Winner’s Showcase: Katrina Golden of Lil Mama's Sweets and Treats

Founders Live Winner’s Showcase features a recent competition winner

Founder: Katrina Golden

Startup: Lil Mama's Sweets and Treats

City: Atlanta

Please introduce yourself with a short bio

Katrina Golden is the founder of Lil Mama’s Sweets and Treats, a Southern dessert company known for authentic homemade flavors and its memorable tagline, “We bake like your mama or grandma used to… or should have if they didn’t.” Since launching in 2019, she has grown the business into an award-winning brand with over $600,000 in revenue, national recognition, and a growing retail and wholesale presence.

Tell us about your Founders Live pitching experience?

Pitching at Founders Live was an amazing experience. The energy in the room was incredible, and it was exciting to be surrounded by founders, entrepreneurs, and people who were genuinely engaged and interested in the business.

What stood out most were the audience questions. They challenged me to think deeper about how Lil Mama’s Sweets and Treats will scale, what that growth could realistically look like, and how we can expand while maintaining the quality and authenticity that make our products special. It was more than just a pitch competition, it was an opportunity to gain valuable insight and perspective from people who understand entrepreneurship and growth.

What 2 tips can you share about crafting a winning Founders Live 99 Second pitch?

1. Focus on connection before information. In 99 seconds, people may not remember every detail, but they will remember how you made them feel. Start with a strong hook, tell a clear story, and make the audience care about the problem you’re solving.

2. Be clear about growth and scalability. Great questions often come from people wanting to understand what the future looks like for your business. Even in a short pitch, communicate not just what you do today, but how the business can grow and scale over time.

Please describe the company or project are you currently building? Why are you building it?

I am the founder of Lil Mama’s Sweets and Treats, a Southern dessert company specializing in authentic homemade-style desserts made with real ingredients and family-inspired recipes. We create products that bring back the feeling of walking into your mama’s or grandmother’s kitchen, while building a brand that is scalable for retail, wholesale, catering, and community events.

I started the business because I saw a gap in the dessert market. So many products today feel mass-produced and lack the quality, comfort, and connection people are really looking for. I wanted to create a brand that delivers that homemade experience while also proving that a food business rooted in authenticity, culture, and community can grow into a nationally recognized company.

What is your vision? Go out 5 years, what does the world look like with your product or service in it?

In five years, I see Lil Mama’s Sweets and Treats becoming a nationally recognized dessert brand known for bringing authentic Southern-style desserts back into everyday spaces. Our products will be available in retail stores, airports, and other high-traffic locations, giving people access to desserts that feel homemade, comforting, and connected to family traditions.

Beyond growth in sales, I want the company to create meaningful economic impact by generating jobs, expanding opportunities within our community, and showing that a business rooted in culture, authenticity, and real human connection can scale successfully. I want Lil Mama’s to become a brand people instantly recognize not just for great desserts, but for the feeling and experience attached to them.

What ONE thing do you need help with the most, and what do you want to ask from the Founders Live community?

The biggest thing I need help with right now is scaling strategically while maintaining the quality and authenticity that built our brand. As demand grows, I want to learn from founders and operators who have successfully expanded food and consumer brands without losing the customer experience that made people fall in love with the product in the first place.

From the Founders Live community, I would love insight, mentorship, and relationships with people who understand retail growth, operations, distribution, and brand scaling. I’m especially interested in learning from others who have navigated the transition from a growing local business to a larger regional or national brand.

Identify 3 qualities that when combined make a great founder. Expand a few descriptive sentences on each.

1. Resilience

A great founder has to be resilient because entrepreneurship comes with constant challenges, setbacks, and uncertainty. There are moments when things do not go as planned, but strong founders learn how to adapt, keep moving forward, and continue believing in the vision even during difficult seasons. Resilience is what allows a business to survive long enough to grow.

2. Vision

Great founders are able to see beyond where the business currently is and clearly picture what it can become in the future. Vision helps guide decisions, inspire teams, and create long-term goals that push the company forward. It also helps founders recognize opportunities that other people may overlook.

3. Authenticity

People connect with founders who are genuine and true to who they are. Authenticity builds trust with customers, employees, investors, and the community. In today’s market, people want to support brands and businesses that feel real, and founders who lead with honesty and passion often create stronger and more lasting relationships.

If you could go back to the beginning and talk to your “rookie founder” self, what would say? And if you are a Rookie Founder, what areas do find most challenging?

If I could go back and talk to my rookie founder self, I would say to trust the process and stop feeling like every challenge means you are failing. Building a business takes far more time, patience, and problem-solving than most people realize, and growth rarely happens in a straight line. I would also remind myself to think bigger earlier and not underestimate the value of building systems, relationships, and long-term strategy from the beginning.

One of the most challenging parts of being a founder is learning how to balance growth with sustainability. As opportunities increase, you have to make decisions about scaling, operations, staffing, and protecting the quality of the business all at the same time. Another challenge is wearing so many different hats every day while still trying to lead with confidence and vision.