Rooted in Learning and Leading
Quilen Blackwell is a social entrepreneur and the co-CEO and co-founder of Southside Blooms, a Chicago-based social enterprise transforming vacant lots into solar-powered flower farms while creating meaningful employment opportunities for young people. Named by CNN as its 2025 Hero of the Year, Quilen’s work is rooted in community, sustainability, and human dignity and can be traced back to lessons first learned as a youth on Madison’s north side.
Quilen grew up near School Road on Barnett Street and attended Mendota Elementary School, Black Hawk Middle School, and East High School, graduating in 2003. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2006 and later completed a master’s degree through the University of Denver. But it was during his years in the Madison Metropolitan School District that many of the values shaping his work today first took hold.
One of the most influential figures in Quilen’s educational journey was his high school calculus teacher, Ms. Chin.
“She held me accountable,” he says. “She set a high bar, and she wouldn’t let me slack off.” At the time, he admits, that level of rigor wasn’t always welcome. But looking back, he recognizes how much it mattered. “She pushed me because she believed in me. That left a permanent impression. Even today, I hear her voice reminding me not to cut corners.”
At East High School, Quilen also discovered the power of taking risks. As a freshman, he auditioned for the school’s theater program despite having no prior acting experience. “I was terrified,” he recalls. “I had to get on stage and perform in front of people, and I wasn’t sure I was cut out for it.” He earned a role and stayed involved in theater all four years. The experience helped him build confidence as a public speaker and communicator, skills he now uses regularly when working with the media and advocating for community change.
Another defining experience came during his junior year, when Quilen founded a student organization called Others First. Motivated by a desire to make community service more accessible to his peers, he pitched the idea to school administrators and built the organization from the ground up. The group grew to include 20–25 students, volunteering at places like the Ronald McDonald House, senior centers, and food pantries. “That was the first time I realized I could be a self-starter,” he says. “I learned that I could create something from nothing to help solve a community problem.”
Quilen credits MMSD with giving him not only a strong academic foundation, but also a deep love of learning. He vividly remembers lessons from elementary school that emphasized education as a pathway forward. “There was this song, ‘Knowledge is power,’ and even though I didn’t fully understand it at the time, it stuck with me,” he says. “MMSD created a culture that made learning exciting and meaningful.”
Equally important were the district’s many extracurricular opportunities. From music and theater to athletics, Quilen was able to explore a wide range of interests without barriers. “That’s something I didn’t realize was special until later,” he reflects. “Those experiences helped me figure out who I was and what I cared about.”
Today, Quilen’s proudest professional accomplishment is Southside Blooms, which he co-founded with his wife, Hannah. The organization represents the culmination of his education, leadership development, and commitment to community work. Through initiatives like Chicago Eco House, Quilen and his team utilize sustainable flower farming to alleviate inner-city poverty. The organization converts vacant lots into solar-powered, organic flower farms while providing job training for local youth and selling directly to consumers using the “farm-to-vase” business model.
Living and working in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood has deepened his gratitude for the peace and stability he experienced growing up in Madison. “I didn’t fully understand how fortunate I was,” he says. “That’s part of why I feel so compelled to give back—to help create opportunities for young people who don’t always have the same access.”
Though Quilen now calls Chicago home, the influence of his Madison education remains strong. “MMSD gave me the foundation,” he says. “It gave me the confidence to learn, to lead, and to believe that I could make a difference.”
