Jennifer Barnard is the Head of Customer Experience at FiftyFlowers, a strategic and visionary leader in the floral industry with over 25 years of expertise in leadership, marketing, and customer service. Before joining the FiftyFlowers team, Jennifer worked in her family’s retail flower shop, where she gained hands-on experience in all aspects of the floral industry. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Friends University and has served as a member of the Society of American Florists Executive Committee, Board, and Retail Council.  Passionate about empowering teams through cutting-edge tools, Jennifer enjoys sharing how AI can streamline processes and elevate customer satisfaction, ensuring every interaction creates joy and value.

Ryan Black, Marketing and Media Director of Jet Fresh Flower Distributors and Jet Fresh Flower Growers, S.A. Ryan’s role is to develop, design, and deploy all of Jet Fresh Flowers, Jet Fresh Flower Growers, and affiliated brands’ marketing content and strategies.    Since 2012, he’s invigorated the wholesale flower industry with his graphic designs,  self-produced videos and content, company merchandise, and memorable trade shows and events which have all amassed great success for Jet Fresh Flowers worldwide.   4th-generation in the flower industry, Ryan has been hands-on gaining a unique sense of the flower business in its many forms. From working inside a wholesale flower warehouse to installing weddings and events — even designing and selling flowers for a retail flower shop — Ryan has a truly enriched perspective of the flower industry and the many stages in which flowers are appreciated, thus allowing him to market wholesale flowers so successfully.   Although Ryan has worked around flowers his entire life, he’s always been an artist first. In 2011 he graduated from FAU with a B.A. in Communications focusing on his creative passions of Computer Animation and Graphic Design where he then combined his knowledge and experience to make Jet Fresh’s marketing a household name.   

Sam Bowles serves as general manager and creative director for Allen’s Flowers and Plants in San Diego, CA and is also a business coach with FloralStrategies, a company focused on improving florists’ confidence and customer service skills. Earlier in his career, he spent several years working at some of the biggest retail operations in the industry, including Nanz and Kraft in Louisville, Kentucky and QG Floral in New York City. 

Erin Bruno is the Marketing Director for McNamara Florist in Indianapolis, Indiana. She has been with McNamara for nearly nine years and has really enjoyed helping the business grow through her marketing efforts. Erin started learning about the industry at a young age because her father owns a family greenhouse in rural Indiana. Working for McNamara Florist, she has been able to combine her passion for plants and flowers with her love of advertising and marketing. Erin is passionate about branding, strategic communications, and community. She love all things Indianapolis and is always actively seeking ways to support local businesses and encouraging others to do the same. Erin also love traveling, bouldering, hiking, and being outside whenever possible! 

Nicholas Chang is a forward-thinking executive with global knowledge, a strategic vision, and excellent team leadership. He is currently the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Rosaprima, the premier grower of high-end luxury roses in Ecuador. He has a true passion for flowers and for this wonderful industry that has allowed him to travel the world, grow professionally, and meet many like-minded people along the way. Nicholas grew up in Quito, Ecuador, and moved to Miami 10 years ago, where he currently resides. He enjoys surfing, long bike rides, reading, and spending time with his wife and daughter.

Alejandra Fernández has been working for the past 4 years as a Marketing leader for the LATAM region at Dümmen Orange, one of the largest breeders of new varieties of cut flowers and pot plants, based in the Netherlands with operations all over the world.

She is an Industrial Designer, with a minor in Marketing Management, with over 7 years of experience in B2B and B2C companies, developing digital and traditional strategies to take brands to the next level. As a part of the new generation, she loves to take the floral breeding industry into the digital world while creating unique brand and product experiences.

Holly is a world traveler who has been involved in the floral industry since birth. She studied Supply Chain Management in college, and describes herself as a business woman at heart, and an artist on demand. After spending years working for a Fortune 500 company, she went on to backpack and live nomadically around the world. Holly has worked in flower shops in Singapore and Australia, and brings a global perspective to her local family flower and gift shop, Kennedy’s, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  

With over 10 years in the floral industry, Sheldon has grown up immersed in the world of flowers, working alongside family in my family’s floral shop. Having started in customer service, and now a skilled designer, with 9 years of experience creating stunning floral arrangements. For the past 5 years, he has served as the store manager, overseeing operations and ensuring a high standard of service. Throughout his career, Sheldon has learned from the best—under the guidance of my aunt, the shop owner, and my mom, the former store manager. Passionate about every aspect of the floral industry, Sheldon continues to thrive by constantly seeking new knowledge and techniques to enhance his skills.

