🎉 Congratulations to Marta Sondej! 🎉
We are thrilled to announce that Marta Sondej is this year’s Golden Ticket Winner! Marta participated in our annual fundraiser, supported by the National Inspire & Empower Scholarship to Symposium initiative.
By purchasing the Living “Fir” the Moment picnic blanket, Marta’s name was entered into our Golden Ticket drawing. Her name was randomly selected during our live event on March 20th, streamed on Facebook.
📽️ Watch the exciting moment here: Facebook Live Drawing
Marta Sondej is a florist with over 21 years of experience in the floral industry. Originally from Poland, she began her journey at the age of 16, while working at a local flower shop, and fell in love with floral design right away. There’s honestly nothing else she’d rather do. Being a florist just feels right. In 2018, Marta was inducted into the prestigious American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD). Now at Bartlett’s Greenhouses and Florist in Clifton, New Jersey, she blends her European background with contemporary American trends to create distinctive, expressive floral work.
Floral artistry runs in Marta’s roots—her family in Europe includes greenhouse workers, landscape architects, and plant developers, all of whom have deeply influenced her appreciation for plants and design. She also draws inspiration from her incredible mentors, Maryetta Bartlett Downing and her sister Nancy Bartlett—both AIFD designers—who run their family’s flower shop that has been in continuous operation for over 105 years.
Maryetta played a pivotal role in Marta’s growth, taking her to several AIFD symposiums that opened her eyes to the vast world of floral design and all the possibilities within the industry. She always emphasized the importance of strong mechanics, setting the perfect foundation for Marta to become a more confident and technically skilled designer.
Nancy has always encouraged Marta to think big, often saying, “If you can think of it, there’s always a way to make it happen,” and is the first to make sure she has the tools to bring her visions to life. Nancy even tested for AIFD alongside Marta—an experience Marta says would never have been possible without her. Her guidance, belief, and generosity made one of Marta’s biggest goals a reality.
Marta is also deeply grateful to her parents, Elzbieta and Zbigniew Sondej, who immigrated to America to give her the opportunity to pursue anything she could imagine. They worked tirelessly to ensure she had everything she needed, and their unwavering support and sacrifices have been the foundation of her success.
In addition to General Registration, Marta will receive a certificate and VIP seating at a main stage presentation of her choice! 🌟
The Inspire & Empower program is designed to uplift those who may not have the opportunity to attend such a world-class event without scholarship assistance. Aligned with AIFD’s mission, the program promotes excellence in education and advances professionalism in the floral industry.
Marta will be attending the AIFD® National Symposium, considered the most dynamic design education program in the floral industry. 🌸✨ This year’s Symposium takes place in Palm Springs, CA, July 12-15, 2025, and features a variety of educational offerings taught by the world’s leading floral design professionals.
By attending Symposium, Marta will have the opportunity to:
🌿 Expand her knowledge
🌎 Network with the global floral community
🤝 Make meaningful connections
Further educational opportunities await at Symposium, with Hands-On workshops and insightful lectures available for attendees. For more information, visit aifd.org.
Thank you to everyone who participated and supported this initiative! We can’t wait to see Marta and all of you at Symposium in Palm Springs!
#GoldenTicketWinner #FundraiserSuccess #InspireAndEmpower #AIFDSymposium #FloralEducation
