Mayesh Design Star Featured Designer: Tobore Oweh

I am a creative entrepreneur born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. I migrated to America when I was seven years old with my family. We settled in Maryland, where I graduated high school in 2006 at the age of 15. Determined to become an interior designer, I started looking to apply to colleges but quickly realized that I wouldn't be attending college due to my undocumented status. Being undocumented meant I didn't have any legal status, and therefore could not receive financial aid. I worked a few years finding odd jobs & ways to make money despite my status, but my heart was in design.

In 2011, I began to research other forms of design that didn't require a college degree, quickly discovering floral & event design. With a determination to achieve my design dreams, I ventured out into the industry; freelancing for anyone that would allow me. Later on that year, I created my company name, The Petal Effect. I didn't know exactly how I would do it but I was set on having my own floral & design company. After many years of living on the East Coast, working in floral retail shops to freelancing with floral event companies, I decided to live outside of my comfort zone and move to LA in 2017. I was able to find a floral job and worked full time until the pandemic of 2020. I was at a crossroads of staying at my current job with reduced hours or taking a leap of faith and finally committing to my business full-time.

I became a small business owner because floral design was a passion I developed at a time when I felt hopeless because of my undocumented status. It brought purpose back into my life. It was a dream I had in my heart for over 11 years and I was finally seeing it come alive. I also wanted to shed light on the complexities of being an undocumented black woman. I am hoping to inspire my community to use their obstacles as a weapon to conquer the world because no human being is illegal and everyone deserves a chance at a better life.