| Tell us about your company: |
| Black Bow Sweets is founded on the tradition of giving homemade gifts for the holidays. Because giving and receiving meaningful gifts is very special, we pledge to always surprise and delight with our rich, wholesome, subtly sweet handcrafted & slow roasted candied nuts, elegantly package our delectable creations, and deliver the very best customer experience—it’s our delicious promise to you. As a recent cancer survivor, owner Lisa (Wojcik) Boek has committed to giving back to organizations that help cancer fighters, survivors and caregivers. Donations are made to local families in need and organizations like Imerman Angels, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals and the American Cancer Society. |
| What inspired you to start your business? |
| I was inspired by a family recipe to pursue my life-long dream of turning a passion into a successful business. I grew up surrounded by a family of wonderful cooks and bakers. Homemade confections, jams, breads and goodies were a tradition for holiday gifts. No homemade treat was ever more requested from family, friends and coworkers than my mother’s candied pecans and batches upon batches were made every winter as the most sought-after gift. As I grew older and moved out on my own, I continued my family’s baking tradition for the holidays. “The Nuts,” as they were referred to, continued to be the favorite among my friends and soon I was baking candied pecans for every occasion year ’round. Thus, the idea for Black Bow Sweets was born. With a recipe that has been an essential staple for decades, I named my brand Black Bow Sweets as a nod to the classic and timeless elegance of the black bow tie. |
| What are your proudest achievements so far? |
| Maintaining my business while overcoming cancer, growing my business to nationwide distribution and opening my own dedicated manufacturing facility. |
| What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs: |
| Read as much as you can – there will be some books that change your life and some that give you new perspectives to help you grow and evolve in small ways. Seek community, because growing a business can be a very lonely process. And celebrate your achievements (no matter how small) because they make the journey worthwhile. |
| Please share a memory or thought about your alma mater: |
| I am forever grateful for the opportunities to grow, learn, try, fail and succeed at UCSB and FIDM. Those opportunities are what gave me the confidence to take the risk of starting my own business and the motivation to keep going. |
Alumni Emporium 