Securing Horticulture’s Future: Proven Winners’ Commitment to Growing Talent

Securing Horticulture’s Future: Proven Winners’ Commitment to Growing Talent

Mark Broxon is keenly aware of the need to bolster interest in horticulture among younger generations. As the CEO of Proven Winners, the plant brand company that supplies products to garden centers, Broxon is also a dedicated participant in cultivating young green thumbs and future industry leaders.

So, it’s no surprise Broxon was an early volunteer and contributor to Seed Your Future. He recognized the need immediately to promote horticulture and inspire people to pursue careers working with plants. And he’s made sure Proven Winners has been involved financially, donating $20,000 a year to Seed Your Future for the past decade.

“We know we need skilled labor in this industry,” he explains. “And there is this change in our culture where there is less interest in horticulture as we have become less agrarian. The days of kids seeing grandma taking care of tomatoes in her garden are fewer. There are so many more things to take our time and attention – phones in our hands – there are less young people who get exposure to this industry at home.”

He even admits, his own children would have had “zero exposure” if it hadn’t been for his position. From a business longevity standpoint, that’s troubling. Not only does it mean less interest in entering the field, but also less interest in being a gardening hobbyist interested in buying the very products sold under the Proven Winners brand.

His early involvement with Seed Your Future included developing a clear strategy for the organization, attending board meetings and recruiting other industry leaders to make a pledge of support. Now, he is a member of the fundraising committee. His pitch is practiced and clear.

“A lot of our industry is not aware or thinking about this, but they need to be,” he says. “Many horticulture programs at universities have closed down in the last decade and industry needs to step up to increase interest.”

That includes Proven Winners. The company’s involvement includes creating and fostering the Proven Winners’ scholarship program for post-secondary school students while also involving a next generation of leadership at Proven Winners to join the board of Seed Your Future.

For 11 years, Proven Winners has awarded scholarships to post-secondary school students. To date, more than $276,000 has been distributed among 76 recipients, says Mary Espinoza, Proven Winner’s human resources generalist.

The Proven Winners scholarship program currently awards several different scholarships, including three, $5,000 scholarships to those studying at a four-year college or university, and up to five, $2,500 scholarships to those at a two-year community college, tech or vocational program.

Applications come in from all over the United States and Canada, Espinoza says.

“We want to invest in the future, in education and in young plant minds,” Espinoza says. “We want them to be able to explore the industry, see what their interests are, and support their passion for advancing new ideas.”

As his career winds down, Broxon says it was time to promote new leadership. In Makenzie Pellissier, Proven Winners’ intellectual property manager, Seed Your Future found a “perfect choice,” he says.

Pellissier is equally dedicated to promoting the horticulture industry to younger generations. She first fell in love with the field while she was earning her master’s degree.

“A big challenge is exposure to the industry, that’s what is missing and why outreach to schools is so important,” Pellissier explains, noting how lucky she feels to have had that exposure while earning her master’s degree, even if it was later in her academic career. “I took a propagation class – it was the most fun I ever had and I realized I could do these types of things as a job.”

Recognizing a lot of students don’t have that exposure, Pellissier hopes to support Seed Your Future’s mission to reach classrooms with resources for students and teachers. In the spring Pellissier was voted on as Seed Your Future Board Secretary.

“I am looking forward to fostering a connection with plants for young folks,” she says. “It can not only lead to a fulfilling career, but also inspire a closer connection with outdoors and environment.”

The environmental hook is an important one, Broxon notes. “We need to embrace that the green industry is well positioned to gain more traction in the future if we tie into the knowledge and ideas of a sustainable, green future. We need to be getting the word out that jobs in horticulture are about caring for the environment and the green movement.”

This message resonates deeply with Gen Z and Gen Alpha – generations driven by a desire to make meaningful change and “save the planet.” Horticulture offers exactly the kind of purpose-driven careers they’re seeking rooted in sustainability, climate solutions, and environmental stewardship.

Fostering those dreams, with support from the industry, is the power that rests with Seed Your Future, Pellissier explains. She’s already impressed with the wealth of information available for future generations in Seed Your Future’s horticulture career page.

As the torch passes from one generation to the next, leaders like Mark Broxon and Makenzie Pellissier remind us that the future of horticulture depends on intentional investment – in people, in passion, and in purpose. Their dedication to Seed Your Future is not just about filling industry pipelines; it’s about sowing seeds of curiosity, sustainability, and innovation in the minds of tomorrow’s changemakers. If the industry wants to flourish, it must continue to nurture those seeds today – because a greener future starts with those who dare to plant it.

2024 Scholarship Winners | Proven Winners

Proven Winners Horticulture Scholarship Program Application. The annual deadline is in the spring.


- Sarah Sampson is a contributing writer for Seed Your Future.