UPS Ignites Success And Growth For Minority-Owned Businesses

by Kay Rose

November 20, 2023

Be taught extra about UPS devoted packages for minority founders

Matthew Featherstone, founding father of Hiatus Cheesecake, creates the perfect dessert you received’t discover wherever else.

This previous August, Mr. Featherstone tirelessly labored at Bmore Kitchen in northeast Baltimore, decided to attain a private greatest by finishing the final of the ten,000 cheesecakes ordered.

This milestone has been years within the making. Matt’s journey started in his youth, baking desserts along with his mom. As he ventured into the restaurant business, he noticed a chance: providing gourmand desserts to upscale eating places.

“With Hiatus Cheesecake, we aimed to offer high-end eating places with a gourmand dessert possibility that completely enhances their upscale menus,” he stated.

Alongside the journey, Matt, the son of 40+ 12 months UPSer Lurenda Featherstone, added a companion (Branden Wiles) and has steadily constructed a loyal following for the scrumptious dessert; depend Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and first girl Daybreak Moore as followers.

With their superb cheesecakes, these two are getting actually standard. Right here’s what Hiatus Cheesecake has not too long ago achieved:

They secured a contract to provide cheesecakes to cafes and cafeterias at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Hiatus Cheesecake was one of many 5 companies to win a nationwide Kroger “Go Contemporary, Go Native” competitors. Now you can discover their scrumptious cheesecakes in 17 Kroger supermarkets within the mid-Atlantic area, and so they plan to broaden to 1,200 shops sooner or later.
They received the Baltimore Homecoming Crab Tank pitch competitors and had been awarded a $25,000 prize.

Subsequent month, they’ll compete within the nationwide pitch competitors for Dessert Wars in Atlanta. This chance comes after their spectacular efficiency within the regional DC competitors this previous Could.

All through their journey, the founders have made probably the most of alternatives to realize help for rising their firm. This includes mentorship for Matt, offered by a restaurateur he as soon as labored for at the start of his profession. Moreover, they’ve acquired help from UPS.

The duo has been part of the UPS Ignite Program since 2022. They credit score the UPS Ignite Program as an awesome supply of knowledge for founders.

“It’s been fairly phenomenal,” stated Mr. Featherstone.

“One of many challenges now we have confronted is buying the information required to scale. The UPS Ignite Program has granted us entry to the important relationships we would have liked to amass that information.”

Mr. Wiles added, “The Lonely Entrepreneur has been a useful useful resource for my enterprise companion and me. It equips minority entrepreneurs, like ourselves, with the required data and assets to strategy buyer and investor acquisition successfully.”

UPS additionally offers its provide chain experience to Hiatus Cheesecake.

“We now have partnered with UPS Transportation Administration Options to facilitate the supply course of between our business kitchen in Baltimore and the distribution middle of our distributor situated simply outdoors of Charlotte,” stated Mr. Wiles.

This help has been a two-way road. Mr. Featherstone and Mr. Wiles have collaborated with UPS to pinpoint different product-based companies that might profit from the UPS Ignite Program or require provide chain help.

“We now have a community of founders and organizations, however a lot of them are unaware of one another,” Mr. Wiles famous. “I really feel lucky to have the flexibility to attach the dots between numerous organizations and fellow founders. I get pleasure from aiding UPS in supporting others.”

UPS is grateful for the chance to proceed serving small companies equivalent to Hiatus Cheesecakes, the heartbeat of our financial system and the soul of our communities.

UPS is actively in search of extra dynamic founders for its subsequent cohort. Take pleasure in 12 months of limitless entry to a neighborhood of disruptors and innovators.

Take your small business to the following degree!

Apply now!

This program is considered one of some ways UPS is working to empower Black founders. To be taught extra about devoted packages for minority founders, please go to: www.about.ups.com/diversebusiness

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