The Sweet Taste of R&D

Staff Contributor: Mary Arnold, Writer, Advancement

Karen Schwarck has served in the Army Reserves, been a medical lab technician, taught cake decorating and been a class marketing supervisor for Wilton Enterprises, and opened her own bakery. Now she’s preparing for her future in the CIA’s baking and pastry arts program, with an emphasis on the research and development field.

“I knew from beginning I wanted to do R&D,” said Karen, who graduates from the A.O.S. program in October 2007. Karen did her externship with Masterfoods USA-M&M/Mars in Burr Ridge, IL. She was the first CIA extern to work in the product development kitchen and pilot area for the Frozen Technology Group—the division that makes Dove Ice Cream. Her work there helped her qualify for the prestigious MenuMasters scholarship geared for students planning careers in research and development. Karen traveled to Chicago to receive the award during the annual National Restaurant Association show.

A 37-year-old mother of two girls, Karen had served in the Army Reserves from 1991 to 1999 to raise funds for her education, originally following family tradition toward a healthcare career. She liked the science involved, but she discovered patient care wasn’t right for her.

Karen had immersed herself in creating cakes and other goodies since she was 12 years old and her mother gave her a Tweety Bird cake pan, a pastry bag, and tip. Set loose in the kitchen, Karen began baking treats for friends and family. “I enjoyed baking, but more, I enjoyed the response. I was giving something made from the heart, and it contained sugar.”

After gaining cake decorating experience through Wilton, Karen opened her bakery, Let Them Eat Cake, in southwest Florida. But her success—she was creating cakes for 10 to 15 weddings a week—seemed a little less sweet as job burnout ensued and competent employee help proved elusive. At the same time, she says, “My youngest girl directed me into research and development. At four, she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.” Both daughters had been practically raised in the bakery. “And now I was not able to produce all those lovely cakes and chocolates.”

In her bakery, Karen experimented with alternative sweeteners and achieved some good results with Splenda, but other times her experiments left her unsatisfied. “Often I thought, ‘Why would anyone eat that?’”

Closing the bakery was a hard decision (although with eBay, she was able to sell everything—including the kitchen sink), but she had what she thought was a secure job in catering sales lined up at South Seas Island Resort in Captiva Island, FL.

And then Hurricane Charlie hit. With the rebuilding and reopening of the resort uncertain, Karen’s husband urged her to apply to the CIA, which she had first heard about in 1996. She was accepted, and the family relocated to Rhinebeck, NY. “Baking and pastry is what I like to do,” she said. Karen’s goal is now to do it while researching alternative products for people with special dietary needs—not just diabetes, but also Celiac disease, childhood obesity, heart disease, and other conditions. On the financial side, she says, “The market is there and ripe with opportunities.”

“And for me, the ultimate invention is a product sweetened in a way that diabetics and non-diabetics both say ‘That’s really good’.” Her daughter loves pancakes with syrup, and currently uses an artificially sweetened kind. “I want a syrup that I think is good and that she can eat,” said Karen. “I want an ice cream I think is good, and that she can have.” She understands that change of lifestyle is necessary for people with special dietary needs, “But you can’t give everything up.”