Floral art and eco-responsibility: the venture of a former student

A GSEM alumnus launches a plant and flower business based on an innovative concept combining modern design and eco-responsibility.

Jungle Pop is based on a fundamentally eco-responsible approach that disrupts traditional florist practices. Ulysse Gillet, a 2016 GSEM Bachelor graduate, and his associate Marion Dessainte, who trained at the Lullier Horticultural Center, opened the flower store in the spring of 2022.

Favoring short distribution channels as much as possible, the business is primarily supplied by local horticultural farms in Geneva and the Canton of Vaud, with secondary suppliers coming from European countries, ensuring the traceability of the plants and flowers. The store operates on a just-in-time basis and without cold storage. However, there is almost no loss, as the flowers that have not found takers are offered on the anti-waste application Too Good To Go. From the vases and pots made from environmentally friendly production processes to the use of biodegradable floral foam, this eco-responsible approach is reflected in every aspect of their business.

There are significant environmental costs behind the cut flower trade. Most of the flowers sold in the industry come from abroad, from faraway countries such as Colombia or Kenya, often transiting through the Netherlands, and transported by plane in refrigerated holds. "We have to change habits", says Ulysse Gillet. Local suppliers exist and using short distribution channels is not necessarily more expensive, but to break the habit, one must explore, innovate, and do the research.

For Ulysse, founding a company has always been a career objective, and it is this desire that led him to study management. Although he recognizes that the transition from theory to practice constitutes "a shock for which it is impossible to be completely prepared", he feels that he is equipped to face the challenges of entrepreneurship thanks to his studies, particularly the aspects related to marketing, strategy, and accounting. He is also pleased that he can surround himself with partners who have skills different to his own, concluding that, "being an entrepreneur means developing skills”.