When Lena Derisavifard applied to Hot Bread Kitchen Incubates (HBKi) in 2022, she already had the basis of something special: recipes rooted in her Iranian heritage, a growing community of loyal customers, and a clear vision for her Iranian-inspired food business, BiBi Bakery.
As a regular vendor and host at Smorgasburg Prospect Park and pop-ups across Brooklyn, Lena had seen the demand firsthand. Week after week, customers lined up for Bibi Bakery’s spiced walnut baklava, chocolate barberry cookies, and saffron ice cream sandwiches rolled in rose petals. Lena had the passion, the product, and the proof of concept. What she needed next was the resources and roadmap to turn that momentum into a sustainable business—and, eventually, a permanent home for the bakery.
That next chapter began at Hot Bread Kitchen’s Pitch Proof Showcase in Fall 2022, where Lena pitched BiBi Bakery and became a finalist, earning subsidized access to commercial kitchen space in Brooklyn. In early 2024, she took another step forward by joining HBKi’s Start program, which helps entrepreneurs build the foundation to move from home-based businesses and early-stage ventures into commercial production and sustainable growth.
Building More Than a Bakery
The heart of BiBi Bakery is bigger than baked goods. Inspired by the women in her family, Lena’s recipes are inspired by her Persian culture. Through BiBi Bakery, she’s creating a sense of belonging she wished she had growing up.
“My motivation for Bibi Bakery has always been to build the community I didn’t have when I was growing up and to share a piece of my culture.”
— Lena, BiBi Bakery Founder
For Lena, opening a bakery isn’t simply the next stage of growing her business. It’s a chance to create the community she envisioned from the beginning: a gathering place where Iranian New Yorkers can find the flavors they grew up with and where everyone can experience the warmth of Iranian hospitality.
Through HBKi’s Start program, Lena strengthened the financial planning and business foundation she needed to look beyond the next market or pop-up and begin seriously planning for a brick-and-mortar bakery.
In New York City, having a great product and a loyal customer base is only the beginning of opening a brick-and-mortar food business. Entrepreneurs also need capital, financial planning, industry expertise, and the relationships to navigate everything from finding a location to securing permits and understanding the legal requirements. For early-stage entrepreneurs like Lena, who was working a full-time job while in the HBKi Start program, access to those resources can be the difference between a successful pop-up and opening a permanent storefront. For Lena, HBKi’s support helped fill some of those gaps.
Emma Myers, Hot Bread Kitchen’s Senior Director of Small Business Programs, and the HBKi team work alongside entrepreneurs as they scale, helping them navigate next steps with confidence and build the foundation toward growth.
“It’s been such an honor to support Lena’s journey and to see her reach a milestone that was just a dream when she joined our program,” Emma shares.
As Lena began exploring a permanent home for Bibi Bakery, HBKi connected her with legal and real estate consultants helping her better understand the steps involved in finding and securing the right space.
Bringing Bibi Bakery to Brooklyn
At the four-year mark of her business, Lena is launching Bibi Bakery’s first capital campaign on Kickstarter. The campaign will bring Lena one step closer to building out Bibi Bakery’s first brick-and-mortar home in Brooklyn, which will be a space for Iranian hospitality, third-culture food and baked goods, and a space for community and connection.
“The Iranian community I know craves nostalgic flavors that are difficult to find in New York City,” Lena explains, “and they’ve told me that they’re excited to have a landing pad in Bibi Bakery to enjoy teas, ice cream sandwiches, and baklava.”
Funds raised through the campaign will help build out the café and bakery, purchase commercial equipment, and cover, as Lena puts it, “all the TLC it takes to become Bibi”—the warm, inviting gathering place she has been dreaming about from the start.
Lena has spent the past four years building BiBi Bakery one batch of cookies, one customer, and one connection at a time. We’re so proud of her journey and can’t wait to support Lena in this next big step.
For updates on Lena and Bibi Bakery, follow them on Instagram, and to support the opening of Bibi Bakery, follow along on Kickstarter.
Supporting Entrepreneurs at Every Stage
We just relaunched HBKi Scale, a 12-week program for entrepreneurs who have been in business for at least two years and need external capital to take their business to the next level. Participants receive one-on-one business coaching, financial planning support, and guidance on accessing capital through loans, investments, crowdfunding, and grants.
