Bringing Beauty and Opportunity
January 16, 2026
To Inspire:
Englewood, a community on the south side of Chicago, is like many urban neighborhoods, with its share of abandoned homes and businesses and overgrown vacant lots. While many people avoid these neighborhoods because of their problems, Quilen Blackwell moved there because of them.
Since 2017, Quilen has turned vacant lots into eco-friendly flower farms, helping beautify the area and providing opportunities for local youth. He currently employs more than 25 young people to help grow, arrange, and sell flowers through his non-profit shop, Southside Blooms.
Quilen had a comfortable childhood, growing up in Maidson, Wisconsin. After college, he joined the Peace Corps, serving in Thailand. When he moved to Chicago for ministry school, he tutored at a high school in Englewood and saw the challenges his students faced. He met his wife Hannah, who shared his passion and his faith. They bought a home in Englewood where they started their non-profit and raised their three children.
This idea came about when Quilen and Hannah ran into regulations and roadblocks while working to turn an overgrown lot into a community farm. Researching alternatives, Quilen learned more than 70% of cut flowers sold in the U.S. are imported. They bought two vacant lots and got to work on a commercial flower farm.
Today they have six farms around the city and a workforce development program that employs young people. They harvest rainwater from the roofs of nearby homes and use solar panels to power the irrigation system.
In 2019 they opened their non-profit shop, Southside Blooms, selling the flowers they grow and creating jobs in floral arranging, logistics, and customer service. Their “farm-to-vase” business delivers flowers across the city and ships nationwide. They do everything from retail bouquets to weddings and corporate events. They want their young employees to develop skills and confidence that will serve them in any job.
They’re preparing to open a second Chicago location, and Quilen thinks flower farms could eventually become common in urban areas.
Dionta White, 28, grew up in Englewood, fell into street life, and lost friends to gun violence. When he eventually went to jail for burglary, he realized he wanted to make a change. When he first heard about Southside Blooms, he wasn’t excited. That was back in 2022. Now, he’s a senior member of the farm team. He says the work enables him to provide for his children and taught him the value of dedication.
“It feels good to be out here working outside in the garden,” he said. “Working here, I seen myself changing … calmer, more into nature.”
For Blackwell, helping young people flourish isn’t that different from growing flowers.
“Give them the right opportunity … the right support structures, and then all of a sudden you see the beauty of their lives shining for all to see,” he said. “Our young people are blossoming and blooming every single day.”
Quilen Blackwell and Southside Blooms is a shining example of seeing a problem and finding an inspired solution. Beautifying a city and helping these young people live their own beautiful lives – what an inspiration. What can you do to make the world a more beautiful place?
Written by Michelle O’Brien, Manager of Marketing & Communications