Morgan Stelly

Cakes By Morgan | Pinole, CA

Morgan Stelly believes the future is plant-based

Morgan Stelly is no stranger to hard work. While she was in college, she worked two jobs to make ends meet. On top of those jobs, she also sold baked goods. After college, she began working full time in human resources and kept baking purely as a hobby. Even though Morgan has been baking practically all her life, she didn’t grow up dreaming of starting a business around her talent. She didn’t have any entrepreneurs in her life so the idea never crossed her mind.

“If you’re not exposed to the life of an entrepreneur and don’t have that example, it’s difficult to imagine the possibilities.”

Then, a few years ago, a friend started his own business and Morgan wondered if she could do that too. Of course, wanting to do it is just the first step. Morgan faced a lack of access to resources, like her Sky’s the Limit cohorts, and she also struggled with time management. She found it difficult to balance her baking business with her full time job in human resources so she took a break. Time management is an unsung hero in entrepreneurship, and Morgan has grown to properly respect its importance. Now she’s back with Cakes by Morgan, and she is grateful for the opportunities Sky’s the Limit has opened up for her. Her volunteer mentor, Megan Pillsbury, Market Solutions at Goldman Sachs, have been there to answer every one of Morgan’s questions, arming her with more and more knowledge and steps to success.

“I attribute much of my success to the support of Sky’s the Limit.”

This time around, Morgan’s baking business is entirely plant-based. Even though she knew plant based was a good idea when her sister suggested it, she had been reluctant to make this huge change because she was afraid the ingredients would be too costly. However, she knew she should at least try. She spent months perfecting her recipe so that the switch to plant-based wouldn’t sacrifice the quality of her cakes.  “I tested out various plant based recipes, but they either came out too dry, too flat, or had no flavor. One day, I combined several techniques and perfected the recipe. This was my breakthrough.”

Plant-based turned out to be a smart business decision. Her existing customers couldn’t tell the difference when she switched to plant-based ingredients, and the switch got her some new customers too. Now she can turn her focus to the future of Cakes by Morgan. Right now, she runs the business online, but produces out of a commercial kitchen in Pinole, California. Her products are now available at Malibu’s Burgers in Piedmont, Don't Be Chick'n and Slides and Sides both in Oakland. She plans to open a customer-facing shop in Oakland before she expands to Los Angeles and New York. She wants to expand the online aspect, too, and offer shipping across the United States.

“My goal is to scale the business and make sure everyone has a chance to try CBM.”

Are you ready to take that first step in launching or growing your business?

Or, are you interested in mentoring or advising entrepreneurs like Morgan?