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Flowers have the power to improve your physical and mental well-being — even more so if they are fragrant, according to . That’s part of what Jamie Seward (PolSci’97) was after when, late last year, she revived , a zero-waste solution for event florals that closed its doors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Past clients include the Super Bowl and Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle.Ìý

Mainly located in Southern California, Arizona and on the East Coast, Repeat Roses transports flowers from events such as weddings and corporate events, rearranges them into smaller bouquets and delivers them to nonprofits like homeless shelters, hospitals or nursing homes. Later, a team picks up the flowers for composting and her clients receive a receipt for their charitable donation.Ìý

Seward, a Navy veteran and former attorney, also serves as senior associate director of alumni relations for Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.

What inspired you to take over Repeat Roses?

I have a passion for people, I have a passion for the planet and I want to leave the world a little better than I found it.

What’s the status of your business?

It’s what I like to call a ‘restart-up’ — it was a start-up and we’ve restarted it. We are up and running, we can operate anywhere in the U.S., and we’re hoping to get the word out. It takes time for word to spread that we’re back in business.

What’s it like when you deliver flowers?

There’s nothing quite like seeing the faces of the people in a homeless shelter, both the staff and the residents, and the joy on their faces when they see flowers — which are considered a luxury — brighten up their space. They’re worried about the basics, and to have something beautiful and joyful, it elevates everyone’s mood, it makes everyone feel better and it brightens up their environment.

Why do you compost the flowers?

It’s more advantageous for the environment for flowers to decompose naturally, versus putting them in a plastic bag in a landfill.

Did anything from your CU Boulder experience guide you into doing this type of work?

I was in the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority at CU, and there was often a philanthropic aspect to our activities. So, it was ingrained in me very early that helping people is something I wanted to do in as many aspects of my life as possible.Ìý

Learn more about Repeat Roses at @RepeatRoses on social media or at .Ìý

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Photo courtesy Jamie Seward