Cultivating resilient, compassionate communities

Working with the IDEA Center for Public Gardens and the Green Thread Network has been deeply meaningful for our team at Qiqo. These communities embody the kind of thoughtful, equity-driven leadership we built Qiqo Circles to support. It has been an honor to provide and sponsor Qiqo Circles as the community platform for the IDEA Center and, more recently, for the BIPOC Hort group—helping create spaces where connection, learning, and peer support can continue well beyond individual programs or events. We truly value this partnership and are inspired by the work these groups do to cultivate inclusive, resilient networks across public gardens and horticulture.

Sandra Nam

CEO & Co-Founder, Qiqo Inc.

Mae Lin is a truly gifted facilitator and thought partner. As a facilitator of our “New Directions in Public Gardens” speaker series, she quickly created a safe space to discuss difficult topics without judgement. Her unique set of skills and experience allowed her to guide the discussion right to the heart of the challenges at the intersection of horticulture, public gardens, and diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. Beyond that, she was also able to highlight clear, tangible actions to advance equity and inclusion in public green spaces. Mae Lin brought lightness and clarity to tough topics while expertly navigating nuance, leaving the group with a sense of hope and an understanding of the work ahead.

Working with Mae Lin Plummer was transformative for our team at Brookside Gardens. She has the ability to help teams work in ways that are more thoughtful and inclusive—without losing sight of real constraints and goals. Her ability to balance people-centered thinking along with her broad network and business acumen made her an exceptional partner. We first engaged Mae Lin as we prepared to draft a new strategic plan and needed to unite a relatively new team while fostering a culture of belonging. After an initial conversation—during which she shared her thought that the work of public gardens is to “love plants and save the world!”—we knew she was the right person to guide us. Mae Lin led a workshop that helped staff explore what belonging truly means, how we bring our full selves to work, and how we extend that sense of welcome to volunteers and visitors. A second workshop focused on the service we provide our community, which became the foundation of our strategic plan. She quickly built trust and rapport, enabling open and honest conversations. Because her approach emphasized tangible actions, we were able to begin implementing meaningful changes even before the strategic plan was complete. About half our staff remained actively engaged in the plan’s development, and Mae Lin continued to check in, guide us, and help us move forward whenever we felt stuck. I wholeheartedly recommend Mae Lin Plummer and the Green Thread Network. She combines a strong business foundation with a nuanced understanding of how inclusive practices drive healthier, more resilient organizations and creates a culture where people feel valued and supported. She is an invaluable partner for any organization ready to grow.

Stephanie Oberle

Brookside Gardens

Working with Mae Lin Plummer and her Green Thread Network has been a meaningful catalyst for our organization’s growth and alignment. Her facilitation helped us identify our strengths and opportunities, while also setting a clear tone and shared intention for how we want to work together going forward. Through this process, our leadership team gained greater visibility into what is working well, increased awareness of where we need to improve, and—most importantly—a renewed sense of unity and shared purpose. The work reinforced accountability and established clearer standards that continue to guide our decision-making and collaboration. Equally valuable was Mae Lin's support in helping us get to the other side of key barriers and challenges. Together, we addressed complex issues around communication across leadership and departments, collaboration opportunities, and decision-making and transparency—particularly as they relate to mission and strategic unity, resource allocation, and compensation. These conversations were handled with care, clarity, and respect for the sensitive nature of the topics, while still ensuring they were addressed in a meaningful and productive way. Working with Mae Lin helped us clearly identify the nature of our barriers—whether physical, structural, or attitudinal/behavioral—and develop practical solutions and approaches for working through them. Just as importantly, we identified ownership and responsibility, creating momentum and follow-through rather than leaving insights on the table. The Green Thread Network brought structure, trust, and forward movement to conversations that are often difficult but essential, and their work has strengthened both our leadership team and our organization as a whole.