Elise Bernhardt
Floral Designer and Not-for-Profit Advisor
I’m Elise Bernhardt, after decades leading nonprofit arts organisations, I now design floral arrangements inspired by Ikebana, architecture, and dance. My studio is based in Brooklyn, where I also lead creative team-building workshops that use flowers as a way to spark collaboration and joy.
Watch my interview with Mark here.
When people ask how I went from running arts organisations to arranging flowers, I usually laugh and say: “It was less of a leap, more of a dance.” For over 30 years, I worked in the nonprofit sector — founding Dancing in the Streets, leading The Kitchen, and later serving as CEO of the Foundation for Jewish Culture. I learned how to bring big visions to life, support artists, and guide organisations through change, all while keeping my sense of humour intact.
But flowers have always been my quiet obsession. In 2018, I decided to make them my main focus and launched Fleur Elise Bkln. For me, floral design isn’t about symmetry or trends — it’s about movement, narrative, and surprise. I often take inspiration from Japanese Ikebana, which treats each stem, curve, and space as part of a living composition. My designs tend to have a little whimsy, a little drama, and just enough mischief to keep them interesting.
Alongside designing, I also run team-building workshops. These sessions turn the often solitary act of arranging flowers into a group exercise in creativity and problem-solving. Companies like Magic Spoon and Jacadi N.A. have used them to help teams connect in new ways — and yes, everyone leaves with something beautiful to take home, but more importantly, they leave having built something together.
What ties it all together — from the nonprofit world to the floral studio — is my belief that creativity is not an accessory, it’s a necessity. Whether it’s through performance, leadership, or flowers, I love finding ways to help people experience beauty, humour, and connection in unexpected places.
