Ron Finley

Ron Finley started his career as a fashion designer in Los Angeles, with his collection, the Dropdead Collexion, gaining traction in high-end stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, and Neiman Marcus. Alongside his work in fashion, he has also shown a keen interest in blaxploitation posters, with his collection being featured in Miramax's publication, "What It Is, What It Was". However, his passion extends beyond the realms of fashion and art to urban gardening, for which he has gained considerable recognition.

In 2010, Finley began planting fruits and vegetables on a strip of city-owned land, a move that eventually led to changes in Los Angeles' Residential Parkway Landscaping Guidelines. This initiative marked the birth of The Ron Finley Project, a gardening training facility located in South Central Los Angeles. His advocacy for urban farming and healthy eating has not only earned him a spot in documentary films like "Urban Fruit" and "Can You Dig This," but also a Masterclass on home gardening where he goes by the nickname, "Gangsta Gardener".

Finley's TED talk on guerrilla gardening has amassed over three million views, and his gardening initiatives have been termed revolutionary in a Los Angeles Times article. His work in starting a food revolution right from his front yard and promoting gardening as a means to combat food deserts has led to numerous collaboration proposals and celebrity endorsements. Finley continues his journey as an "ecolutionary," advocating for environmental and community health.