Founder: Christina Stembel
Christina always knew she wanted to start a company, but didn't know what it would be. She just wanted to create something that could grow big and do some good in the world. Then, while working in an event planning role where she was purchasing a lot of flowers, she became curious as to why they were so expensive. After many hours of research, Christina arrived at the conclusion that ecommerce flower space may be one of the last undisrupted areas in Silicon Valley. She saw the potential in the flower industry that she'd been searching for all along, and set out to create a truly innovative business model and unique brand identity. This was in 2010, and since then Christina has bootstrapped (i.e. grown the business with no venture funding... pausing to truly appreciate how impressive that is...) the business to generating over $60 million in revenue per year.
Farmgirl sells designed bouquets and plants direct-to-consumer on its ecommerce site (yes, they ship nation-wide). The company prides itself in its trademarked burlap wrapped bouquet, premium aesthetic, curated assortment, and outstanding customer service.
"Work hard, be kind, and keep it real. That’s the triple threat in my book. Also, my business goal is to create a company I’d want to buy from, sell to, and work at – which is the lens I use when making business decisions - and it hasn’t steered me wrong yet!" - Christina
Sources: FredaSalvador, Forbes, Farmgirl Flowers website, Seek Collective