Stephanie Hart searched for a bakery that served cakes like her grandmother made–her memories of childhood sweets unreplicated no matter how many baked goods she tried. So Stephanie set out to recreate the recipes on her own. With this drive to create baked goods rooted in the African-American south combined with a life-long dream of being a business owner, Stephanie opened Brown Sugar Bakery in Chatham in 2003. In the early years, she struggled, working additional jobs to keep the bakery afloat. But all that hard work has paid off–a James Beard Nomination, ownership of the building in which her business resides, a Navy Pier location, O’Hare Airport, and countless fans–including Vice President Kamala Harris. For nearly two decades, Stephanie and her team have churned out delicious cakes, such as Red Velvet, the famous “Caramel” cake that put Brown Sugar Bakery on the map, and the “Obama” cake, inspired by none other than former Chicago resident, President Barack Obama.