Lisa Ludwinski is a business owner who previously worked in Brooklyn, New York for 6 years, began her business in 2012 in Detroit, Michigan. Ludwinski started off baking and selling pies out of her parents’ kitchen; Ludwinski took business classes when she saw the opportunity of many people appreciated her skills of baking. While attending classes, she took orders via email from her friends and family of cookie and pies.

Sister Pie was beginning to grab the attention of many people and Ludwinski opened her shop on the corner of Parker and Kercheval. Almost every Saturday morning, there is a line out the door awaiting to have a slice of warm apple pie and sea salted chocolate chip cookies. Along with her shop, Ludwinski took on the task of hosting baking classes a couple times a month for those who live in the neighborhood or for those who are visiting the upcoming city of Detroit.

In recent years, Sister Pie published their own cookbook in 2018 featuring a variety of their recipes and fan favorites. The book has sold over 40,000 copies since the release.

I had a chance to speak with Lisa myself two summers ago and got to hear about how she felt about being a business owner. She feels that a business should treat their employees with the best care, so they get to have the full benefit of being a part of the Sister pie story. Since then, I’ve continued to see the line of people routinely outside of the shop every Saturday morning to grab a pie and a cup of coffee.

Here’s an interview from So to Speak 

Sister Pie Website  

Tyler Okonma, also known as the two-time Grammy winner Tyler, The Creator is from Los Angeles, California. Tyler is well known for this role in the music industry for his albums like IGOR (2019)  and Call Me If You Get Lost (2021). In recent years, Tyler has expanded himself to other areas such as a fashion and working alongside producers like Pharrell Williams and Kanye West.

Golf Wang was released by Tyler in 2011, showcasing shoes in bright colors and t-shirts with wild fonts. Every season, there is a release of new designs and even referencing his albums if it has been released that following year. The website has been a success for Tyler, so much so he then went on to release his second clothing brand: Golf Le Fluer.

Golf Le Fleur is a “luxury” brand that sells perfume, loafers, and expensive luggage. This matches his personal taste in fashion which is old money. The brand is supposed to be for everyone Tyler says and that he had been wanting to expand more than just being a producer but to now enter the business world just like his friends Pharrell.

Tyler is currently working on an A24 film along side actor Timothy Chalamet and is working on the soundtrack for the film.

Here’s a clip a couple of years ago talking in an interview about his past projects with his last album and plans for the future:

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Melissa Butler was born right here in Detroit, Michigan and attended Cass Technical High School. Butler went on to further her education at Florida A&M University, graduating with a bachelor’s in business finance.  She worked as a stockbroker on Wall Street and claimed that her passion for beauty was, “natural.”  Butler felt that the beauty world was full of impure ingredients and not inclusive enough, therefore leaving people to go on a journey just to find the right fit for products. In her Brooklyn apartment, Butler began to formulate her lipsticks, while ensuring they were vegan and vibrant. Butler made 27,000 dollars in sales from her lipsticks in just one year and made the big decision to come back to Detroit two years later. The Lip Bar became Butler’s official full-time job and later made 100,000 dollars in revenue from her lipsticks. In the year 2015, she went onto the well-known tv show, Shark Tank in hopes of receiving a deal. Unfortunately, it was unsuccessful but that did not stop Butler from continuing to create something of her business. Butler took the criticisms of the sharks and put herself out there in order to gain recognition for her growing cosmetic company. Luckily, Target recognized The Lip Bar in 2018 and put the colorful lipsticks on the shelves across the country. Since then, The Lip Bar has opened their own flagship store in the heart of downtown Detroit and has made a connection with putting The Lip Bar in over 3000 CVS stores nationwide. Butler has also been highlighted in the INC magazine as top entrepreneur in the year 2020.