Liz’s Sweet Dreams

Liz first got the idea to sell chocolate-covered strawberries after scrolling through TikTok one evening and seeing people dip and decorate the treats for Valentine’s Day. It reminded her of the ones she made for her aunt last year—sweet, a little messy, and completely from the heart. “I sold out,” she said with a proud smile. “Every last one!”

But Liz’s entrepreneurial spirit didn’t start with strawberries. At a FriendsPDX program, she had once crocheted a whole collection of plushies and sold out of them too. For a while, she even dreamed of owning a plushie shop. “I got a little older and got kind of bored just sitting and knitting,” she said with a shrug. “But then I started baking—and I found it super relaxing.”

Liz’s mentor says, “It has been amazing to watch Liz grow over the last five plus years!” As a freshman this year, she joined cheer and learned how to balance being a student athlete while attending tutoring at our Rockwood office, working with Cafe Friends, and creating more business plans. “She is kind, inclusive, funny, smart, and hard-working. Spending time with her always makes me, and everyone else, smile!”

As for her entrepreneurial journey, Liz’s aunt was the one who encouraged her to start selling baked goods. That support, along with baking alongside her grandma (who sells her own food on Facebook), inspired Liz to dream even bigger.

This summer, Liz will be back to dipping strawberries and dreaming up her next big idea. She recently took a business class at school and loved learning how to turn ideas into real plans. Her dream? A cozy café where people can do everything—eat, study, relax, or just feel at home. “I want to have a place where people feel welcome. Where they can meet friends, get tutoring, or just hang out. Like a home away from home.”

Liz imagines the café with soft lighting, comfy corners, and maybe even a mini-shop inside selling her favorite things—food, handmade goods, clothes. “There are so many ideas,” she laughed. “I might even open a restaurant with my brother one day. He’s 18 and my hero. We’ve always been close.”

Where would she open this dream business? “Boston,” she says without hesitation. “Or maybe here in Portland. But Boston is the dream. My aunt showed me pictures, and I fell in love with the aesthetic. I’d love to go to college there, maybe Boston University, and open something near campus.”

If she had $10,000 to start her business tomorrow? She’d invest in supplies, space, and everything needed to build her vision. But more than anything, she wants to create a business where people want to come to work. “It’s important to me that people enjoy working with me. I want to build a company that feels good for everyone involved.”

Liz doesn’t know exactly what her future business will be—but she’s confident she’ll make it happen. Whether it’s strawberries, cheesecakes, cafés, or plushies, one thing’s for sure: Liz is going to build something sweet.