Norwood Entrepreneur Quontay Turner-January 30, 2026

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Quontay Turner, widely known as Q, graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute with an engineering degree before forging a dynamic new path in the business world as a small business owner.

Quontay Turner is the proud owner of The Emerald City Plant Shop, located on Washington Street in Norwood. Describing the storefront as her oasis and her baby, she explains that the shop represents an accumulation of all the things that bring her joy, while believing that plants have vital life lessons to teach us. After leaving her engineering career behind to work at a plant shop during the COVID-19 pandemic, she launched successful pop-up shops of her own, which fueled a deep desire to be her own boss. Reflecting on the entrepreneurial leap, she noted, You have to be a little bit crazy to start your own business, but if it’s in your heart, there’s a reason why it’s there and you kind of have to see it thru.

When asked about specific challenges faced as a woman of color starting a business, Quontay Turner pointed directly to funding hurdles and gaining fair access to capital opportunities that are often more readily available to others. To overcome this barrier, she launched a GoFundMe campaign, and the local community responded powerfully, helping her raise about $25,000 to launch the venture.

Commenting on the broader economic impact of minority-owned enterprises, Dr. Bertie Greer, Ph.D., Dean of the Manning School of Business at UMass-Lowell, noted that small businesses serve as the foundational bedrock of the United States. Every minority population that has come to this country has started with small businesses, Dr. Bertie Greer explained, adding that this economic activity circulates money within communities, fosters stability, drives local hiring, and builds community vibrancy.

Beyond running her retail shop, Quontay Turner actively supports fellow women of color by dedicating valuable shelf space inside The Emerald City Plant Shop to showcase their products. Early in her entrepreneurial journey, she also served as a lead organizer for Black Young Black Professionals. While national data from the Pew Research Center reported in 2022 that just 3 percent of all businesses were Black-majority owned despite Black individuals making up 14 percent of the total population, Quontay Turner takes immense pride in swimming against that current to build a lasting legacy for her family and community.

The Emerald City Plant Shop doubles as a vibrant community gathering space in Norwood, hosting book clubs, poetry readings, and special events—with plans to host its very first wedding in June, cementing its role as a cherished local cultural and commercial hub.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger