With Wisdom

Taylor Barry ’03 graduated from L’Academie de Cuisine and earned a certificate at the Institute of Culinary Education. A pastry chef for a decade, she was founder and CEO of Morsl, a vegan, gluten-free cookie-dough company; cofounder of Culinary Commons, a forum for the culinary community to share experiences; and is now the founder and CEO of Rising Tide Botanicals, a flower farm and florist.

What was life like before the pandemic? I was on maternity leave and running Morsl, manufacturing and selling allergen-free cookies to schools. It was the culmination of 10 years of hard work as a pastry chef in New York, the toughest food city in the world. Morsl was my dream realized.

Did you have to pivot during the last year? Life stopped . . . and so did Morsl. With the hospitality industry shuttered, my family and I moved to New Jersey to start over. I had dabbled in flower farming and always thought it was something I’d do once I retired from cooking. No time like the present! I left my career at its peak to reinvent myself. We’re never too old to have a new dream and to cultivate that dream into a meaningful, exciting, and thriving business.

In the span of two months I registered a company, built a website, ordered supplies, created branding, planted a 500-square-foot garden, and seeded 85 varieties of cut flowers — Rising Tide Botanicals was born.

What did you learn from this experience? Your dreams are important and you can make them tangible. I asked for help, put in sweat equity, and put my idea out there without fear of rejection. Remember, failure is a part of success; you’ll make mistakes and they’ll make you better.

What’s different about being your own boss? When you run your own company, you can build it better. Our wedding arrangements are donated to local nursing homes. We’re a proud member of 1% for the Planet. But what I’m most excited about is our Flowers & Feminists program, through which we donate a portion of our proceeds to female-led organizations across the country, supporting issues such as farmworkers rights, helping urban farming projects, and providing sustainable food systems for Indigenous people.

What advice would you give to fellow KPS alums? Sit back, dream a little, and put that once-forgotten idea out on the table. Invest in yourself, because nothing suits a KPS girl better than the title “CEO.”

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—WALIDAH JUSTICE, DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND BELONGING (DEIB)