Englewood florist and social entrepreneur Quilen Blackwell just went from neighborhood staple to national headline. The founder of Southside Blooms has been named CNN's 2025 Hero of the Year following the network's annual CNN Heroes broadcast. His nonprofit converts vacant South Side lots into solar-powered flower farms and gives local young people paid work growing, harvesting and arranging blooms. The award brings national attention and funding that Blackwell says will help scale jobs and open a second storefront on Chicago's West Side.
According to CNN, Blackwell was selected during the 19th annual "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute" and will receive $100,000 as the Hero of the Year, while each of the Top 5 honorees receives $10,000. The broadcast, hosted by Anderson Cooper and Laura Coates, showcased nominees working on issues ranging from conservation to mental-health support and invited viewers to support the honorees online.
From Vacant Lots To Paid Youth Jobs
Southside Blooms is the retail arm of Chicago Eco House and, per ABC7 Chicago, has turned six vacant lots across the South Side into flower farms and now employs about 25 young people, primarily ages 16 to 25, in planting, maintenance, and floral design. Blackwell credited his wife and his faith and told reporters, "They're the ones who are leading the way," a comment supporters say reflects the program's emphasis on hands-on training.
How The Farms Are Built
Local partners helped make the farms viable. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District delivered 278 tons of EQ compost to a farm at 5211 S. Prairie Ave., creating 27 long beds with solar-powered irrigation and rainwater harvesting, according to a release from the MWRD. That support reduced startup costs and allowed the nonprofit to focus its budget on training and wages rather than soil remediation.
What The Prize Actually Buys
Beyond the $100,000 award, the Elevate Prize Foundation, which has partnered with CNN Heroes, is providing an additional $50,000 to Blackwell and is matching donations to each of the Top 5 honorees up to $50,000, as outlined by the Elevate Prize Foundation. Donations for the campaign are being collected through the fundraising platform Pledge, which CNN has tapped to streamline giving to the honorees.
Blackwell says the visibility and cash will help Southside Blooms deepen its paid apprenticeship program and open a West Side location next spring, creating more paid positions for young people across Chicago. For more on the group and its retail offerings, visit Southside Blooms.
