"Founded and built by pastry chef Christina Tosi out of a love of baking, this quirky American-style bakery grew from long hours and hands-on learning into a multi-armed business that includes storefronts, e-commerce, weddings, classes and packaged products. The founder has emphasized that scale is not the primary goal — the brand’s spirit relies on discoverable quirks (notably the compost cookie and warm cookies served in a pizza box) — and resisted turning it into an every-block chain. After years of doing every role herself and bootstrapping seven-days-a-week operations, she led a Series A through a parent-company structure to hire higher-level talent, formalize governance with a board, and bring in a major private equity investor while retaining majority ownership. The raise also carved out stakes for early supporters; she stresses preserving the brand’s identity, learning to delegate, and navigating fundraising power dynamics while keeping long-term strategic options (partnerships with big food companies or an IPO among them) on the table." - Amanda Kludt