It all started in her grandmother’s kitchen. A way to bond with her grandmother quickly flourished into a growing business.

Freshman Ivy Woolenberg started her business BakedwithLovebyIvy, in 2018, when she was 11 years old. Woolenberg grew up learning how to bake from her mother and grandmother, who was previously a pastry chef. Around the time she turned 8, she began baking independently and discovered her passion for baking. Woolenberg said she partially attributes the creation of her brand to the fond memories she had baking with her.

“I always cherished the memories we had baking together and was inspired by her passion and creativity in the kitchen,” Woolenberg said. “I’ve always been a super artistic person, so I like baking cakes the most because there’s an element of both baking and decorating. There are endless limits to what the design could be.”

BakedbyLovewithIvy is a business where Woolenberg packages and sells the orders she receives for cakes, cupcakes and the other baked goods she creates. Woolenberg attributes much of her business’ success to her social media presence. She primarily utilizes her professional Instagram, where she has 12.1 thousand followers, as well her TikTok, to promote her business. She officially began the business when she curated her first Instagram post Jan. 31, 2018.

“I’ve always focused on growing a platform on Instagram, and focused on posting all of my orders for content, as well as everything I make,” Woolenberg said. “I have worked with TikTok , too, but Instagram came out with a new feature called ‘Reels’ and I like making a lot of videos on there. That has definitely helped to grow my platform, as well as word of mouth.” 

In the fall of 2021, a casting agent reached out to Woolenberg and fellow baker Ella Dorfman (’25) offering them the opportunity to compete as a team in the first season of a new baking show. The television program is called “Disney Magic Bakeoff” and aired in August of 2021 on Disney Plus. By February, the two received news of selection and filmed the show over the course of two days in early May.

“I like filming a lot and producing my own videos at home, so the experience of being in that professional production area was very cool,” Woolenberg said. “Being on set and the whole experience was very unique.”

On the episode, the duo made a three-tiered chocolate cake topped with a turning teacup, white chocolate gems and glitter. Dorfman and Woolenberg were one of three teams in the “Disney Theme Park” episode. The teams were made up of children and teenagers aged 6 to 14 years old. At the end of the episode, they were named the winners.

“Ivy is the best partner in the whole world because she is so organized, put together and so kind,” Dorfman said. “I had the best experience, but I think a lot of it was because I got to experience it with her, and for that, I am really grateful.”

Woolenberg said her connection with brands and other entrepreneurs that are in her niche greatly helped in growing her business and platform. Fancy Sprinkles was her first brand deal, and Woolenberg has had an ongoing sponsorship with them for a year. They will send her a product, and she then creates content showcasing it. She then posts the content she creates for brands like Fancy Sprinkles and Sugarfina on Instagram reels and posts, as well as on TikTok. 

“I’m really interested in business in general, entrepreneurship, social media and marketing,” Woolenberg said. “I really value going to make connections with different people and more brands.”

Woolenberg said she hopes to continue working with the brands she admires and aspires to apply what she learns through these experiences with marketing and entrepreneurship into her own business and personal life.

“If you are passionate about something, you should always believe you can do whatever you put your mind to,” Woolenberg said. “So, if there is something you are passionate about, I would always say go for it because you never know what will happen.”