Quilen Blackwell, whose nonprofit ‘farm-to-vase’ flower shop employs at-risk youth, is CNN’s Hero of the Year

By Kathleen Toner, CNN

New York (CNN) — Quilen Blackwell, whose nonprofit transforms vacant lots on Chicago’s South Side into flower farms that employ at-risk young people to grow, arrange and sell the flowers, is the 2025 CNN Hero of the Year.

Online voters selected him from this year’s Top 5 CNN Heroes, everyday people who are recognized for taking action to solve problems in their communities.

Reacting to the news, he gave credit to his wife, Hannah, and his Christian faith, as well as the young people who work at his social enterprise, Southside Blooms, whom he described as “stars.”

“Truth be told, I don’t know how to make a centerpiece. I don’t know how to make a bouquet,” he said. “They’re the ones who are leading the way.”

Blackwell, 40, never envisioned a career in farming or the floral business. He grew up comfortably middle-class in Madison, Wisconsin, and joined the Peace Corps after college, serving in rural Thailand. When he moved to Chicago for ministry school, he tutored students at a high school in Englewood, on the South Side. It was his first significant exposure to one of the city’s most dangerous neighborhoods, opening his eyes to the challenges that his students faced.

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

He decided he wanted to help bring them more opportunities, and around that time, he also met Hannah Bonham, who shared his passion for this work. In 2015, they married, bought a home in Englewood, and launched their nonprofit, focused on finding environmentally sustainable ways to create jobs and alleviate poverty.

Growing opportunities for young people

Englewood was once a thriving commercial district, but as local industries declined over the years, so did the neighborhood’s fortunes. 40% of residents now live in poverty and the area is full of abandoned homes, boarded-up businesses and vacant lots where condemned businesses once stood.

“Most people will see the trash, the vacant lots,” Blackwell said. “But for me, I see potential.”

One of his early projects involved helping turn a vacant lot into a community garden. He quickly realized that growing food meant navigating issues like regulations, access to clean water, and toxins in the soil. While researching alternatives, Blackwell was surprised to learn that the US spends billions on cut flowers each year – and that more than 70% of them are imported.

“I said, ‘Wait a minute. Why are we importing flowers from other countries when we have all this land, all of this youth?” he said. “Maybe flowers are the answer.’”

Today, their nonprofit has transformed six vacant lots into flower farms across the city, which grow flowers that are arranged and sold in their nonprofit shop, Southside Blooms. The social enterprise currently employs 25 young people, primarily between the ages of 16 and 25, and will open a second location on the city’s west side this spring. They hope to expand nationally.

For Blackwell, helping young people flourish is a lot like growing flowers.

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

As CNN Hero of the Year, Blackwell will receive $100,000 to expand his work. He and the other Top 5 CNN Heroes each receive a $10,000 cash award along with donation-matching up to $50,000 each from the Elevate Prize Foundation. Blackwell will also receive an additional $50,000 from Elevate. In its fourth year of collaboration with CNN Heroes, Elevate is also providing organizational and capacity-building support to the honorees.

Celebrating those who are doing good

This was the 19th annual broadcast of CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute. Notable guests who helped celebrate this year’s honorees included Meryl Streep, Jon Batiste, Kathryn Hahn, Regina Hall, Parker Posey, Zachary Quinto, Kelly Ripa, and Adam Scott.

The third annual CNN Heroes Legacy Award was presented to the late Robert Redford. An acclaimed actor, director and proud Utah resident, Redford was one of the first celebrities to use his platform to draw attention to environmental issues in the 1970s. For more than four decades, he advocated to preserve the earth’s natural resources and protect the planet from climate change. His nonprofit, The Redford Center, supports filmmakers who use the power of storytelling to engage and educate people about environmental issues.

Former Vice President Al Gore accepted the award on behalf of the Redford family.

“Having spent so much of his life in front of the camera as an incredible actor and behind the camera as a visionary director, Bob deeply understood the mobilizing power of a focused lens and a captivating story,” Gore said. “In honor of Bob and his amazing work, may we each find a way to lend our voices to the global call for protecting the fate of humanity by urgently addressing the climate and environmental crises that our leaders have sidelined for far too long.”

Teenager Cash Daniels was honored as a CNN Heroes Young Wonder for helping to clean up the Tennessee River and protect wildlife that depends on it. Now 16, Daniels began collecting trash around the river when he was 7 years old – earning him the nickname, ‘The Conservation Kid.’ His efforts have now pulled more than 45,000 pounds of garbage from area waterways and recycled more than 8,000 miles of fishing line.

How to get involved

Right now, your donation to any of the Top 5 CNN Heroes could go twice as far. CNN has teamed up with the fundraising platform Pledge to enable donors to support this year’s honorees. Contributions made through January 4th are being matched dollar-for-dollar by the Elevate Prize Foundation. You can learn more and help the Heroes at CNN.com/Heroes right now. You can also follow the Elevate Prize Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Do you know someone who you think should be a CNN Hero? 2026 CNN Heroes nominations are open at CNN.com/Heroes. Just fill out the form and share their good work. They could be the next CNN Hero of the Year.

CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute will be available on demand beginning Sunday, December 7 to subscribers of CNN’s streaming offering and pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN connected TV and mobile apps, and cable operator platforms.

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