Growing up in Paris, France, Ava Nia, BS Marketing ’19, fondly recalls coffee breaks paired with delicious baked goods. One such delicacy was the French yogurt cake, which Nia’s mother would prepare for her as a warm breakfast dish before heading out to school. She grew up eating cake for breakfast and enjoyed every bit of it. A passion baked at a young age ultimately inspired her to establish Baked à la Carte, a business she runs while also balancing the pursuit of an MBA at Mason and working fulltime as a marketing business partner at CGI.
Dessert fans can view many of Nia’s creations on Baked à la Carte’s Instagram page,@bakedalacarte, but starting her own baked goods business wasn’t always the plan. It began organically when she posted to social media images of the treats she would bake for family and friends. “After receiving several private messages from people who I did not know requesting to order custom goods from me, I felt the urge to fulfill their needs,” she says. From there, she moved quickly in acquiring the proper licenses and permits necessary, and then the orders started rolling in. “I found that not only did I enjoy the process of baking and decorating, but that I was also making people happy—that's what convinced me to pursue my passion and continue building my business,” she says.
She was supported along the way through a relationship forged during her time at Mason. As an undergraduate student, Nia received the Emerging Business Leadership Award—a significant step in developing the confidence she needed to pursue her goals. Furthermore, the award led to a connection that became a mentor, a relationship that has really helped her professional development. “My mentor has been an important guide who I look to for advice,” she says. “The constant encouragement to pursue my bakery endeavor and grow the business has really given me a boost.”
Baked à la Carte, a licensed home-bakery, offers a variety of cakes and cupcakes, along with traditional French baked goods, like madeleines and macarons. For now, Nia’s plan is to focus on custom orders for large events and fundraisers. Such an operation will provide her the flexibility needed to balance her nine-to-five job and personal life without being overwhelmed. “Weekends are when I take select orders and I am usually booked months in advance,” she says. In an age where many professionals work multiple jobs, Nia has found an avenue to combine her business savvy with her lifelong passion and talent for baking the baked goods she loves.