We were lucky to catch up with Ilay Ron recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ilay, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

My company, POLLINATE, is a multi-platform art installation that aims to raise awareness about the declining bee population. We partner with renowned artists and photographers like Reka Nyari who are aligned with our mission and want to get involved with the cause. I’ve always been passionate about environmental conservation, but the true driving force behind POLLINATE is a personal commitment to continue the work of my late husband, Kenny Davis, who founded the company before his untimely death 8 years ago.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I grew up in Israel but moved to New York City in 2002, where I attended Brooklyn College and graduated with a degree in Film and Psychology. Although POLLINATE was founded by my husband, I was always behind the scenes helping him move things forward.

Before it was an art installation, the first iteration of POLLINATE was a cocktail flower book sealed in an acrylic box. The concept was introduced to the public at the Barack Obama White House Correspondent Party in 2010, where Kenny’s floral image was projected onto the ceiling of the event. Kenny’s motto was to “live life in color”, which he introduced during guest appearances on several major network morning shows.

POLLINATE was Kenny’s passion, so I was determined to ensure it lived on. It took nearly 8 years to finally bring his vision to life, but during the pandemic, we were invited by Westfield to host POLLINATE inside the Oculus in New York City. While we were looking for sponsors to produce the installation, The World Trade Center and the New York City Port Authority proposed that we present our prototype for Earth Day in 2022. Within 3 weeks, the installation was live right outside the Oculus. It was supposed to be there for only a month, but we ended up staying for 4 months. Now, the installation is displayed inside the Newark Airport for the remainder of 2023. This is just the beginning for POLLINATE, and we can’t wait to show the world what’s next!

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Shortly after Kenny passed away, I had to bring everyone who worked with him together in order to continue the project — but it wasn’t an easy task. People wanted to be around Kenny, and now that he was gone, they didn’t believe I could see it through. So, I gathered a new team of professionals who believed in me and our mission. These were people who truly wanted to be part of something amazing. Unfortunately, some of the people we encountered along the way kept doubting the process and the project, but I just had to stay true to my vision and keep moving forward.

How’d you meet your business partner?

I met Kenny at the Gotham Magazine event in NYC. I went with a close friend of mine and kept asking her if she knew who he was. She encouraged me to introduce myself, but I was too embarrassed. At some point during the night (after a few drinks), I turned around and there Kenny was, tall and handsome as ever. We started chatting and realized we shared a lot in common. We exchanged numbers and began hanging out and working together, and before I knew it, we fell in love. We were together for 4 years and married for a year and a half until his unexpected passing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.pollinate-nyc.com/
• Instagram: @pollinatenyc
• Twitter: @pollinatenyc

Image Credits
Reka Nyari