Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald: Levain Bakery Co-Founders

Levain Bakery founders Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald met at a Manhattan swimming pool while training for a triathlon. Not long after, they set out to create a bakery together. What started as an artisan bread shop quickly gained traction for its Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies, referred to by The New York Times as “the largest, most divine chocolate chip cookies in Manhattan” in 1997. Today, Levain has 11 locations, with a 12th storefront coming to Los Angeles this summer. Prior to it all, though, Weekes spent her early career in fashion working for greats such as Norma Kamali and Adrienne Vittadini, and McDonald worked in the finance industry for eight years. To hear how the two pivoted their careers to create a highly successful cookie company, tune in to this week’s episode.