WINNER , MICRO CATEGORY : 9 employees or less LOCATION : Johnston , bloombackflowers . com A flower designer who offers DIY classes to kids and adults and creates floral displays for events .
As both boss and solo employee ,
Angela Rotondo had her hands full just keeping her new floral design business afloat during the shutdown . She also knows that beautiful flowers can lift spirits like nothing else . She realized she had to retool her approach to survive , she says , but she also wanted to continue to bring joy to the community . “ What better way than to promote positivity and give kids , elders and parents something to do while inside ,” Rotondo says . Rotondo devoted up to six hours a day delivering low-cost DIY flower kits for adults and kids , teaching kiddos new skills , promoting gardening as a hobby and helping harried parents in search of new homeschooling ideas . She also recognized that local nonprofits were being stretched by clients ’ needs so Bloom Back donated a $ 75 gift certificate to Good Neighbors Soup Kitchen for a holiday centerpiece as part of the food pantry ’ s anniversary celebration . And coming full circle , she volunteered in the Scituate Community Garden ’ s vegetable garden , which supplies local food kitchens . It helps Bloom Back complement and serve the communities it serves , she says .
The Common Good judges applauded Rotondo ’ s work , “ even more since she ’ s a one-woman band ,” said one . Another noted , “ Flowers are a ‘ nice to have ’ but not a ‘ need to have ,’ so it ’ s a real boost of something positive during this time .”
Did you know ?
Angela Rotondo took the plunge in November 2019 and left the corporate world after fifteen years to debut her flower business .
72 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l JANUARY 2021