Inspired by his upbringing baking with his grandmother, Joe Green, BBA ’12, wanted to create a bakery centered around seasonal and custom pastries.
“[The kitchen] is a real place of comfort for me,” says Green.
During his time at Temple University, he joined the Entrepreneurial Student Association (ESA) at the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute (IEI). From the numerous panels and networking opportunities in the ESA, he met Wendy Born, co-owner of Metropolitan Bakery in Philadelphia. He then began interning for her.
“I was one of the few people she allowed into the kitchen,” said Green.
While interning, he learned the business side of the food industry and it inspired him to start his own. For his senior capstone project, Green presented his venture Affinity Confections. After graduation, Green kept close ties with the IEI and won third place in the upper track at the 17th annual Be Your Own Boss Bowl (BYOBB).
“The BYOBB was one of the most significant resources that I had at that time,” says Green.
The physical location is at 310 South 48th Street Philadelphia, where their classes are offered. The classes are a small group of sixteen students that work with chefs to curate their own seasonal desserts.
He also regularly traveled to learn more about pastries, most recently heading to Mexico and Columbia to research the coffee industry. Using what he’s learned has inspired him to look at a potential menu expansion into coffee offerings.
“To be able to take my experiences and create something that people can try and experience themselves is really special,” says Green.
The ultimate goal of Affinity Confections is to bring a fresh perspective to Philadelphia sweets. They infuse their sweets with passion and freshness to create unique experiences for their customers.
“If you’re going to indulge, make it higher quality,” said Green.
You can find (and share) their creations on Instagram or their website.