Francheska Velazquez
Play to Learn Childcare
The Backstory
Maya Noren has been baking gluten-free (GF) since her son was diagnosed with Celiac in 2010. Following the diagnosis, Maya found herself overwhelmed, spending hours researching GF foods and agonizing over every decision she made regarding food for her family.
She started butter + sugar to share her undeniably delicious GF baked goods as well as her GF knowledge. “I want to help others feel more comfortable as they make the transition to GF for themselves or for a loved one,” she says.
When she first started her business, Maya rented space in a commercial kitchen and sold her products wholesale to local coffeeshops. Exactly one year after launching her business, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and Maya was forced to close up shop . . . temporarily.
She started butter + sugar to share her undeniably delicious GF baked goods as well as her GF knowledge. “I want to help others feel more comfortable as they make the transition to GF for themselves or for a loved one,” she says.
When she first started her business, Maya rented space in a commercial kitchen and sold her products wholesale to local coffeeshops. Exactly one year after launching her business, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and Maya was forced to close up shop . . . temporarily.
How Women's Business Development Council Helped
In 2022, Maya was starting to think about bringing butter + sugar back to life. That’s when she heard WBDC CEO Fran Pastore speak on a radio show about women’s entrepreneurship in Connecticut. She looked into WBDC and immediately began taking classes.
“I took the class Exploring Entrepreneurship and everything kind of clicked,” Maya said. “WBDC was an amazing resource for me – challenging me to actually do the hard work it takes to approach starting a small business and encouraging me to believe that I could actually do it.”
Working in her own kitchen with a Cottage Food license, Maya re-launched butter + sugar, selling her goods at Farmer’s Markets and through word of mouth. Completing GPS: A Guide to Plan for Success, WBDC’s 9-week business planning course, made Maya eligible to apply for Launch Pad, WBDC’s grant for start-up businesses. She received the grant in 2023 and used the funds to purchase a freezer and a heat sealer, which allow her to build inventory and keep baked goods fresher for longer. She also upgraded her website so customers can order and pay for her products online. Within a month of implementing the new e-commerce capabilities, Maya saw an increase in sales.
“WBDC has given me an enormous boost of confidence when it comes to seeing myself as an entrepreneur. Before WBDC, I knew I liked to create great-tasting GF baked goods and I believed there was a market for my products, but when talking to others, I would downplay myself and describe my company as a side-hustle. Because of my connection to WBDC, I now proudly describe myself as an entrepreneur.”
“I took the class Exploring Entrepreneurship and everything kind of clicked,” Maya said. “WBDC was an amazing resource for me – challenging me to actually do the hard work it takes to approach starting a small business and encouraging me to believe that I could actually do it.”
Working in her own kitchen with a Cottage Food license, Maya re-launched butter + sugar, selling her goods at Farmer’s Markets and through word of mouth. Completing GPS: A Guide to Plan for Success, WBDC’s 9-week business planning course, made Maya eligible to apply for Launch Pad, WBDC’s grant for start-up businesses. She received the grant in 2023 and used the funds to purchase a freezer and a heat sealer, which allow her to build inventory and keep baked goods fresher for longer. She also upgraded her website so customers can order and pay for her products online. Within a month of implementing the new e-commerce capabilities, Maya saw an increase in sales.
“WBDC has given me an enormous boost of confidence when it comes to seeing myself as an entrepreneur. Before WBDC, I knew I liked to create great-tasting GF baked goods and I believed there was a market for my products, but when talking to others, I would downplay myself and describe my company as a side-hustle. Because of my connection to WBDC, I now proudly describe myself as an entrepreneur.”