At first glance, Monshe may seem like just another artisanal bakery, but step inside, and you’ll quickly realize it’s something entirely different. From rich, aromatic coffee to indulgent chocolate cookies, every item on the menu is crafted without gluten or sugar. It’s not about restriction -it’s about reinvention.

For founder Melissa Groneveldt, Monshe was born out of frustration.“It tasted like cardboard with a side of disappointment, with the cooling aftertaste from the sugar alternative,” she says. “What I wanted I couldn't find on store shelves, so I created it.”

That determination led to Monshe becoming the first business selected for the Brooklyn Navy Yard’s Yard Opportunity Shop, an incubator designed to give small, women- and minority-owned businesses an affordable space to grow and connect with the community. For Melissa, the opportunity is about more than just selling products.

“I hope to be an example to other local minority-owned businesses and minority-owned entrepreneurs,” she explains. “I’m very thankful for the opportunity to present my product not only to the community but also to the Navy Yard.”

Behind the business is a deeply personal story. Melissa credits her passion for baking to time spent in the kitchen with her late mother, Monshelia, the inspiration behind the bakery’s name.

“My mom filled the house with love. She liked to cook for us and she liked to bake,” Melissa recalls. “It’s only right that I honor her legacy because she is the reason why I’m doing what I do… outside of my kids.”

But Monshe isn’t just about one person’s journey. Inside the space, Melissa is also creating opportunities for others, spotlighting products from fellow women- and minority-owned brands, many of them local artists from the Navy Yard.

“Sometimes doors are closed on us, especially as women entrepreneurs,” she says. “I’m opening the doors, as well as the Navy Yard -they did for me.”

With its mission rooted in community, legacy, and better-for-you indulgence, Monshe is carving out a space where wellness and flavor coexist, and where opportunity is shared.

You can experience Monshe’s creations firsthand at Melissa’s upcoming wellness event this Saturday.