Communityurban agricultureyouth employmentnonprofit
Quilen Blackwell Wins CNN Hero Award
5.0
Quilen Blackwell, CEO of Chicago Eco House and Southside Blooms, won CNN’s Hero of the Year Award, receiving a $100,000 prize announced Monday. Blackwell, who has employed at-risk youth ages 16–24 since 2014 to convert vacant Chicago lots into flower farms and run a retail shop in Englewood, said he will use the funds to buy land and expand farming operations.
Key Points
- 1Wins CNN Hero of the Year award, earning a $100,000 prize for Chicago Eco House
- 2Provides paid training and jobs to at-risk youth ages 16–24, reducing local violence risk
- 3Enables purchase of vacant lots to scale urban flower farms, model for community-based employment
Scoring Rationale
Local nonprofit recognition with substantial $100,000 prize highlights community impact, but scope and industry relevance remain limited.
Sources
Public references used for this report.
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