Hundreds of students in the Philadelphia area graduated with marketing degrees this spring, but Danisha Ortega ’26 has experience that few of her peers can match. She has run her own business for three years.

Ortega operates Petal Pastries, a florist that creates custom flower arrangements, out of her home in Northeast Philadelphia. The concept started years ago with a simple request from a friend to make a bouquet.

Ortega gave it a try, liked what she saw, watched instructional videos on TikTok, and began posting her creations on Instagram.

Interest grew, and she launched Petal Pastries on Mother’s Day in 2023. She has cultivated the business with care and watched it expand since her freshman year. Just a few months ago, on Valentine’s Day, Ortega sold more than 5,000 roses to almost 100 customers.

The business has filled the whole garage, which is attached to her house. On Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, operations expand to the basement, living room, and any other part of the house that she needs.

“Now, it’s my full-time job, and I dream of going big with it,” she says. “I reinvest in the business and save as much of the profit as I can because my goal is to open a flower shop one day, maybe purchase a house and work out of my own garage and basement.”

Balancing the competing demands of business and academics can be challenging. Ortega uses her time management skills and is grateful for the support of Neumann’s faculty.

“Thankfully, I had very understanding professors. At my busy times, they were flexible with assignments and take-home work.”