Student Turns Baking Passion into a Business
Submitted on April 12, 2023
Clara Jo Harvey ’24 has a passion for baking. It all started with baking cookies with her family, including a baking tradition at Christmas called “Cookie Palooza.” Clara Jo has now turned her passion into Jo’s Bakery, LLC. Her cookies are sold regularly at the Mulberry Café inside the Ensor Learning Resource Center on GC’s campus.
As a child, her grandmother, who quickly earned the nickname “Cookie” for her skills, started Cookie Palooza for the entire family. Cookie planned a large family meal for everyone at Christmas where cookies and sweet treats were made and exchanged. Clara Jo plans to continue the tradition with her own family once she finishes college.
“I have always enjoyed baking, and I definitely learned my baking skills from my family,” says Clara Jo. “At GC, I have learned a lot of practical skills in my classes that have helped me run my business. Organization and time management are some of the most important things that I’ve had to learn, especially while juggling my academic priorities.”
Clara Jo started out at GC by making cookies for a Valentine’s Day event for her Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. She wrapped them up in decorative boxes and enjoyed it so much, she decided to reach out to GC’s cafeteria partner Sodexo about selling them on campus. Sodexo Chef Miguel Rivas was eager to help Clara Jo.
“I think it’s important to encourage this entrepreneurial spirit of our students,” says Rivas. “It gives them confidence in themselves and they learn what business ownership is all about.”
Clara Jo is already thinking about culinary school and a physical baking shop after college. “I have a very grand future plan. After I graduate and work to save money for a few years, I am going to culinary school, hopefully in France, to be a pastry chef and open my own bakery.”
Connect with Jo’s Bakery on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jos_bakery_
