Cupcakin’ founder Lila Owens had always loved baking informally for friends and family, so when she was ready to transition out of a 15-year-career in residential real estate, baking seemed like the perfect way to combine her sweet tooth with her entrepreneurial spirit. Although Owens had no formal training as a baker, she read a lot of cookbooks and tried a variety of recipes. Each time she baked, she focused on how she could change the recipe to make it better. To really understand the science of baking, she also took classes at the San Francisco Baking Institute. Red Velvet was her first original recipe—a request from her mom’s boss. Not only was it a hit with the boss, but it’s now the bakery’s most popular flavor. In 2007, Owens started a home-based cupcake catering business, with the hope that she’d one day open her own bakery. Cupcakin’ Bake Shop became a reality in 2014 with the opening of her first location in Berkeley, California. Now with three popular locations, two in Berkeley and one in Oakland, she is excited to continue serving the East Bay community who has embraced her since day one!