Lawyer Turned Entrepreneur of the Year, Warren Brown of CakeLove
Warren Brown, 36, has been stirring up a storm of praise for his bakery CakeLove. In 2006 he was recognized by the Small Business Administration (SBA) as Entrepreneur of the Year. And in both 2005 and 2006 CakeLove was awarded Best Bakery in Washington, DC. Warren’s honors speak for themselves, however what they don’t say is how he got started. Warren was working as a lawyer when he decided to switch his suit for an apron. He took a risk and started baking delicious desserts with all natural ingredients. For the quality and success of his work Warren has been featured on CNN, the Food Network, and in The New York Times. The success of CakeLove is great but even better is its dedication to the environment. As part of a partnership with Washington DC Mayor Adrian Fenty and Clean Currents, it has switched to 100% green power (wind power) in an effort to reduce dangerous greenhouse gas emissions and to encourage greater energy independence. And for those of us outside the Washington DC area there is hope, he recently opened locations in Maryland and Virginia. One can only hope he expands all across the country! To read more about Warren Brown and Cake Love read on in this week’s Young & Professional Profile.
Company
CakeLove LoveCafe
Founded
April 2000
Website
Name
Warren Brown
Owner
Age
36
Hometown
University Heights, Ohio
Current residence
Washington, DC
Education
George Washington University
Dual Degree in Law School J.D. and M.P.H. (Master’s in Public Health)
(1998)
Brown University
B.A. History
(1993)
Work Experience
Department Health and Human Services
Federal Government Litigator
Health Educator
September 1998-October 2000
Ethnicity
African-American
About the company
CakeLove is a retail bakery specializing in cakes and small sweets baked from scratch. We create products that look and taste like they are made by hand at home with lots of love.
What are your day-to-day responsibilities?
Administrative tasks concerned with growth and expansion of the retail bakeries and cafes; media relations and PR; recipe development; oversight and management of storefronts, strategic growth (new stores, new products).
Most notable milestones
SBA 2006 Entrepreneur of the Year for Washington, DC
2005 and 2006 Best Bakery in Washington, DC
Media attention and recognition.
What’s the niche?
CakeLove caters to a market that values cakes baked from scratch with all-natural ingredients.
What’s in store for the future?
Future: growth of retail bakeries in the DC area and beyond; online sales of pound cakes available for shipping nationwide; cookbooks and instructional online videos on baking.
Best way to keep a competitive edge
Reading about other entrepreneurs’ hits and misses; exercise to clear my head; sleep (when I can).
Guiding principle in life
Reject limits.
Yardstick of success
How well I sleep.
Goal yet to be achieved
Starting a family.
Best practical advice
Direct yourself to greatness. Answer your calls; answer to yourself.
Supportive words from a family member or friend on your venture
Stay ready for anything.
Mentor?
I don’t really have one. I look up to many different people.
What motivated you to get started?
A desire to maximize my potential.
Like best about what you do?
I follow my passion.
Like least about what you do?
I’m the backstop to everything and that’s fatiguing.
At age 10, what did you want to be when you grew up?
No plan.
What was your first job?
I was a golf caddy during summers in Cleveland at the Canterbury Golf Club. I really enjoyed it and got a lot out of it: hard work, fresh air, learned a new game. I learned how to interact with people who weren’t very much like me. Found ways to have fun while working under tough circumstances (bag weight, weather). Learned how to practice being patient while waiting to be called for a round.
Biggest pastime outside of work
I’m a news junkie.
Person most interested in meeting?
Abe Lincoln. To understand the enormous stress of his presidency.
Leader in business most interested in meeting?
Business leader to meet: Rockefeller
Three interesting facts about yourself
- I enjoy running long distances.
- I enjoy drawing.
- I enjoy writing poetry.
Three characteristics that describe you
- Tall
- Creative
- Energetic
Three greatest passions
- Cooking
- Exercise
- News
Favorite book
“Losing my Virginity” by Richard Branson
Favorite cause
Kid Power DC.
Who would you like to be contacted by?
A full line of shelf stable baked goods will be developed under the CakeLove brand. I’m interested in meeting owners of retail businesses that seek to sell premium cake and bakery products.
Want to get in touch with Warren Brown?
It’s not enough to just read about what young, driven, and forward-thinking individuals are doing out there. It’s important to connect with them! Go ahead and send our profilee a quick email to say hello! If you have a question, want to give kudos, or just want to drop them a line – we encourage you to reach out!
Credits
Interview by Tunde Oyedeji
Introduction by Sabine Alam
Edited by Valerie Enriquez
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