000 organic followers. We chose LinkedIn strategically as one of the few cannabis-friendly platforms where businesses like ours can share content without fear of shadowbans or account suspensions.
Our approach is deliberately value-first. Rather than promoting payment processing services, we focus on becoming a trusted information source—sharing regulatory updates, industry trends, and practical insights that help businesses navigate the complex financial landscape of cannabis and alternative medicine.
My advice for building a social presence: stop selling and start serving. We rarely promote our services directly. Instead, we ask: “What information would genuinely help our community?” This education-first approach takes longer than aggressive promotion but builds something far more valuable—a community that engages because they receive consistent value, not persistent selling.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.payrio.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/payrio_hq
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/payrio
- Twitter: https://www.x.com/payrio_hq
