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In December, we welcomed the founder and CEO of Bloomscape, Justin Mast, into the Endeavor Network. Since Bloomscape’s founding in 2018, the direct-to-consumer plant company has gained national recognition for revolutionizing the way consumers buy and care for plants. Just a few short months after its launch, Bloomscape was recognized by Vogue, Martha Stewart, Real Simple, and Architectural Digest for being one the most innovative ways to buy plants.
Justin Mast
Mast is a Michigan native and has five generations of greenhouse owners and floral industry pioneers on both sides of his family. His parents owned 20+ acres of grow space where they supplied Lowe’s and 10,000 other greenhouses with young plants. At age eight, he started his first business selling plants in front of his family’s business, where he attracted long lines of neighbors to his roadside plant stand. Even at a young age, Justin could already see the joy plants brought to people’s lives. “To me, plants always created an overwhelming sense of gezellig, a dutch term that has no direct translation but encompasses the warmth and sense of life that plants can bring to a space.”
Justin’s budding interest in entrepreneurship headed in a new direction when consumers began turning to the internet for their plant buying needs. In 2016, the National Gardening Report found that five out of the 6 million new gardeners were between the ages of 18 and 34, highlighting a growing trend toward millennial gardening.
With these numbers in mind, Justin saw an opportunity to help greenhouses supply plants to urban dwellers — those without cars who did not want to lug around heavy plants and heavy pots. In 2016, he went to work developing a solution for these millennial plant aficionados, and after a few iterations, Bloomscape was born.
Photo courtesy of Bloomscape
Bloomscape’s mission is to make buying and caring for plants effortless. Customers can easily browse Bloomscape’s inventory of plants online, which categorizes plants by level of maintenance, size, ideal light conditions, and pet friendliness. Each plant’s description includes care tips and additional resources for plant healthiness to ensure optimal living conditions for both the plant and the buyer. “We want to reduce the uncertainty when it comes to plant ownership. With the proper care guidance, anyone can become a confident plant parent,” says Justin Mast. “Our goal is to continue developing new ways to help teach and support our customers from the time they own their first houseplant all the way through their fiftieth!”
For plant owners who need a little more guidance, Bloomscape offers Plant Mom, a nine-to-five service based on expertise from resident plant expert Joyce Mast, Justin’s mother. Joyce uses the platform to share her 40+ years of greenhouse industry knowledge with customers and has been featured in Buzzfeed, Departures, Well+Good, and more.
Bloomscape’s innovation extends to its packaging. The company uses special growing techniques and packaging technology to ensure that all plants arrive at customers’ doorsteps thriving and living-room ready.
In 2017, Bloomscape closed a successful seed round with investments from Ludlow Ventures as well as Bridget Russo, Shinola’s former chief marketing officer and Endeavor Mentor. Other notable investors include Alex Ebert, the lead singer of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.
Justin and Bloomscape personify the Endeavor belief that, through hard work, creativity, and value-driven leadership, an entrepreneurial idea can transform into a world-class venture. Bloomscape’s momentum is admirable, and we look forward to working alongside the team to continue driving high-impact entrepreneurship in our region.
Danielle Bennett, Justin Mast, Antonio Lück, & Darren Riley
If you’re a high-impact entrepreneur looking to scale your business, see our application page and learn more about becoming an Endeavor Entrepreneur. We look forward to hearing from you.