Desserts by Angie, Kansas City

At the age of 12, Angela Sims made her first dessert: a lemon-meringue pie for her mother, who hadn't been feeling well. As soon as she saw the smile that spread across her mother's face with each bite, her passion for baking was born. Sims would go on to spend hours in the kitchen with her mother and grandmother, learning that baking desserts is less about mixing together ingredients than it is about connecting with other people.

Sims took that lesson to heart when she founded Desserts by Angie. Originally based out of a home, the bakery was forced to expand to a larger factory once word got out about its delicious cakes, pies, and cupcakes. Whether she’s accommodating regular customers, wholesale orders, or catered pie fights, Sims continues to bake according to her "Momma's" recipes, which call for no preservatives and made-from-scratch everything.:m]]