From Vacant Lots to Blooming Careers: Quilen Blackwell’s Southside Blooms Wins CNN Hero of the Year

Quilen Blackwell Named CNN’s 2025 Hero of the Year

Quilen Blackwell has been named CNN’s 2025 Hero of the Year for turning vacant lots on Chicago’s South Side into thriving flower farms that employ at-risk young people through his nonprofit social enterprise, Southside Blooms.

How It Started

Blackwell, 40, grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, served in the Peace Corps in rural Thailand and later moved to Chicago for ministry school. Tutoring students in Englewood — one of the city’s most struggling neighborhoods — gave him a close look at the challenges facing local youth and inspired him to create sustainable opportunities.

“I started to just realize, I could be any one of these kids,” Blackwell said. “They’re people who want a chance at something better.”

Building Southside Blooms

In 2015 Blackwell and his wife, Hannah Bonham, married, bought a home in Englewood and launched Southside Blooms, a nonprofit focused on environmentally sustainable job creation and poverty alleviation. After early attempts at community gardening exposed obstacles — contaminated soil, water access and regulatory limits — Blackwell researched alternatives and noticed a business opportunity: the U.S. spends billions on cut flowers and imports more than 70% of them.

He asked, “Why are we importing flowers when we have land and youth?” The answer led to converting vacant lots into flower farms and training young people to grow, arrange and sell blooms in a nonprofit shop.

Impact And Growth

Today Southside Blooms operates six flower farms across Chicago, employs 25 young people, primarily aged 16–25, and trains participants in horticulture, floral design and small-business skills. A second location on the city’s West Side is scheduled to open this spring, with ambitions to expand nationally.

“As long as they’re getting all of the ingredients they need to be successful, there’s nothing that they can’t do,” Blackwell said. “Our young people are blossoming and blooming every single day.”

Awards, Funding And Partnerships

As CNN’s Hero of the Year, Blackwell will receive $100,000 to scale his work. Each member of the Top 5 CNN Heroes received a $10,000 cash award plus donation-matching of up to $50,000 from the Elevate Prize Foundation; Blackwell will also receive an additional $50,000 from Elevate. Elevate — in its fourth year partnering with CNN Heroes — is providing organizational and capacity-building support to the honorees. Donations to the Top 5 were being matched dollar-for-dollar through the fundraising platform Pledge through January 4.

Tribute And Other Honorees

The awards were presented during the 19th annual broadcast of CNN Heroes: An All‑Star Tribute, which featured celebrities including Meryl Streep, Jon Batiste, Kathryn Hahn and Regina Hall. The third annual CNN Heroes Legacy Award was presented posthumously to Robert Redford; former Vice President Al Gore accepted on behalf of the Redford family and praised Redford’s long environmental advocacy. Teenager Cash Daniels was honored as a CNN Heroes Young Wonder for removing more than 45,000 pounds of trash from the Tennessee River and recycling fishing line equivalent to more than 8,000 miles.

How to Support and Learn More

Supporters interested in donating or nominating future honorees can visit CNN.com/Heroes. The tribute special is available on demand via CNN’s streaming platforms and participating cable operators.