Radhika Fliegel ’03 and Laura Porter ’90E (MM) co-founded Bloom Arts Foundation, in 2020. It’s a non-profit organization that provides arts programming for schools in the Los Angeles area, India, South Africa, and Zambia that lack the resources to do so on their own. They took a leap of faith on a shared vision to help children through the arts, relying on each other’s unique skill sets and entrepreneurial spirit.
Oddly enough, Laura and Radhika were unaware of their mutual connection to the University of Rochester before they became friends and eventually started this venture together. “We had the opportunity to meet through our children’s pre-school, and we were lucky enough to be friends for many years before we began this venture,” explained Radhika.
The two didn’t overlap during their time at URochester. Radhika spent most of her time on River Campus, and Laura said she mostly saw the inside of a practice room as an Eastman student and joked, “My bottom teeth shifted from practicing so much.” Despite these differences, the two still bonded over their shared connection to the University.
In 2008, Laura started a brick-and-mortar music school with her husband, but when the pandemic began in 2020, it was cause for change. She always had a vision for serving students pre-k through 6th grade through a non-profit organization. She felt strongly that music should be accessible to all children, and when she began her planning, the first person she thought of to partner with was Radhika.
She reached out,” said Radhika. “I’m a lawyer by training, and I’ve been in the nonprofit area. She told me she had this vision to start a nonprofit, to really reach as many students as possible.
And that’s exactly what they’ve done. To date, they’ve served 28,000 students both internationally and in Los Angeles, and they’re now in over 40 schools.
They wanted to set themselves apart from others in the non-profit space, and this has fueled their success. “Laura and I really aligned on doing this differently,” Radhika explained. “There’s a lot of music providers out there, but what sets us apart is that our program happens during the school day. In their weekly classes, students learn about a culture, language, and rhythm. All through music and dance.”
Their entrepreneurial spirit and experience have also set them apart. This was Laura’s third business venture, and she has learned a lot about what to do, what not to do, and what she can and can’t control.
“It’s important not to wait for everything to be perfect. Just do it. Get out there and make some mistakes. That’s how you learn,” Laura said. “I’ve had the painful experience of making all the mistakes you can make. So, I knew from the start it wasn’t going to be the same. I wanted to do it with someone like Radhika.”
Working together, they’ve made Bloom Arts uniquely theirs. “It’s a beautiful opportunity to create the professional culture you want when you show up each day. That’s the great thing about being an entrepreneur, you don’t have to make it exactly like somebody else’s vision,” Radhika explained.
“You can figure out your core values and really build on them. For us, that was being accessible to all students and multicultural. We wanted students to explore around the world without leaving their classroom and create more cultural empathy.”
The Bloom Arts Foundation is continuing to grow, and Laura and Radhika have a plan for the future. Their goal is a new site in a new country every year, expanding the program’s vibrant tapestry of cultures and languages. Back in Los Angeles, they already have a waitlist of schools in need of music and dance programs. They’re working hard to raise the funds and get grants to provide for these schools in their community.
The duo is evidence that with the right attitude and idea, you can make a difference. Whether it’s on the first try or the third.
“Timing is everything. You might have this brilliant idea, but it’s just not the right time,” explained Laura. “Just don’t give up. Find your people.”
Who knows? That person might just be in your URochester network, and you don’t even know it.
Looking to start your own business? Or make a career change?
Like Laura said, “It’s important not to wait for everything to be perfect. Just do it.”
Check out the URochester Entrepreneurs Network. It provides support for members at all stages of their entrepreneurial journey.
—Ben Vandenberg, May 2026