Former Goldman Sachs Analyst Builds Baking Brand

Allison Sheehan leverages Wall Street experience to grow her "cake empire"

Mar. 22, 2026 at 11:53am

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Allison Sheehan, a former Goldman Sachs analyst, left the firm to pursue her passion for baking and build her own brand, Alleycat. Despite the challenges of balancing a corporate job and an entrepreneurial venture, Sheehan has been able to apply the skills she learned at Goldman, such as capital allocation, communication, and attention to detail, to grow her baking business. However, Sheehan faced an ultimatum from Goldman's compliance team to delete her social media presence, leading her to ultimately quit the firm to focus on her brand full-time.

Why it matters

Sheehan's story highlights how corporate experience can provide valuable skills and credibility for entrepreneurs, even in seemingly unrelated fields. Her ability to leverage her Wall Street background to secure suppliers and build her brand's reputation demonstrates the transferability of certain business acumen. Additionally, the tension between Sheehan's corporate job and entrepreneurial pursuits underscores the difficult choices some professionals face when deciding to pursue their passions.

The details

After starting her baking hobby in college, Sheehan put it on hold when she landed a job at Goldman Sachs in Utah. However, she reignited her passion when she transferred to the firm's New York office, building a social media following and taking on custom cake orders. Sheehan's high-stakes experience at Goldman helped her develop skills in responsiveness, communication, and accuracy, which she now applies to her baking business. Despite initial success, Sheehan struggled to balance her corporate job and entrepreneurial venture, leading to a breakdown at work. Goldman's compliance team eventually gave her an ultimatum to delete her social media presence or leave the firm, prompting Sheehan to quit and focus on her baking brand full-time.

  • Sheehan started baking cakes as a college hobby.
  • Sheehan landed a job at Goldman Sachs in Utah, putting her baking on hold.
  • Sheehan transferred to Goldman's New York office and restarted her baking social media accounts in 2023.
  • In 2023, Sheehan's friend's boyfriend suggested she use the handle "investment__baker".
  • In 2026, Goldman's compliance team called Sheehan in and asked her to delete all of her social media content or leave the firm.

The players

Allison Sheehan

A 26-year-old former analyst for private wealth at Goldman Sachs who is now building her baking brand, Alleycat.

Goldman Sachs

An American multinational investment bank and financial services company where Sheehan previously worked.

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What they’re saying

“Goldman's high-stakes hustle culture has helped me build the brand — I had to be responsive, communicative, and accurate, all skills I use now.”

— Allison Sheehan

“I couldn't waste the five years of time and energy I'd poured into this business.”

— Allison Sheehan

What’s next

Sheehan plans to focus on building her consumer packaged goods products, including dry cake mixes and frosting, after scaling back her custom cake business. She is still working to find a manufacturer for her products.

The takeaway

Sheehan's story demonstrates how corporate experience can provide valuable skills and credibility for entrepreneurs, even in seemingly unrelated fields. Her ability to leverage her Wall Street background to grow her baking brand highlights the transferability of certain business acumen, despite the challenges of balancing a corporate job and an entrepreneurial venture.