Following a successful launch last year, The Bake Fest is returning on May 21-22, 2022. The virtual gathering for bakers is set to be even bigger and have a better agenda, featuring over 10 hours per day of workshops and networking opportunities with influential bakers from all over the world.

In the build-up to the event, The Bake Fest is revealing its lineup of speakers. Recently, it announced its keynote speakers for the event, Melissa Ben-Ishay and Denise Woodard.

Melissa Ben-Ishay is a mother, baker and founder of Baked by Melissa, a New York City-based dessert brand famous for its bite-size cupcakes in a wide variety of ever-changing flavors. She grew her company from the ground up and today the company ships nationwide, operates 13 stores and has sold over 200 million cupcakes.

Denise Woodard is the founder and chief executive officer of Partake Foods, a natural food company that was inspired by her daughter’s experience with food allergies. Launched in 2017, Partake’s allergy-friendly cookies and baking mixes can now be found in more than 8,000 retailers including Target, Trader Joe’s, Kroger and Whole Foods Market.

Woodard is the first Black woman to raise more than $1 million publicly for a CPG food startup. To date, the company has raised over $7.5M from investors including HER, Rihanna, CircleUp Growth Partners, FF2032 and Marcy Venture Partners.

To hear Melissa Ben-Ishay and Denise Woodard’s keynote speeches, as well as the full lineup of speakers including Liz Marek, Courtney Rich, Julia Usher, Amanda Schonberg and many more, purchase tickets at The Bake Fest’s website.