Jackie Levine has worked at her family’s flower shop, Central Square Florist, since she was a teenager. In high school, she’d help out at the family florist after school. Through college, she worked during weekends and breaks. She fully joined the family business in 2015. Jackie is the 4th generation and manages the shop alongside her father David and sister Michelle. She is passionate about community engagement and connecting her venerable flower shop with her neighborhood and beyond. 

With over 16 years in the floral industry, Mimi Pacheco has built a diverse career in product development, digital marketing, and customer education. Her experience spans everything from hard goods to fresh flowers, and she has traveled to flower farms, wholesalers, and florists across Europe, North America, and South America. Currently, Mimi is part of the dynamic Marketing team at Jet Fresh Flowers, where she continues to strive for innovation and sustainability in the floral sector. 

Mimi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications from the University of Central Florida, focusing on digital marketing and Integrated Marketing. Her commitment to advancing the industry is evident at every floral and plant event she attends, where she is known as a true Brand Warrior—advocating for innovation, quality, and the future of floriculture.

In addition to her professional work, Mimi actively contributes to the floral community. She serves on the Development Committee of That Flower Feeling, volunteers for the SAF Outstanding Varieties competition, and is involved with Memorial Day Flowers and Women in Floriculture. If you’re interested in any of these organizations or simply want to connect, be sure to stop Mimi and say hello—she’s always eager to chat about ways to give back to the floral industry!

Cindy Prichard is the Vice President of Sales for Flower Shop Network.  She has been with FSN since it began in 2000.  Cindy started her career in the floral industry in 1989 with Redbook Florist Services, giving her over 30 years of experience. She loves working with her sales team along with other managers and team members to bring top notch services to almost 8,000 florists and FGMarket vendors.  Her passion is seeing the success of all clients and the impact that FSN has had along the way. Cindy and her husband Bobby have two daughters and recently gained a son in law.  Cindy loves the Arkansas Razorbacks, going to the beach,  weekends at the lake and spending time with family & friends.

Liza Roeser is CEO of FiftyFlowers in Boise, Idaho where she focuses on fresh cut flowers. Roeser has previously served on the SAF Wholesalers and Consumer Joint Councils. With over 20 years in the industry, Roeser has grown her skills with an expertise in entrepreneurship and marketing. Last July, she began a two-year term as the Mar Com Chair for the Entrepreneurs Organization. She is noted as an honoree for Idaho Woman of the Year. She served in the Peace Corps and received a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University. Her article “Palms, Ferns & Tropical Greens” was featured in Rent My Wedding Magazine’s winter 2018 issue. 

Melanie has spent over 15 years in positions centered around consumers, their preferences, and how to provide a better experience for them. Additionally, during her tenure at ExactTarget, a digital marketing SAAS provider ultimately acquired by SalesForce, Melanie gained a keen interest in data-driven customer insights and how to maximize a brand’s reach and potential through highly personalized campaigns. Prior to co-founding FreshPath Marketing, LLC, she was the Director of Marketing at Syndicate Sales for nearly five years. She quickly became immersed in the floriculture industry developing e-commerce experiences, fostering one-of-a-kind brand partnerships, and launched numerous new products and programs with Syndicate. Melanie’s greatest strength lies in her ability to analyze data points and inputs, understand how they are connected and provide actionable recommendations. She is acutely aware of the challenges facing many businesses today: lack of resources, identifying the right technology and driving its adoption and developing effective campaigns. Melanie works diligently to help implement lasting solutions to make her clients’ businesses more successful.

Laura Walsh is the Director of Marketing for Smithers-Oasis North American Floral. Having spent her life in agriculture, she joined the floral industry five years ago and brings over 17 years of marketing experience. Laura has her business undergraduate degree and her MBA from Kent State University. Over the years, LaurLaura a has taught marketing courses at the collegiate level and enjoys coaching and mentoring young business professionals. Laura resides near Smithers-Oasis’ corporate headquarters in Kent, Ohio. She is married to her husband Tim, has a collection of fur babies, and enjoys yoga and floral design.