A flower farm and a bouquet at a time, Quilen Blackwell is working against poverty and the ghetto in the south side of Chicago – and he hopes to replicate its success in cities across the US.

The non profit Southside Blooms that he and his wife, Hannah Bonham Blackwell, started in 2019 grows flowers on 10 acres that were once vacant lots but are now solar powered, ultra-organic flower farms. 

The workers are at-risk inner city youth, including former gang members, who are learning marketable skills. “Young people often end up in criminal lifestyles or involved with gang activity because they are seeking a sense of belonging,” Blackwell says. “We created the organization as a positive place where they can belong.”