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Teen baker finds entrepreneurial success is sweet

By , Special to The Daily Memphian Published: September 23, 2024 4:00 AM CT

Alannah Williams started her baking business, Dance Like a Cupcake, when she was 10 and living in Seoul, South Korea.

And then she restarted it at 11 as her military family moved to another base, this time in Vilseck, Germany. And again when she was 13 and her family moved to Okinawa, Japan. And finally, at least for now, again at age 17 when she and her family moved to the Memphis area last fall.

It’s that type of resilience — finding the right ingredients and proportions in each new country, figuring out what types of baked goods will sell in a new area and building a new customer base with every move — that Williams hopes has her business positioned for a successful breakout here in Memphis, even if she’s starting small and selling just a few cookies at a time.


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“This isn’t the end goal,” she said. “It’s the beginning.”

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Subscriber Only Alannah Williams Dance Like a Cupcake

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Jody Callahan

Jody Callahan graduated with degrees in journalism and economics from what is now known as the University of Memphis. He has covered news in Memphis for more than 25 years.


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