Today we’d like to introduce you to Yusef Battle.
Hi Yusef, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
It was a random day during the pandemic and my 10-year old daughter came up to me and asked if I could help her start a cookie company. My daughter had an egg allergy and every time we went to local bakeries, they often didn’t have anything she could eat. So that day Cookie YAY was born. In a matter of years we were able to get commercial kitchen access and get accepted into one of the most established farmer’s markets in the State of Maryland. I have been accepted into key business accelerators & cohorts that have helped me grow the company (DoorDash Restaurant Accelerator, Montgomery County Black Collective AMBER Cohort #5, 2Gi Business Cohort, SBDC CEO Accelerator).
Learning from my previous experience as an entrepreneur, I decided to search for mentors and coaches to advise me on strategies for success in the food industry. This included a food mentor, a Maryland & Washington DC SBDC counselor, SCORE counselors, and cohort mentors.
Before my daughter asked me to help her start a baking company, I was working as a clinical exercise physiologist in employee wellness. I was gearing my company up to provide health screenings along side benefits directors for regional corporations. At the particular time during COVID, there was a freeze on applying electrodes and taking off shoes and socks for assessments. This was part of the unique circumstance that allowed me to go full time helping my daughter build a business.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not always been a smooth road. First of all, I have an even deeper respect for chefs, restauranteers and anyone in the food industry. The daily grind and regulatory protocols require a lot. Access to capital was not quite easy. I had to use personal funds and a portion of retirement savings. Most recently I had two freezers malfunction and destroy product. We hired our first employee, a corporate sales manager, in October of 2025. We sell cookies at approximately 70-100 events per year. When hiring additional staff for events, it has proven difficult to consistently find dependable workers. Looking for support bakers and speciality cookie decorators has also proven to be a task.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Cookie YAY?
Cookie YAY is a Daddy & Daughter all-natural, small batch baking company that specailizes in classic gourmet, vegan, gluten free, egg free and low sugar cookies for all occasions. We provide treats for corporate gifting, employee appreciations, meetings and special events. We have over (36) unique flavors and ship to ALL US States. Currently we provide local personal & corporate deliveries for the Washington DC & Baltimore metropolitan regions. We support the causes of inspiring & developing youth & adult entrepreneurs—-as well as homeless shelters through the National Center for Children & Families (NCCF). Our top selling flavors are Chocolate Chip, Mango Carrot Orange, Toffee Marshmallow Chocolate Chip, Raspberry and Key Lime. We have been featured on Good Morning Washington. What makes us different is our unique flavors combinations, options for many dietary restrictions, our funding of entrepreneurial causes and of course our origin story. I am most proud that my daughter has participated & witnessed the growth of her cookie company—-and that we are a profitable food business after several years. It is a tough industry, especially in the classic gourmet category. I also enjoy how we are able to inspire youth & adults with our entrepreneurship story. We even collaborate & partner with Girls on the Run. I like how we add value to community events—and especially corporate & special events. Are mottos are “Small Gestures, High Impact” and “Delicious Inspiration.” I want your reader to know that our cookies are known for being small gestures that create a great impact. We enjoy seeing them used as thank you gestures, motivational incentives, and thoughtful gifts, We love seeing how something as simple as a cookie can elevate the joy in a room.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I like inspirational stories of youth entrepreneurs. It is often thought that they can’t do this yet until they are older but, not true. I also enjoy true stories of older adults who opened new chapters and accomplished great things when the world thought it was too late. I find this in various articles and podcasts. I enjoy How I Built This with Guy Raz. It tells the ups and downs of entrepreneurs just like me, that I can relate to, and learn a great deal from. Others include: Second Act Stories, Bee Fearless: Dream Like a Kid — Mikaila Ulmer, Late Bloomers by Rich Karlgaard
Pricing:
- A pack of (2) gourmet cookies $5
- For local corporate & community events only $10 per ice cream sandwich or two for $18
- Corporate gift or appreciation boxes based on order size and decorations
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.CookieYAY.com
- Instagram: @CookieYAY.co
- Facebook: @CookieYAY.co
- Twitter: @CookieYAY.co
