A plumber became a COO after Gen Z founders walked into her shop
The unexpected alliance between a baby boomer and Gen Z entrepreneurs highlights the evolving tech landscape.
The story
A 62-year-old plumber became the COO of an AI startup after the founders visited her shop, leading to a $52 million funding round and a $300 million post-money valuation.
Source: fortune.com
Our reading
Marcelle Flowers, a 62-year-old plumber, became the COO of Broccoli AI after two Gen Z engineers walked into her Sacramento shop. She was initially wary of AI, fearing it would take jobs, but ended up running the company she once thought was a joke.
Her role includes designing the logo, the brand colors, and the first trade-show booth, which suggests the startup’s growth is as much about branding as it is about code. The company claims its AI handles 30% of a contractor’s office work, but Flowers’ hands-on involvement implies the human element is still critical.
Flowers now lives in San Francisco, a city she once thought was too far from her world, and she’s helping build an AI that doesn’t replace workers but ‘makes jobs.’ The startup’s success seems to hinge on the same kind of trust and openness that once made the American Dream feel real.
