Connect Who or what is your inspiration in business?

I’m inspired by agrarian systems—how value is created, and where it breaks down. I started a peony farm to introduce a high-value crop into a traditional agricultural model, dairy. That led me into floral design and eventually to New York, where I studied and built my career. Working across both worlds, I saw the same issue—value isn’t always distributed to the people producing it. That’s what drives me to build a model that connects agriculture and design.

How do you stay motivated?

I stay motivated by the opportunity to prove a more viable connection between agrarian production and luxury design. Having worked in both, I’ve seen where value is created—at the level of the farm and at the level of final presentation—and where it breaks down, particularly in infrastructure, storage, and consistency of supply. My design work currently functions as vertical integration to generate stable revenue, while also serving as a testing ground for pricing, demand, and

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would use it to open a market model that connects production with the market that determines its value. In agriculture, the challenge isn’t just growing—it’s what happens after harvest. Crops like peonies only reach their full value in the right market. This space creates that access, while also supporting independent designers, showing how both agrarian and creative work can move beyond commodity pricing through presentation, positioning, and direct connection to demand.