As a young girl, Ursula Schnyder found herself in the kitchen, learning recipes from her mother, making weekday dinners or baking desserts during the weekend. In 2013, Schnyder channeled her passion into founding her own Swiss chocolate business, Sweet55, which has locations in Half Moon Bay and Palo Alto鈥檚 Town and Country Village.
Although Schnyder wanted to pursue a culinary career as a teenager, she attended university to study history, French and international relations after pushback from her family. Afterward, she entered careers in teaching and foreign journalism.
Her interest in baking and cooking, however, never stopped. After both of her children graduated from high school, Schnyder brought her childhood dream to life, opening a chocolate store to pay homage to where she grew up.
鈥淎t that time, I felt I was not young enough to go into a full-fledged career in the kitchen, so I decided to focus on a small area,鈥� she said. 鈥淎t first, I thought of opening a Swiss bakery, but then I decided to go even more refined into just chocolate because chocolate is such a big part of the Swiss food scene and my childhood.鈥�
In preparation for launching her business, Schnyder attended a professional pastry school for one year in the U.S. before returning to Switzerland to train specifically in Swiss chocolate. Back in the States, she began making chocolates in her home kitchen, curating confections that combined creativity and tradition.
鈥淎 lot of these pieces are actually my own, inspired by flavors that I knew as a child or what they are doing in Switzerland now,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was very important for me to create a product that people would recognize over time as Sweet55, in packaging and the chocolates.鈥�
Schnyder opened her first location in 2016 in Half Moon Bay and a second in 2022 in Palo Alto鈥檚 Town and Country Village. According to Schnyder, the name of her business originated from wordplay on the phrase 鈥淪weet 16,鈥� replacing the numbers with her age when she started. The name now reflects the message of her brand: finding joy in any age.
鈥淢y daughter encouraged me to bring that into the brand 鈥� that what we sell is sweet and also that it鈥檚 okay to start something new later in your life and make it sweet,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen I said that I鈥檓 55, some people are a little embarrassed because in America, you don鈥檛 talk about age. Whenever you鈥檙e on social media, everybody is young, but I want to bring the age factor into my business because it can encourage other people, other women especially, who may be tired of their other careers and have the desire to start something new.鈥�
Photographing a huddle of penguins at the San Francisco Zoo at 14 alongside her mother marked the beginning of Kate Skogen鈥檚 journey in pursuing photography and later founding JetKat Photo in 2001, where she took on the role of lead photographer.
Growing up with parents who pursued side projects 鈥� her mother painted, and her father established a school for aspiring race drivers 鈥� and friends who were musicians, writers and artists made starting her own business feel like a natural next step and way to remain close to home.
鈥淏eing around other creative people who were all making their own path paved the groundwork (for my business),鈥� Skogen said. 鈥淚t felt totally normal.鈥�
The name 鈥淛etKat Photo鈥� pays homage to Skogen鈥檚 childhood living in a sailboat with her father and traveling on the JetKat Express passenger ship while studying in Cuba. The name also connects to the skies: Her father held a pilot鈥檚 license, and her mother, a flight attendant, lived in different states.
鈥淚 like that JetKat had 鈥榡et鈥� in it to symbolize my traveling back and forth to be with my parents, family ties and the love that I have for traveling,鈥� she said. 鈥淟ots of friends call me Kat, so the 鈥楰at鈥� part was unique to me.鈥�
By providing photography services for school programs, local businesses, town magazines and neighborhood families, JetKat Photo has become more than a source of income for Skogen. With her passion for capturing who people are and their works, she finds fulfillment in illuminating the stories and contributions of community members.
鈥淚f I鈥檓 not photographing a person specifically, I鈥檓 photographing their architecture, kids, art, product or restaurant,鈥� she said. 鈥淲ith the work that I do, there鈥檚 always somebody who benefits and whose work is celebrated and elevated. It鈥檚 rewarding in ways I couldn鈥檛 have foreseen.鈥�
At the heart of her business is Skogen鈥檚 profound passion for capturing the unscripted and spontaneous moments of children immersed outdoors, where all of聽 her photos emanate a playful, earthy and dynamic feel. Today, Skogen鈥檚 portraiture program is most involved at the elementary-school level and specializes in candid portraits for nature-based school programs and homeschool groups.
鈥淢y favorite thing to photograph is the authentic essence of outdoor education programs and kids playing in nature and looking for bugs,鈥� she said.
Skogen proudly donates 25% of her gross sales to local nonprofits focused on education or racial and social justice. She also champions another cause: being a model of women鈥檚 entrepreneurship. 鈥淚 think that representation matters and when women see women doing things, there is a ripple effect,鈥� she said.
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