
The Chicago Eco House works to alleviate inner city poverty by converting abandoned lots into sustainable flower farms and employing Chicago area youth to care for and sell those flowers at their shop – Southside Blooms. Chicago Eco House also offers STEM and basic business training.
Kalliopeia provided startup support for the “Prison to Flower Farm Pipeline” project, which is transforming four acres of land at the Cook County Jail so that youth awaiting trial can learn basic skills of regenerative flower-farming.
Based on the South Side of Chicago, Chicago Eco House transforms vacant lots into solar paneled flower farms. For president and founder, urban flower farmer Quilen Blackwell, it’s about more than just spreading flowers around the city — it’s about connecting to the environment, working with family, creating jobs for at-risk youth, and alleviating poverty through sustainability.