A Mini Cupcake Empire

How an SU grad turned being fired into her dream job

Written by Grace Doule and Meg Aprill Illustration by Chloe Perline

Getting fired from a job and having to re-evaluating your career can be like starting from scratch on a recipe that failed the first time around. But for Melissa Ben-Ishay, a Syracuse University alumni, starting from scratch was exactly what she needed to find a career in something she was truly passionate about—baking. Ben-Ishay took a childhood love for curating all things sweet and turned it into her own mini-cupcake empire by starting her own company Baked by Melissa.

According to her website, Ben-Ishay worked as an assistant media planner at an advertising agency in New York City before her cupcake-world domination. She says she didn’t feel passionate about her work in advertising, and ended up being fired from her firm. This gave BenIshay the clean slate she needed to whip up a new career aligned with her love for baking.

Ben-Ishay says in an interview with Forbes that she started this journey by experimenting with new flavors, and incorporated her iconic tie-dye cupcake, which was already a favorite among her friends and family. Throughout this trial and error period, Ben-Ishay also perfected the aesthetic of her cupcakes. She says she wanted the cupcakes to be mini so that customers could enjoy more than one. Ben-Ishay says she worked with her brother to come up with the company name; he insisted that it should have a personal touch. Baked by Melissa was a simple suggestion, but it stuck.

Ben-Ishay has always seen Baked by Melissa as a collaborative effort. According to her interview with Forbes, he start of the company was encouraged by her brother, the logo was designed by her friend, and she even met her husband, Adi Ben-Ishay, at the opening of their first location.

After much success with catering gigs, she says on her website that in 2009 Baked by Melissa opened their first retail location, a pickup window in SoHo. Ben-Ishay says that her company now has 14 retail locations in New York and New Jersey and ships nationwide.

Baked by Melissa has seen immense growth and success over the past 11 years. BenIshay’s cupcakes have been highlighted by many sources— USA Today, New York Post, Business Insider, CNN, and Forbes—as some of the best treats and gifts to send to your loved ones. Melissa also wrote and published her first cookbook, Cakes by Melissa: Life is What You Bake It, in 2017.

Ben-Ishay has recently become CEO of Baked by Melissa. According to her website, she was asked to fill the position by her board of directors in December of 2019. She led the company through the pandemic and came out stronger on the other side. Baked by Melissa’s TikTok account was extremely popular during COVID-19 and now has over 306,000 followers.

Being a woman, business-owner, and mother has affected how Ben-Ishay sees her business. She says that strives to use her work for the greater good by ensuring her company empowers women. Ben-Ishay has also pushed Baked By Melissa to partner with many female-focused charities like Girls Inc., Every Mother Counts, and Dress for Success.

In 2017, Ben-Ishay even started her own advocacy campaign, Side With Love. Side With Love has one simple goal—spread kindness. As part of the initiative, Baked By Melissa planned to give away 100,000 cupcakes for free to customers to send to loved ones. They ended up giving away 150,000 cupcakes. Some other philanthropic organizations Baked By Melissa has partnered with as well are Girls Opportunity Alliance, MakeA-Wish, Get Out The Vote, and The Center NYC.

The power of Baked by Melissa’s cupcakes is undeniable. Not only has Ben-Ishay built an empire of delicious sweet treats, but she has used her success to instill positivity and empowerment in the communities around her.