By Christopher Marquis
Forbes, Feb 14, 2022
Steven Dyme found himself in the flower business by accident. During his teen years, just after graduating high school, he and his future co-founder, Joseph Dickstein, started selling flowers at graduations to help pay for college while donating a portion of the profits to help outfit Chicago area students in need with school supplies. In 2012, they co-founded Flowers for Dreams ... with the goal of adding a modern twist to one of the most traditional of gifts: to use beautiful bouquets to advance causes of justice & charity in the community (the company donates 25 percent of its profits each quarter through the Flowers for Dreams Foundation).
Named one of Business Insider's 20 Most Inspiring Companies in America, today, Flowers for Dreams is ushering in a craft flower movement. They provide locally crafted flowers at reasonable prices across locations in Chicago, Milwaukee, and Detroit, as well as overnight shipping throughout the Great Lakes region. And every bouquet benefits an amazing local charity.
Flowers for Dreams has also become a leader in ethical business locally and is the first florist to earn B Corp certification nationally. Just this past year, they also successfully lobbied for a $15 minimum wage with Business for A Fair Minimum Wage, restorative cannabis justice, reproductive rights, and more through their floral brand activism. ...
As part of my research on purpose-driven business, I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Steven to better understand the company’s backstory and mission, as well as a very important milestone in 2022. ...
Dyme: ... Flowers for Dreams is trying to pave the way for an ethical, craft flower movement nationwide. For the more thoughtful flower lovers and greenthumbs to enjoy their blooms without the same negative waste, climate, or labor externalities. Offering a more local approach, small batch production, higher wages, and a full circle model that gives back with every sale, we hope to give a more social conscience to an industry that hasn't always been known for that.
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