At the tender age of five, Kaia Hayes ‘24 first discovered her passion for baking through her grandmother, setting the stage for a remarkable journey she never could have anticipated.

Today, Kaia Hayes is a senior at the Branson School, where her influence extends well beyond the classroom. Her entrepreneurial spirit and passion for baking have given rise to a flourishing baking club, co-led by her and Sadie Winter ‘26. What’s more, Hayes has transformed her childhood love into a self-owned custom baking business, Sweet Kaia’s, where her delectable creations have captivated the taste buds of many. 

Hayes created Sweet Kaia’s in the fifth grade after discovering that baking was something she wanted to pursue professionally. She began taking her business seriously in high school, and today, Sweet Kaia’s has grown in both the number of customers served as well as in its social media presence. 

In addition to Sweet Kaia’s Instagram and website, Hayes has begun making business cards this fall. Through these platforms, Hayes has gained a larger following, and as a result, has made countless desserts for a variety of events, including birthdays, graduations, and weddings. 

The weekend of Oct. 21, Hayes took on a daunting task. She was commissioned to construct a wedding cake that could feed over a hundred people. Baking a wedding cake is an involved and time-sensitive process — and Hayes is doing it all from her home kitchen. 

Balancing her senior year and her business has proven to be challenging, but Hayes says she has found a way to make it work. 

“Since I started my business, I’ve learned to manage my time very well, get my homework done as soon as I can, just so I have that extra time,” she said. “If I get all my homework done on Friday evening, then I have Saturday and Sunday to make desserts like the wedding cake.”

Although Sweet Kaia’s is a home bakery enterprise for now, Hayes plans on getting a degree in both business and pastry arts before building her own store-front company. 

As a high schooler, Hayes has already made an impressive impact in her community at school. Through Hayes, Branson students have been given the opportunity to bake and decorate gingerbread cookies, cupcakes, cookie dough, Rice Krispie treats, and more.  

As Hayes put it, “The overarching goal is to just bring people together through delicious food.”