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A Brooklyn-based founder of a business that is small Carmen Ladipo, her passion for baking took root early on. "I've been an avid lover of sweets since as far as I remember," Carmen tells . "In my middle school years I was in a class like Home Economics, where we learned how to make cookies. When I realized the ability to sustain my sweet craving at my own pace, I had it."

But it took a while following that Carmen began to make income from her passion for baking by creating a tiny-batch of cookies for an e-commerce company behind the scenes. "I'd just moved to New York City, and I tried to figure out how I could meet new people as adults," Carmen says. "I was a member of the local climbing club, and I used to provide snacks to the gym and climbers and it was a successful method of making new acquaintances." After being "fervently inspired" repeatedly to market her cakes, Carmen took advantage of the extra time between work to establish her business related to food in Brooklyn.

"It was originally started to be a way to earn money to bake cookies for people in the area on occasion," Carmen jokes. "But in the past five years, Carmen's Cookies has grown into an online store that allows me shipping cookies across the country for customers who have never met me before as well as my friends."

We talked with Carmen about the ways she is focused on the social and environmental impact of her business, how she handles running her single-woman company with her various other responsibilities, and about the tools that aid in running Carmen's Cookies efficiently.

The importance of local communities and the impacts on society

Visitors to the Carmen's Cookies website, as well as the social media platforms are greeted instantly with warmth and friendliness of the brand, including the tagline "Providing happiness for your connection." The range of Carmen's Cookies includes experimental seasonal flavors like the ras el-hanout and matcha lemons, in addition to her usual favorites, like the brown butter chocolate chip and orange clove. A quick glance at the product reviews to see the joy the cookies provide to clients across the world.

Since the very beginning that Carmen's Cookies is about much more than just selling cookies. "I believe that food business owners have a duty towards their environment as well as the local community to think about their impacts," Carmen says.

"There are so many resources that go into the production and distribution of food items that need to be recognized and scrutinized in order to minimize damage to the environment. That's why I'm always aware of the source of the ingredients I use, and also what the producers think about their ecological and social impacts." Carmen is transparent on her website regarding how she obtains the ingredients she utilizes. There is even an interactive tool that allows you to trace where the baking chocolate she uses originates from..

But her dedication doesn't stop at that point. "It's important to me to find ways to support the continuing efforts for food justice in the wider Brooklyn neighborhood," Carmen says.

"Every every year I select an organization that is directly involved with the community it serves in order to promote development in the economy as well as sustainable production of food. I contribute a percentage of profits annually for these causes because I would like Carmen's Cookies to have an effect in the community it's selected to be a part of." Customers can always check the business's website's About page for more information about the locations to which Carmen has donated part of the sales.

"As for the Carmen's Cookies community," Carmen adds, "it's an inspiring experience to watch the customers unite in the aid of various causes all the period of time. Facilitating the transfer in the hundreds to a variety of local and national organizations that work that promote food justice and community groups that are marginalized through the sale of cookies was an amazing and significant occasion."

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