Alison Ellis, founder of realflowerbusiness.com and creator of Flower Math, is a floral designer and educator who teaches florists around the world how to increase their income and find more freedom in their business. With over 25 years of professional design experience, Alison has been proudly helping florists master the business of floral design since 2015 with her online courses, free training videos, and private coaching for florists. Alison graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Plant & Soil Science from The University of Vermont and a Minor in Small Business. After 9 years of formal training in flower shops, Alison branched out on her own and opened her home-studio business, Floral Artistry, in 2002 out of her 2nd story apartment. She’s been happily serving weddings ever since. Alison’s been featured on Botanical Brouhaha, Flirty Fleurs, The Flower Podcast, Slow Flowers with Debra Prinzing, Mornings with Mayesh, Team Flower Podcast, and she’s a business contributor to Florists’ Review Magazine. “A love of flowers brought me into floristry, but it’s a passion for the art of good business that’s kept me in the game for over 25 years! “

Françoise Weeks, born in Belgium, has infused her work with a quintessential European reverence for flowers and nature. Combined with creativity and mechanical ingenuity, she has crystalized her singular style of Textural Woodlands and Botanical Haute Couture pieces, garnering a global following. Her generosity of knowledge and perspective in use of floral materials, structure and techniques, create rigorous and exciting learning opportunities for her students to explore all that nature has to offer. Françoise’s studio is located in Portland, OR. She teaches workshops in her studio and offers online courses and skype classes as well. She has taught in many cities in the US as well as in Canada, Mexico, England, Sweden, Iceland, France, China and Australia. Françoise started her business in 1996 and she has been teaching since 2003. Her dynamic work has been published in national and international magazines, as well as an Emmy- winning TV feature. In 2019 she participated in the renowned flower shows Fleuramour and FlowerTime in Belgium. Francoise is the author of two books: The Herbal Recipe Keeper (2018) and Wonder of the Woodlands (2024).

Gabe H. Miller is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a Health Equity Scholars for Action Fellow with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  His research focuses on population health and intersectionality, racial and LGBT+ health disparities, political and policy determinants of health, and investigates the mechanisms and implications of stratification and how marginalized communities cope with inequality and attempt to make change.

Gabe has partnered with past Botanical Brouhaha projects aimed at Flowering with Purpose including the Botanical Brouhaha Workshop Series, the Daylily Film project, and other community initiatives aimed at providing support and challenging inequalities faced by local communities.

Hitomi Gilliam’s passion is ‘Sharing Everything She Knows About Flowers’ through presenting and teaching. Her career began as Farmer/Florist in 1978 when she was a greenhouse grower/landscape designer/turned retail florist. Her teaching career began after winning Great American Design Competition in 1987 and solidified after authoring 2 books: ‘Fundamental Theories of Design’ & ‘Design Compendium’ in 1997 & 1999. She has travelled extensively over the past 30+ years throughout North America and around the world lecturing and hosting design workshops at Art Museums, Botanical Gardens, Garden Clubs, and for industry sponsors. She founded DESIGN358, an Education-based event company with her son, Colin Gilliam, in 2008. Their focus now is in virtual programming of floral education. She is very active on her YouTube channel and she most recently launched her Patreon Page with additional virtual experiences. She has authored 8 books in total, including ‘Fresh Look at Judging Floral Design’ a thorough updated examination of the ‘Elements & Principles’ for all serious students of Design. She is the 5th recipient of AIFD’s coveted Design Influence Award (1998). Hitomi also received the American Horticultural Society’s ‘Frances Jones Poeltker Award’ (2006) and won Gold Honors & Best of Show at Singapore Garden Festival ‘Windows to the World’ International Floral Competition in 2008 representing Canada. She is a 10 time Center Stage Presenter at AIFD National Symposium and was the Featured Artist at ‘Les Fleurs Sauvages’ Art Exhibit at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in NYC (2018) Hitomi was honored to serve as one of 3 judges for 2020 Tournament of Roses Parade Floats in Pasadena, CA.

A dedicated mother of 7, wife and entrepreneur, Holly is the creative visionary behind Holly Heider Chapple Flowers. A longtime resident of Loudoun County Virginia, Holly is a highly recognized and sought after floral designer whose work has been published in countless prestigious publications and top industry blogs. With over 28 years of successful business experience behind her, Holly now serves as a teacher, speaker and mentor for other professionals in the wedding industry. She currently sits on a trend report board with industry leaders, owns and operates Hope Flower Farm and has launched her own product line with Syndicate Sales. Her innovations and creativity are inspiring the world of floristry. Based on her incredible and unique sense of style, the term “Hollyish” emerged in 2011 as a way of describing designs that possess the elegance, beauty and creativity of those designs that leave Holly’s studio. Armed with a strong desire to help other floral designers and event professionals be successful, Holly established the Chapel Designers (a division of Holly Heider Chapple Flowers) in 2010. This international network of florists and event designers has gathered in places across the world including New York City, California, Australia, London, and Scotland to collaborate, learn, and create. What started as a desire to network with other like minded business owners has blossomed into an incredible group of professionals comprised of longtime designers, up and coming designers, and people just starting their design journey. The Chapel Designers is growing every day and is proud to have members from all over the world. Having raised 7 children, and recognizing her most important life role as a mother, Holly appreciates also being known as the “Flower Mama” throughout the world of floristry. Holly’s signature characteristics are quality, clarity of vision and an impeccable eye for design. Remaining dedicated to quality and freshness of design and attentive service has allowed Holly Heider Chapple Flowers to be recognized over and over again for exceptional products and client experiences while maintaining an unrelenting desire to drive industry trends.

Lauren Palmer, The Wild Mother Creative Studio Founder and Principal Designer is motivated by creativity. She is an individual, highly sensing and discerning, a visionary, empathetic, thrives in the academy of Art as a multidisciplinary artist, and a seeker of truth. She has been a studio floral designer for 7 years.

Leah Palmer was one of the Founders of The Wild Mother Creative Studio, and is an Afro-indigenous and AfroLatina writer, researcher, and creative thinker in Seattle, Washington. Leah is a storyteller & educator who employs art and antiracism to guide people to participate in collective healing through education, truth telling, and change-making.

Susan McLeary is a floral designer, artist and instructor who creates unusual, boundary-pushing floral art including elaborate headpieces, floral wearables, and her signature succulent jewelry. Her soulful, seasonally- inspired creations have been described as exquisite living artwork. A passionate teacher, Susan offers private design instruction for new and professional florists in her studio and through destination workshops.

Susan’s work has been featured on the cover of Fusion Flowers Magazine twice, and in leading industry publications and websites including Martha Stewart Weddings, Florist’s Review, The Knot, My Modern Met, Refinery 29, SELF, Buzzfeed, Belle Armoire, Modern Wedding Flowers, Style Me Pretty and Grace Ormond Wedding Style.

Susan is a member of Chapel Designers and Slow Flowers. She is the author of two books: The Art of Wearable Flowers (2020) and Flowers for All (2023).