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 is an Industrial Designer with a minor in Marketing Management, she has over 5 years of experience in B2B and B2C companies, developing digital and traditional strategies to take brands to the next level. She’s been working in the floral industry as Dümmen Orange’s Marketing Leader for the LATAM region for over 3 years, and 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.  

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. 

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. 

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.