Checking in With a Flywheel Alumni Who is Literally Growing

Have you ever had trouble finding fresh produce? Brick Gardens founder, Domonique Peebles, (“Dom”) knows how difficult it can be in some neighborhoods. He came to Flywheel in 2019 for support in his mission to transform vacant lots into food-producing assets for Cincinnati neighborhoods.  

When the pandemic fueled interest in outdoor activities Dom capitalized on the opportunity to address the needs of food desert neighborhoods. There are now four Brick Gardens sites serving Madisonville, Bond Hill, Northside, Evanston, Avondale, and Norwood. 

This Summer has been all about teens. Through a partnership with Groundwork Ohio River Valley and Lighthouse Youth Services, Brick Gardens offered employment opportunities and access to fresh produce to 13-17 year old students across Cincinnati. 

“It’s very impactful for these students as many of them it’s their first jobs. They are one of the only food sources in their neighborhoods as many of our communities don’t have grocery stores,” said Dom.

Students learned multiple skills like  plant identification, ways to compost, and seed-starting. Then, they rotated through multiple neighborhood gardens to water plants, cut grass, and harvest the vegetables they’ve planted. They work Monday through Thursday, 9am to noon.

Reflecting on the impact Dom noted, “Imagine the dollars circulating in the neighborhood. Kids are able to be educated, fed, and have paid work all in their own community.”

Food distribution is kept local. Brick Gardens is learning to predict what grows best in which neighborhood and where food can be distributed to community partners. Dom even developed a program allowing individual donors to sponsor a family and pay for a weekly produce delivery. Dom would love to see this program become city-wide

By partnering with Xavier University to plant a garden on campus, Brick Gardens provides the only fresh produce options in the food pantry across the street in Evanston.

Dom credits Flywheel and his coach Eric Ross with building his skills around financial modeling which has been critical to his success. Flywheel also introduced Dom to a robust network of mentors, organizations, and fellow social entrepreneurs like Kai Stoudemire of Naturally Homegrown Co. These relationships have continued to grow, build connections, and support his business. 

In May of 2022, Domonique was added to the Hamilton County Solid Waste Board, and he was made Chair of the Food Focus subcommittee for the Green Cincinnati Plan in October 2022. The plan includes support for advancing innovation and social enterprises like Brick Gardens.

Flywheel is proud to work with founders like Dom inspired to address systemic inequities through entrepreneurship!

Learn more about Brick Gardens here: http://www.brickgardens.com/