The intersection between where you’ve been and where you’re goin’.
Every story has a begining , mine started in the kitchen
About The Bookmark
My story often begins with cupcakes. I was fourteen when I became "the cupcake girl"—a nickname born from standing up in front of my class to pitch $3 cupcakes and walking out with a pocketful of deposits and a sense of purpose. That small classroom pitch turned into a full-fledged business. Suddenly, I was presenting at business conferences, making sales, and glowing in rooms filled with people twice my age. It was exhilarating. It was magical. It was also... a performance.
At the time, I didn’t realize that the confident, beaming version of me—the one in the apron and lashes, pitching and baking nonstop—was just one version of myself. A character I wore with pride, but one that started to wear on me. Cooking wasn’t my dream. It was my peace. My love language. My plan B. What I really loved was storytelling—through characters, film, and animation.
TV raised me in many ways. I cried when characters cried. I laughed when they did too. I studied them like they were old friends. Sometimes, I even imitated them to see if people liked that version of me better. My favorite shows were my safe place, a space where I could explore identity, joy, and imagination.
The cupcakes helped me travel across 10 European countries. But when I got to college, I decided to leave that identity behind and see what else I could become. I didn’t tell anyone I was a baker. I dove into theatre. I discovered hospitality. I studied people, service, environments. And I started asking bigger questions—about where women of color fit into these worlds.
Then COVID happened. The world fell apart, and with it, so did my third space. College had been my home away from home. My community. When I lost that, I realized how vital those spaces are—for growth, for connection, for joy.
Years later, I found myself back at square one: baking, branding, pitching. But I knew I couldn’t go back to just being the cupcake girl. I’ve grown. My passions have evolved. And so, The Bookmark was born.
The Bookmark is a third space—a café and creative hub where food, media, and storytelling come together. It’s where culture meets comfort. Where you can grab a latte and a slice of cake, then stay for a screening, a conversation, or a moment of connection. We archive media, host culturally rich events, and create experiences designed to help you live intentionally—like you’re the main character in your own story.
This isn’t just a café. It’s a space for people who love TV and film the way I do. Who are searching for community. Who want to find joy in the everyday. It’s for the dreamers, the thinkers, the awkward kids who found themselves in cartoons, the professionals seeking something more, and the people building new seasons of their lives.
The Bookmark is a love letter to the shy kid who found her voice. To the teenager who became a brand. And to the grown woman building a world where all those selves can coexist. It’s a place to grow, connect, and create your next chapter.
Make The Bookmark part of your story. We’ll remember your name.