Bloom Where You’re (Accidentally) Planted | Mikel McGee
Event details
📆 Date: Friday, September 19th
⏰ Time: 8:30 – 10:00 AM
📍 Location: Alice's Garden – 2136 N 21st St, Milwaukee, WI 53205 (**a nearby indoor location has been secured in case weather is not in our favor. stay tuned!)
🎟️ Tickets are FREE!
All about Mikel
Mikel McGee is the founder and lead creative of 414LORAL, a Black woman-owned floral studio based in Milwaukee’s historic Bronzeville neighborhood. What began as a kitchen counter hobby, designing arrangements for friends and family-has grown into a beloved flower shop known for its playful design and community rooted spirit.
Mikel’s path into floristry started with a one-credit elective at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, long before she ever imagined she'd turn flowers into a career. With a Master’s in Criminal Justice and a background in nonprofit and community work, she spent years in service driven spaces before transitioning into entrepreneurship. 414LORAL was born from that intersection, where beauty meets purpose, and storytelling becomes a way to connect and care for community.
Since opening her brick and mortar shop during the pandemic, Mikel has built a brand that specializes in custom arrangements for weddings, events, and everyday moments with a commitment to locally sourced blooms, sustainable practices, and intentional design.
When she’s not designing flowers, Mikel finds joy in the little things: perfectly fluffy pancakes, cute nail art, dilly dallying without guilt, and her English bulldog Gramps. Her work and her life is rooted in joy, curiosity, and the belief that beauty is worth slowing down for.
Our theme for September is BLOSSOM.
It was chosen by our Pereira chapter in Colombia, illustrated by Edwin Morales, and is presented by Adobe.
No one is born with all the knowledge and skills they’ll need to thrive in life. That’s why kids go to school. But we shouldn’t stop learning once we graduate. We need to find new teachers.
A mentor doesn’t have to be an expert or the top of their field. Just someone who’s been there and done that before. Someone to show you the way and offer a bit of advice and encouragement. Ideally, they’re willing to make introductions and mention your name when you’re not in the room.
Being a mentor is considered a way of giving back. But mentors get just as much out of the relationship, if not more. Beyond the satisfaction of helping, mentors also learn from their mentees. From a fresh way of looking at established practices to tackling new problems with a beginner’s mind.
So, ask for help. We all could use a guide as we climb. Find your mentors and be a mentor in return. Your plans for growth are more likely to succeed if they include lifting others up as you rise.
About Alice's Garden
Alice’s Garden Urban Farm is a two-acre community farm in Milwaukee’s Lindsay Heights neighborhood that has served the city for over 50 years. It offers more than 100 garden plots for families and organizations and hosts wellness programs, cultural events, and markets. The farm includes an herbal labyrinth, firepit, clay oven, and art installations that support gatherings and learning. Programs range from yoga and herbal education to poetry circles and children’s reading groups, helping people and ideas blossom. Alice’s Garden also uses regenerative farming and a 20,000-gallon rainwater system to promote sustainability. These efforts make it both a neighborhood anchor and a model for urban green spaces.
Getting there
📍 Address: 2136 N 21st St, Milwaukee, WI 53205
🚲 By Bicycle: Accessible via surface streets.
🚌 Bus Route: The Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) bus routes Blue, 21, and 81 stop just north of Alice's Garden at the intersection of North Avenue and West Fond du Lac Avenue. For details, see RideMCTS.com.
🅿️ Parking: Plenty of street parking.
