A Blooming Hero
Quilen Blackwell plants seeds of hope by turning abandoned city lots into urban flower gardens.
Southside Blooms
Quilen Blackwell poses with flowers grown by his business, Southside Blooms.
For Quilen Blackwell, business is blooming—literally. Blackwell’s vision to turn empty city lots into colorful flower gardens has helped transform Englewood, a neighborhood in the U.S. city of Chicago, revitalizing the area and creating jobs for young people. It has also earned Blackwell CNN’s 2025 Hero of the Year award.
Despite being part of a major city, Englewood has a history of poverty due to a lack of development in the area. Many houses and businesses are left abandoned, and there are limited job opportunities for young people. While others may have looked at this area as barren, Blackwell saw a fertile opportunity to grow a business.
“Most people will see the trash, the vacant lots,” Blackwell told CNN in an interview. “But for me, I see potential.”
Southside Blooms
Quilen Blackwell (in the foreground) looks over a flower garden operated by Southside Blooms.
Inspiration took root in Blackwell’s mind when he learned that the U.S. flower industry gets most of its cut flowers from other countries.
“I said, ‘Wait a minute. Why are we importing flowers from other countries when we have all this land, all of this youth?’” Blackwell told CNN. “Maybe flowers are the answer.”
Blackwell and his wife, Hannah, started a “farm-to-vase” garden and flower shop in Englewood. The business, called Southside Blooms, sells the locally grown flowers. The Blackwells also hire young people from the neighborhood who might not have other job opportunities.
Southside Blooms
Quilen Blackwell (right) and a Southside Blooms employee unload a tray of plants.
“Our young people are blossoming and blooming every single day,” he said. “As long as they’re getting all of the ingredients they need to be successful, there’s nothing that they can’t do.”
Today, Blackwell’s nonprofit has turned six lots into flower gardens, and he dreams of expanding the nonprofit to other cities around the country.
