Leading Executives in Florists and Flower Shops
Adolfo Villagomez
Chief Executive Officer, 1-800-Flowers.com, Inc.
Former Home Depot digital chief turned CEO on May 12, 2025; first non‑McCann to lead the U.S. floral giant, tasked with tech modernization and the “Celebrations Wave” growth plan.
Website | LinkedIn (Company) | Media
Michael (Mike) Chapin
Chief Executive Officer, FTD + From You Flowers
E‑commerce operator who merged FTD with From You Flowers in May 2023; now CEO of the combined platform (also associated with H.Bloom), steering a turnaround of legacy wire services with DTC know‑how.
Website | Florist Network (FTD) | Website (From You Flowers)
Jon (Jonathan) Feldman
President, BloomNet (1‑800‑Flowers.com Network)
Elevated to President in 2024 and leads BloomNet’s 5,000+‑shop network; inked Uber Direct integration to expand same‑day floral delivery capacity for peak seasons in 2025.
Jim Talarico
Chief Information Officer, Teleflora (The Wonderful Company)
Long‑time tech leader behind Teleflora’s POS platforms (Dove POS, Eagle, Daisy, RTI); promoted to CIO, he’s known industry‑wide for PCI compliance and florist technology standards.
Website | Media | Parent Company
Meenakshi Lala
Chief Executive Officer, UrbanStems
Took the helm in early 2024; advanced a same‑day rollout to new U.S. cities and closed a Series C extension to fuel expansion and operations.
Aron Gelbard
Co‑founder & Chief Executive Officer, Bloom & Wild (UK/Europe)
Co‑founded the ‘letterbox flowers’ category and scaled via acquisitions (Bloomon, Bergamotte) into a pan‑European floral gifting group.
Website | Email | LinkedIn (Company)
Whitney Bromberg Hawkings
Co‑founder & Chief Executive Officer, FLOWERBX
Former Tom Ford SVP who built a luxury, single‑varietal DTC flower brand favored by fashion houses, expanding across the U.S. and Europe.
Website | Instagram | LinkedIn (Company)
Christina Stembel
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Farmgirl Flowers
Bootstrapped, woman‑founded national DTC florist known for its signature burlap‑wrapped bouquets and supply‑chain transparency.
Website | Email (Orders/CS) | LinkedIn (Company)
Farbod Shoraka
Co‑founder & Chief Executive Officer, BloomNation
Founder/CEO of the florist‑first SaaS/marketplace powering independent shops; expanded internationally by acquiring Floom in 2025 and launching a wholesaler partnership program.
Website | LinkedIn (Company) | Email
Joe Vega
Co‑Founder & Co‑Chief Executive Officer, Lovingly
Co‑founded the florist e‑commerce platform and marketplace; co‑CEO focused on product, marketing, and education (e.g., Flower Shop Secrets podcast) to help local florists grow online.
Ken Garland
Co‑Founder & Co‑Chief Executive Officer, Lovingly
Co‑founded and co‑leads Lovingly, expanding tools (guided gifting funnels, marketplace) and even acquiring brick‑and‑mortar assets to deepen florist insight.
Olivier Plusquellec
Co‑founder & Chief Executive Officer, Ode à la Rose
Parisian co‑founder who brought a premium, photo‑verified unboxing experience to U.S. online floristry; serves as CEO driving design and CX.
Website | Email | LinkedIn (Company)
Louis Brunet
Co‑founder, Ode à la Rose
Co‑founded the brand blending French floral aesthetics with NYC logistics; instrumental in operations and expansion across major U.S. cities.
Juan Palacio
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, BloomsyBox
Subscription‑first floral entrepreneur behind partnerships (e.g., Martha Stewart Roses) and farm‑direct sourcing from Rainforest Alliance‑certified growers.
Website | LinkedIn (Company) | Email
Seema Bansal Chadha
Co‑founder & President, Venus ET Fleur
Co‑founded the ‘Eternity’ preserved‑rose category and grew a celebrity‑loved luxury gifting brand with an expanding retail footprint in key U.S. markets.
Website | Email (Press) | Phone
Sunny S. Chadha
Co‑founder, Venus ET Fleur
Co‑founded Venus ET Fleur and built its operations and supply chain, scaling long‑lasting florals from farm to an omnichannel luxury brand.
Website | Email (Press) | Phone
Cameron Hardesty
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Poppy Flowers
White House–trained floral designer and former UrbanStems exec who founded a tech‑enabled, farm‑direct model for modern wedding/event florals nationwide.
Website | Email | LinkedIn (Company)
Lana Elie
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Floom
Founder/CEO who curated an indie‑florist marketplace in the U.S. and UK; Floom was acquired by BloomNation in 2025 while continuing to operate its brand.
John Hackett
Chief Executive Officer, Arena Flowers (UK)
Sustainability‑first CEO who led Arena to top ethics scores, a carbon‑neutral pledge, automation upgrades, and expansion via the Patch acquisition.
Kate F. Penn
Executive Vice President & Chief Executive Officer, Society of American Florists (SAF)
Leads the U.S. floral industry’s national trade association on advocacy, education, and market insights—connecting retailers, growers, wholesalers, and suppliers.
Website | Email | LinkedIn (Company)
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