Sandbox

Meet a Sandboxer: Emily Dubner

March 16th, 2010 by Cathrin Lesslhumer

Sandbox member Emily Dubner is a 25-year-old entrepreneur living in NYC. In September she launched Baking for Good, an online bake sale. They bake delicious brownies and cookies and ship them across the US, and 15% of every purchase goes to a cause the customer chooses. She graduated from Harvard in 2006 and then went on to work at a management consulting firm. She loves to cook and bake, explore the city, travel, and run in Central Park. Emily on Facebook and Twitter.

Tell us the story of your latest project / occupation

Baking for Good is a modern-day interpretation of the bake sale. I developed the idea based on two assumptions. First, I believe there is a growing market for baked goods, especially when considered as a gift (e.g. as an alternative to flowers). Second, there’s a long history of selling baked goods as a way of raising money for great causes. I brought these two ideas together as the inspiration for Baking for Good. I left my consulting job last spring and have been experiencing all the highs and lows (mostly highs) of being on my own as an entrepreneur!

What are you doing and how did you get there?

I run the business side of things at Baking for Good. I’m working with a fantastic baker who bakes and ships all the treats, leaving me to manage the website, customer inquiries, finances, marketing, PR, etc. There hasn’t exactly been a direct path to my getting here. I studied Social Studies and Chinese in college and then consulted to energy and telecom companies. Needless to say, I’ve been learning a lot while running my own online business!

Tell us about the biggest successes and failures in your life. What worked, what didn’t, and what did you learn?

Biggest successes: I’m really proud of having launched Baking for Good. Hopefully it will continue to be a success! I like to think I haven’t had any major failures in my life. I’m a firm believer that if you’re happy with how things are going in the present, then nothing in the past could have been a failure. Everything in the past has brought you to where you are now, so why have regrets?

What do you want to achieve in the next week, the next year, the next 10 years?

In the next week: Sell lots of spring treats!
In the next year: Continue to grow Baking for Good. Have a really awesome win, perhaps some major PR. That would be exciting.
In the next 10 years: I would love to work with other start-ups, whether my own or others that I believe in.

What was your most inspring moment during the last two weeks?

I taught a 5th grader how to solve basic algebra problems, and there was a moment when I could see on his face that it had clicked. He looked surprised, delighted, and enchanted all at once. It was great!

How could other Sandboxers and the outside world support you and why would that be exciting for them?

Tell others about Baking for Good. Order our treats for yourselves or someone you care about in the US. Send us your ideas for new product offerings, new partnerships, new marketing campaigns, etc. I would love to hear from other Sandboxers and be inspired. I am new at this; there is plenty I can learn!

Emily’s favourites:

book – A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
travel destination during last year – Cayman Islands
food – Lately: brie and caramelized apple sandwiches. And anything Baking for Good, of course!
quote – a little sugar goes a long way.