The owner of Blue Baked Bakery, Leah Gonzalez, had the chance to participate in the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA), where a team of well-known business owners, local leaders, and educators taught and mentored a select group of students in the Palm Beach County area, with business aspirations, on how to make their dreams a reality. By embracing their passion, creativity, and talents, they help students launch their companies. In the 9-month guided course, the students learned about valuable life skills, how to conduct market research, and how to write business plans, while honing into their personal skills and ideas. 

At the end of the program, each student presents their business proposal to a panel of investors, shark tank style, and asks for funds to support their venture. This is where Leah earned 3rd place in the “Numerical Order” and “Funding” categories in which she received a grant to help kick off her business. Through this outstanding achievement, she was really able to push her business even further and get more attention from potential customers. 

Now, Leah has an increasing amount of orders, something she, and her family, is very proud and grateful for. Just a month after winning 3rd place in the final panel of the YEA program, the Boca Chamber of Commerce, which led the YEA program, made an order for one of their monthly events. This opportunity is something she will never forget and inspires her to keep pushing forward. What began as a homemade treat, has become the face of her business, Blue Baked Bakery.