Get to know Gellocake and who is behind it…

 

Gellocake LLC is a licensed home-based bakery in Okemos, Michigan that offers tasty, homemade desserts to the Lansing community. Our sweets include: ‘guilt-free’ gourmet gelatins, decadent tortes, and flans. Our custom cakes are fantasy filled and growing in popularity. The themed dessert buffets feature an array of delicacies for professional meetings, graduations, showers, weddings and other special occasions. Our goal is to satisfy and delight every client, including those with health and diet restrictions.

For the past three years, we’ve been expanding our customer base from close friends to new referrals from all over the Greater Lansing Area and even further. Not only has Gellocake been featured in plenty of local media, but we’ve even made national news in USA Today and our story has been also published in the book How to Start a Home-Based Bakery Business by Detra Denay Davis.
However, our success hasn’t come without obstacles. Meeting the rules and regulations necessary to become the first and only fully licensed home-based bakery in Meridian Township proved difficult. One year later, it was so gratifying to receive the 2009 Meridian Emerging Entrepreneur Award. Those moments make us feel thankful and willing to give back to the community. We have enjoyed the opportunity of sharing our experience at youth and entrepreneurial events including the Fresh & Fierce Pitch & Panel at Lansing Community College, the 2011 Michigan Land and Prosperity Summit, and the SBA Outreach Tour, among others. We also take pride in sponsoring local events and organizations.
We are currently planning to leap to the next level! We will introduce our newest product line “Petite Pleasures by Gellocake” in retail stores in the near future. Our very successful participation in the 2011 Making It In Michigan Conference and trade show, highlighted in a Lansing State Journal article, allowed us to showcase these new creations, which are simply our most popular flavors in petite sizes. 
Today, we are thankful because we recognize that the state of Michigan afforded us the opportunity to start this great adventure….what has now turned out to be the “adventure of a lifetime!” This has been a great beginning but the BEST is yet to come!

"Don't tell me the sky is the limit, when there are footprints on the moon."
Author: unknown
 



Lilian Chavira, Owner and Dessert Designer… my story!
 

I grew up in a family where food and creativity were part of everything. My mother is an excellent cook who makes even a simple salad look beautiful. My father was a chef and general manager of hotels & prestigious restaurants in my country. He was well known for the way he and his team would present the most artistic tables & buffets. My parents also owned bakeries and restaurants.

I got this “artistic gift” from them, but my passion has always been sweets. As a young girl, I loved to make desserts, especially my crazy gelatins. I was extremely shy, so my mom’s kitchen was my haven.

 However, my path seemed to go to a different way with my own goals. I got a bachelor degree in Business & worked in an American-Swedish company for almost 10 years. There, I was in charge of all the creative area and graphic design. I got married and became a mom of two little ones, Daniel & Sarai. In 2004 the company where my husband was working transferred him to Okemos, MI.

 This is when I got back to my kitchen! I made my gelatins and cakes for playgroups, church’s pot-lucks & as gifts for teachers & neighbors. This was how I was able to keep my parents close thru distance. Designing my desserts allows me to express how proud I am to be Mexican but also how grateful I am to be in Michigan. I found here, what I want to do the rest of my life. I enjoyed every opportunity that I had to bake and design for those who were so special to me. Suddenly, I was surrounded by treasured friends who were asking me to sell my creations. They pushed me, my husband supported me and my kids inspired me!

 Gellocake is a blessing; it has encouraged me to dream, to pray, to wish, to do what we need to do, to do it right and never give up! This is how I can teach my own kids that there is nothing impossible, we are the ones who set the limits! I am so thankful and excited to initiate this new adventure, and I will do my best to make every dessert an expression of love & passion!”

Sincerely, Lilian Chavira

Our journey!

