06/14/2026
María Blum built Plant Studio from the ground up during a period of profound personal change. What began as a cathartic practice of tending her garden while navigating job loss, new motherhood, and postpartum depression has grown into a thriving Berkeley plant shop and community space.
A community organizer at heart, María built her business model around plant education, strong relationships with her staff and customers, and a deep commitment to creating quality jobs and making a space that is welcoming to all—especially LGBTQ+ and immigrant communities.
To do that, she needed flexible business financing that didn’t infringe on her values or her bottom line. Through a partnership with the City of Berkeley, Working Solutions provided business loans to help María grow into a larger space and refinance existing predatory debt that had been holding her back.
Learn more about María’s story of resilience, creativity, and growth on our website: www.paraisoplant.studio
A special thank you to Studio for partnering with us to tell this story!
