UCLA alumnus David Resnik recently co-created an online flower business that satisfies his entrepreneurial spirt while also giving back to the Los Angeles community.
Resnik and his business partner Laurenne Wallman started their company, called Bloom2Bloom, in 2012 to provide a convenient way to purchase California-grown flowers.
Bloom2Bloom’s business model is built on a socially responsible enterprise of “one for one,” Resnik said. With every purchase a customer makes, one bouquet of flowers is donated to women’s centers, hospitals, retirement homes and local charities, among other organizations, he said.
Currently, Bloom2Bloom has donated about two hundred bouquets, Resnik said. The flowers have a lifetime of 10 to 15 days and cost around $40, he added.
Resnik, who graduated from UCLA in 2005 with a degree in political science, said his university education influenced his decision to start his online business.
“UCLA opened up the possibilities to thinking about becoming an entrepreneur,” Resnik said. “This gave us the courage to go for it.”
The idea to create the business first started last year when Resnik spontaneously donated a bouquet of flowers to L.A.’s Downtown Women’s Center, which provides permanent housing for homeless women.
“Although flowers seem like a simple gesture that is not that meaningful, we saw the women perk up and smile,” Resnik said. “They seldom receive flowers, so getting them made them feel special.”
Compiled by Jennifer Crane, Bruin senior staff.