Hidden Gems: Meet Cheyenne Cobb of Jenni’s Flower

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cheyenne Cobb.

Hi Cheyenne, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story? 
I always say I have two lives. The one that ended when my mom passed away and the one that started that same day. My journey into where I am today is a culmination of both of these lives and my experiences because of them. 

After my mom passed, I went to UCLA and this is where I was connected to the Bruin Guardian Scholars program, a program on campus that supports foster youth in higher education. In this community, I felt the most safe, seen and safest, I had ever felt in my life, and for the first time since she passed away, I felt like I was somewhere where I truly belonged. 

During my undergraduate years, I was struggling severely with my mental health, and I was also working full-time (while attending classes full-time) to support myself. I didn’t have much of a social life, and the only real fun I got to have was when I was able to be in community with BGS and other non-profits that supported foster youth. 

When I graduated and got my start in corporate America, I kept feeling this pull back to the foster youth community and back to my desire to impact. And that is where the birth of Jenni’s Flower, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering other transition foster youth to bloom their flowers, began. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has most definitely been a very rocky and challenging road to start this organization, to say the least. Founding Jenni’s Flower at 23 years old meant that there was a huge learning curve for me to even understand a fraction of what it takes to be an Executive Director. There was a lot I had to absorb and learn to ensure that I stayed morally, ethically, and intentionally aligned with my community and the ways in which I served and made impact. Some of the struggles I have faced since starting this organization have included barriers to understanding the landscape of the space. What I mean by this is, for a lot of folks in the philanthropy world, there is an obtained or inherent knowledge of how funding, partnership and donor relations work. For me, being completely new to the space and having no background working in the non-profit sector, I was learning all of these things for the first time. Being able to be included in the conversation or even get into rooms that would allow me to learn and have a voice was difficult, as I felt like I wasn’t taken seriously because of my age and my foster youth background. Another struggle I encountered, and still am facing today, is quite frankly, funding. Being able to create a sustainable non-profit that incorporates different modes of funding, such as grants, fundraisers, and donations, is something I never anticipated to be as challenging as it is. As a community grassroots organization, we often don’t qualify for many grants or opportunities for a variety of factors, whether it be the fact that we have only been around for 2 years, not having a certain expense budget, or not having the network yet to be invited to apply, finding funds to support the organization has been our number one challenge so far. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Jenni’s Flower?
I started Jenni’s Flower amidst the pandemic when I was at my lowest point. I was finishing up my undergraduate degrees, and I was experiencing homelessness, and somehow, in the midst of that darkness, I was able to find inspiration by visualizing this organization and the dream I had to create something in honor of my mom, Jenni, and her legacy. 

When starting out, I was unsure where to begin or what it even took to start a non-profit. So, I went where I knew I could always find support- my mentors. In April 2022, we officially received our 501c (3) status, and our board was officially assembled thanks to the help of these mentors and their guidance. We hit the ground running in 2022 and started by launching our first program, the Foster Youth Flea Market, serving 13 foster youth entrepreneurs and bringing together the larger community for a day of shopping, networking, and advocacy. This event was the catalyst for me to see the true potential of the organization and the ways in which we could serve. 

In 2023, we re-launched the Foster Youth Flea Market and supported over 25 vendors through 5 Markets that took place over the course of the year. We also partnered with other community organizations and businesses to co-host events and programs, such as a Mindful Martial Arts program, donation giveaways, and Thanksgiving Dinner for transition-age foster youth. 

Today, we are focused on uplifting and supporting our community through 3 main initiatives: Community Spaces, such as social events, activities, and new experiences designed to create opportunities for foster youth to come together, build relationships, and form supportive networks. Entrepreneurship Pathways, such as the Foster Youth Flea Market, provide opportunities for foster youth entrepreneurial seeds to make their own profit as we provide tables, chairs, decorations, and financial support for them to have their own booth. All seeds are also given access to bi-monthly workshops, such as marketing and branding, product photography, e-commerce and more. And lastly, we are passionate about offering Mindful Somatic Practices by providing activities and sponsoring memberships such as rock climbing, yoga, pilates, HIIT training, dancing, and more; we support foster youth in curating a holistic sense of self. 

How do you think about luck?
For me, I don’t believe in luck, good or bad, as it relates to my life and the experiences that I encounter. I believe that everything, good and bad, small and big, happens for a reason, and there is always something that can be learned from it. From every rejection I have got that led to the acceptance that was meant for me, I have learned that nothing happens simply out of chance or for luck. In this life, we are all given lemons, and sometimes those lemons are fresh and brand new, and sometimes they are rotten and dry. But it’s all about how you squeeze the juice out of them to learn and grow; that is what matters. 

Contact Info:

• Website: jennisflower.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennisflowerorg/

Image Credits
Enid Photography
Cheyenne Cobb