The matchmaker for the Suder-Botanic Garden partnership was Imagine Chicago, a non-profit organization launched in 1992 to link up businesses, churches, community groups and cultural institutions for creative projects aimed at cultivating civic interest, especially with the young and disadvantaged. One project, for example, had teenagers in public housing interview prominent community leaders citywide, with the finished product artistically displayed through several venues. Lasting mentoring relationships were a byproduct, says founder and president Bliss Browne, a former Episcopal priest and corporate banker.
