Eliza Blank and How Plants Make People Happy

Have you ever felt that happiness and pride when you look around your home and see the plants, green and vibrant, that you have cared for and nurtured for months? As a fellow plant enthusiast, I love the story of Eliza Blank, founder of The Sill. Her journey is not only about cultivating plants; it is about persistence, innovation, and community.

Planting the Seeds of Success

When she was 26 years old, Eliza founded The Sill, working between her apartment and a tiny office in Chinatown, New York City. Her goal, to make plants accessible to everyone and improve people’s connection to nature, especially to those in the concrete jungle. She started out with only personal savings and a successful $12,000 Kickstarter campaign, sourcing plants locally from Northeast U.S.

Eliza handled everything from plant sourcing and care to business strategy, with a hands-on approach that created a strong foundation for the future. She cultivated a community-oriented strategy focusing on education and support, making plant care approachable for everyone. This addressed a common pain point for many, who wanted to bring nature home but lacked the confidence or knowledge to keep it alive.

Growing Through Challenges

Like many entrepreneurs, Eliza faced significant challenges when launching The Sill. In the early years, revenue was consistently low, but she kept moving forward, driven almost entirely by the excitement of building something new.

Securing funding was particularly challenging in a maledominated investment landscape, and traditional banks were reluctant to provide loans. It was only in 2015 when she secured a small business loan of $80,000 from TruFund, an organization focused on stimulating economic development in undeserved communities.

Later, an unexpected opportunity opened a whole new market when The Sill outfitted Vine’s and WeWork’s offices with plants. This new B2B segment improved cash flow and kept them going, while also allowing her to keep nurturing the direct-to-consumer side, now with less of a deadline. However, even then, as a solo founder with a houseplants business, raising capital remained a challenge.

Blossoming Success

Nevertheless, Eliza’s persistence has paid off and The Sill has achieved remarkable milestones over the years, including:

  • Opening its first brick-and-mortar store in New York in 2015.
  • Expanding to nationwide shipping.
  • Successfully raising $2.5 million in seed funding in 2017 and $7.5 million to date.
  • Recently fully transitioning to an exclusively digital concept.

But perhaps one of the more important aspects that tends to be minimized is how Eliza has used her success and platform to promote women’s empowerment in business. She actively mentors other female entrepreneurs, sharing her experiences and offering personalized advice. With her transparent leadership style and commitment, she has built a loyal customer base and inspired many new plant lovers and business owners.

Cultivating the Future

After more than a decade of growth, Eliza remains committed to her vision of connecting people with nature and supporting other women in business. Her approach to leadership and mentorship, her open discussion of challenges and triumphs show how a ripple effect a single successful female entrepreneur can have on the business ecosystem. Her journey is a reminder that with persistence, adaptability, and a supportive community, we can also make it. Every success, every mentorship, and every bit of knowledge shared strengthens the foundation for future female entrepreneurs.

Let’s keep at it, hunting the Snark!


Photo by The Shill

Sources

The Sill Blog
Eliza Blank – By Arq
The Sill Company
How The Sill’s Founder Turned $32,000 Into a Multimillion-Dollar Plant Business
The Sill’s Eliza Blank Is Branching Into New Territory