When Janna Cordero and her family moved to Drums, Pennsylvania two years ago, a close friend mentioned the Hazleton Kitchen Incubator, suggesting it would be a great opportunity for her to build cliental in their new area. Cordero went with her instinct and now ‘Little Treats and Cakes by Janna’ is the latest client within The Hazleton Innovation Collaborative (THInC) and the Hazleton Kitchen Incubator portfolio.

In addition to moving her baking operation into the shared kitchen, Cordero was recently awarded a Food Entrepreneurship Assistant Microgrant – available through the Downtown Hazleton Alliance for Progress, a member of THInC. This microgrant is available to businesses within the Hazleton Kitchen Incubator inside of the Hayden Family Center for the Arts in Downtown Hazleton.

Cordero launched ‘Little Treats and Cakes by Janna’ in 2015 after the company she used to work for closed while she was 33 weeks pregnant. Making the most out of a tough moment in her life, Cordero took a leap of faith and decided to pursue something she had learned throughout her childhood: baking.

The gamble paid off and now she and her husband are the workforce behind ‘Little Treats and Cakes by Janna’, a bakery that specializes in celebration cakes, wedding cakes, and small, decorative desserts. While her primary focus is cakes, they offer a variety of complementary desserts as well.

Cordero’s expansion into the Hazleton Kitchen Incubator was made possible through support from THInC partners, including CAN DO Director of Economic Development, Jocelyn Sterenchock. Cordero says Sterenchock was instrumental in helping her with all the paperwork necessary to use the kitchen and apply for the microgrant.

“The Hazleton Kitchen is designed to help food-based entrepreneurs with a viable business idea but who might not have accessibility to industrial kitchen space to test and grow their business,” said Sterenchock. “Janna’s attention to detail within her craft is highly commendable and we (THInC) are proud to have her as a client.”

“I’m happy to say that I love that kitchen!” Cordero said about whether the transition has been worth it. “It’s any chef's dream to get to work in such a nicely equipped commercial kitchen.”

Janna plans to use the funds received through the Food Entrepreneur Assistance Microgrant to help cover start-up costs such as insurance, licensing, and uniforms. She hopes that this opportunity will help her expand her business even further.

“The Hazleton Kitchen, the Hazleton Art League and the CAN BE Innovation Center have been a great part of my growth. They have helped me promote my business though local gatherings, marketing events, and even grand openings of new businesses. I am so grateful to them for helping a small local business grow and for everything they do for the community in general.”

For more information about THInC, the Hazleton Kitchen, the CAN BE Innovation Center or starting a business within the Greater Hazleton Area, visit canbe.biz or contact Nico Makuta at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..