Tommiepreneurs for Social Change

Empathetic and hardworking are two words to describe Liz Murphy '23, a graduating senior majoring in entrepreneurship. As a student, she joined forces with Tommie alums to launch Perky Plant, a mission-driven plant food company focused on mental health. Launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, Perky Plant provides easy-to-use, organic fertilizer for house plants and donates plants to college students for every bottle of ‘plant food’ sold. 

Since their launch, Perky Plant has donated 2,500+ plants to college students as part of their biannual Buy a Bottle, Donate a Plant campaign. On their social channels, they've built a community of plant people who care about their own mental health and the mental health of the community around them.

The Schulze School of Entrepreneurship has helped Murphy succeed in running her business while being a full-time student, providing practical tools for innovation and thinking creatively. Early-stage capital from the Schulze Innovation Fund allowed Perky Plant to invest in branded point-of-purchase displays, expanding their market reach beyond online sales into physical stores. 

"It's about doing little things to show people that mental health is important," Murphy says about empathy driving their actions. "At Perky Plant, we've got the tools to help you thrive."