Our Story

Our founder began her cookie journey as a high school freshman. She’d discovered at a young age what it meant to face trials and tribulations, and decided to make cookies as a way to raise her own funds and relieve her family of any monetary burden her pursuits like track, or art would entail.

She created her own recipe, and her sales were wildly successful. She even used the cookies to win class president. She faced pushback from racist classmates and the school—told that her operation was disrupting lunch sales. This got her thinking about racism, and the fact that she was the only Black girl in her entire grade, and about the other unfair treatment her family suffered. Those thoughts led into her passion for the change she wanted to see in the world.

Throughout High School, she became a track star, learning the hurdles and how to glide over them. She applied the same training to her life. Take things in stride.

After getting into Ithaca College as an MLK Scholar, her educational journey opened up pathways she’d never before considered. It brought social justice, equity, and equality to the forefront. It showed her the past and present injustices gripping America. She vowed to dedicate her life to fighting for a better world; because to her, she could not turn a blind eye to it all. If she had the power to change anything, she would.

She restarted her cookie business in college and dedicated it to exalting education for those with less access to resources, because an education is what had opened her eyes to many truths she never would have gotten exposure to otherwise.

Via’s Cookies is dedicated to making a positive impact in every way. We employ people from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, source our ingredients sustainably and locally, are working toward recyclable and biodegradable packaging, and give when we can. We are currently completely operated by women, and the majority of our team consists of people of color.

It’s important to us to talk the talk and walk the walk. We’re not doing any of this for show. We’re doing this because we care about humanity, the earth, and the future. Join us! Eat cookies and do good. What else is there to live for?!

(Maybe ice cream.)