Awards:
2009 Meridian Emerging Entrepreneur Award (Oct-2009)

Guest speaker at entrepreneurial and youth events:
- Meridian Entrepreneur Ceremony- Invited to present award to new recipient, Meridian Township (Feb-2011)
- Own your business, own your future - Fresh & Fierce, Pitch & Panel, LCC Dart Auditorium (March 2011)
- 2011 Michigan Land & Prosperity Summit -Entrepreneurial Prosperity Moment, Kellogg Center (April 2011)
- Teens Summer Camp - Money Makers - invited by Lansing Community College (June 2011)
- SBA Outreach Tour- Michigan 83 counties, 15 locations, 1 goal - Lansing Success Story, LCC (Sep.2011)

Participation on local events providing our services & supporting organizations & causes:
- Sponsor at "1st Sunday Gallery Walks" - Okemos Public Library (September, October, November 2009)
- Anniversary Celebration Summit Bank, Brank-Okemos- Corporate gifts. (October 2009, 2010, 2011)
- Recharge Entrepreneur Weekend - Lansing Community College West Campus (January 2010)
- LEAP Spring Board - Colley Law School (February 2010)
- Sponsor at MSU Museum Chocolate Party - Kellogg Center (February 2010)
- Sponsor Zonta 90th anniversary celebration - Advancing the Status of women world-wide (March 2010)
- Sponsor at "Pamper Yourself Pink" events- planned to raise money for the fight against breast cancer 
  while promoting local women entrepreneurs in the community (May 2009, 2010, 2011)
- Sponsor at the HOMTV Black tie gala- CAMTV Ceremonial Signal Activation (June 2010)
- Invited by the Honorable Consul of Mexico in Detroit to design a Dessert table for the Bicentennial of
   Mexico’s Independence – Detroit Institute of Arts, Diego Rivera Court (September 2010)
- Sponsor at election night HOMTV-Government Access Television – Meridian Township- (Nov,2010)
- Sponsor at ‘We Can Do It 5K race’ supporting the Women Center of Grater Lansing (June 2011)

 Media & Local Press:
- State News – “ Okemos resident runs own gelatin dessert business from home” (Sep-2-2008)
- Lansing State Journal – “Business Weekly, Take 5- 5questions 5 answers- Lilian Chavira” (Sep-8-2008)
- City Pulse -  “ Dessert maker puts own spin in cakes gelatin” (Sep-17-2008)
- Capital Gains – “Okemos Home-Based Bakery Tests Capacity of Capital Region Sweet Tooth” (Sep-2-2008)
- Women’s life & style – “Gellocake Makes Dessert Guilt-Free” (Nov-1-2008)
- Capital Gains-“20,000 Home commercial Kitchen Helps Okemos Mom Grow Gellocake Business” (Agu-12-2009)
- Capital Area district Library-2008 Annual Report front page “Lilian C’story- Sweet Success” (January2009)
- Charter Township of Meridian Press Release- “Meridian Township Honors Outstanding Entrepreneurs”(Oct-27-2009)
- Town Carrier-  “Local Entrepreneurs Honored” (Oct-29-2009)
- CAMTV “TV SHOW- Business Destination – Gellocake” (Jul-24-2010)
- Lansing State Journal “Family Key Support For Gellocake” (Aug-21-2010)
- The Greater Lansing Business Monthly Magazine “No Limits On Her Success” (Aug-2010)
-  Lansing State Journal –  “Gellocake to introduce a new product at Making it in Michigan Conference” (Oct-18-2011)
- Lansing State Journal –“Made In Michigan: Entrepreneurs hope to attract stores to locally made products” (Oct-22-2011)  

National Press, Online Publications and book:
- USA Today- “If life gives you lemons, make Gellocake” (July-24-2009)
- EnzineArticles.com- “Interview with a home-based baker” (May-4-2009)
- Small Business Online Community- “What happens when opportunity meets persistence? Gellocake! (Dec-12-2010)
- Movingideastomarket.com –“Empowering Entrepreneurs All Ages Across Michigan” (Feb-16-2011)
- Perishablenews.com- “Gellocake introduces Petite Pleasures at Making it in Michigan Conference” (Nov-2011)
- “How to Start a Home-Based Bakery Business” Chapter 10 – Pages 133-137  / Gellocake’s story was featured on the book “How to Start a Home-Based Bakery Business” by Detra Denay Davis a writer in North Carolina, who travels the US speaking about home-based baking and the benefits to the economy. She chose 5 bakers/bakeries from the nation to include on this publication. ‘How to Start a Home-Based Bakery Business’ is the first book to cover every essential aspect of planning, starting, and running such a business successfully. This book is now available in book stores nationwide.

4660 Seneca Dr. Okemos, MI 48864
Phone: (517) 381-5054 Cell: (517) 402-1462
E-mail: lilianchavira@gellocake.com