A little about us, and Industry Goods
Katharine, Founder
I baked at home throughout high school before starting my professional career as a cake decorator at a bakery in Wellesley, MA. In 2015 I moved on to a popular bakery near my home town in Massachusetts, where, in just two years, I went from barista to baker to sous pastry chef, finishing up my time there as pastry chef de cuisine in 2017. I moved on to work as a pastry chef in resort kitchens and then produced several bakery pop-ups in downtown Boston.
I grew up in a town oriented towards a very specific type of intelligence. Whether or not it was intended, I got the message that being smart, successful, and valuable to society meant excelling in academics. Because of my dyslexia, reading has always been a challenge for me, and in turn, school was a challenge. I never felt like I fit, and it was rare that I felt seen and valued for who I was. The day I started baking, it was like my brain lit up. In baking, I found a place where my personal form of intelligence was an asset.
After several years of work in professional kitchens in which I witnessed and experienced emotional and sexual abuse, manipulation by management and co-workers, gaslighting, and worker exploitation, it became clear to me that I needed to make a change. In my time in the industry, I have met and worked with some incredible women who are pushing for a positive shift in the culture of kitchens, and I am so excited to see what they do. For now, I’ve found happiness in baking for my friends and family, and in creating this business.
I created Industry Goods to extend the sense of belonging I feel when I’m baking to anyone who has felt like they just don’t fit in. Industry Goods goes beyond bringing professional tools to your home kitchen by creating personalized kits with handwritten tips that will give you the sense that you are being supported throughout your baking endeavors. No matter what draws you to baking, Industry Goods will help you stay inspired, creative, and true to your unique and amazing self.
Michelle,
Cofounder & Mother
In her early 20's, Michelle and a friend had the idea to start a gift company. That idea never came together, but sometimes a dream deferred need not be a dream denied. Excited to finally bring this idea to fruition, she draws on her experience as an event planner and jack of all trades across the service industry to support her daughter's aspirations. And she's no stranger to this supportive role. While her daughter worked as a baker she would often receive custom personal orders on the side; and during those times where running a kitchen translated to two full time jobs, Michelle was always there to take on the role of baker so that her daughter could jump in for the final steps. She's an avid reader, an amazing cook, and the perfect sous chef and partner for her bossy daughter.