Carlson Alum Shares Culture Through Cookie Business

“We aim to showcase flavors from a variety of cultures so people can experience those new flavors in a familiar format,” Shrikhande says. To help people learn more about the ingredients, each cookie is packaged with a “story card” that shares information about the flavors and the cultural significance behind them.

Kavya Café primarily sells cookies through online orders, but this summer Shrikhande has expanded to in-person farmers’ markets throughout the Twin Cities metro.

“We’ve had overwhelmingly positive feedback with a lot of people not necessarily knowing what the flavors in our products are, but being very willing to explore and learn,” she says.

Earning this success with Kavya Café is a childhood dream come true for Shrikhande. “I’d dreamed about having a bakery since I was a little kid,” she says. “Desserts have always been very special to me, especially in a community format. They’re a form of celebration, a form of enjoyment … and I wanted to incorporate my own culture and experience into it.”

As she navigates her career post-graduation, Shrikhande expects she’ll eventually stop in-person sales and return to online orders only. But she plans to keep running Kavya Café at least on a part-time basis, with flexibility to scale up or down depending on other career goals.

Shrikhande credits her Minnesota Carlson education with helping her build her bakery into what it is today and with giving her the skills to manage a small business alongside her other goals.

“Our Entrepreneurship in Action mentors were such a great support, not just in terms of building the business, but also life and career-wise,” she says. “Getting to have that support group and that access to resources was the most beneficial thing.”