A recipe for early success

At 11, Invermere’s Bryce Lam is building Step Up to Yum and proving age is no barrier to entrepreneurship

Bryce Lam has been taking the Columbia Valley by storm with his culinary creations. — Photos courtesy of Step Up to Yum

At just 11 years old, Invermere’s Bryce Lam is already running a small business that’s been turning heads across the Columbia Valley. The founder of Step Up to Yum can often be found at local markets, selling homemade baked goods that started as a childhood hobby and quickly grew into something more. In 2025, his work earned him Youth Entrepreneur of the Year from the Columbia Valley Chamber, a milestone that reflects both his early start and steady determination.

Starting young

Bryce says the idea behind Step Up to Yum is simple: to show that age doesn’t limit what you can build. “I wanted to inspire kids that no matter the age anyone can bake,” he says. That mindset has been with him for years. He started baking when he was just two years old and began selling cookies at nine, turning a lifelong interest into a real business.

The name itself reflects that same drive. “I wanted to think of it as me stepping up to yummy things like my baking or my goals,” he explains. It’s a playful idea, but one that fits a young entrepreneur who is already thinking about where his skills could take him next.

Learning through challenges

Like many small business owners, Bryce’s journey has been shaped by both excitement and challenge. One of the biggest hurdles, he says, is the simple reality of working with food that doesn’t last. “The biggest challenge I have faced so far is the fact that my work is perishable and that I have to do it in a very short time. Because it could perish.”

Even with that pressure, he’s found a rhythm that works alongside school. He attends Mt. Nelson Academy, a flexible learning environment that supports student entrepreneurs, and carefully chooses what he takes on. “I find a few things that are pretty big and don’t choose a bunch of little ones so that I have time for my baking,” he says.

A growing following

Among his most popular treats are his Rolo cookies, which have become a customer favourite at markets. And while the baking gets attention, what stands out most for Bryce is the reaction from people who recognize his work. “When you get recognized out in the open for your work,” he says, that’s his favourite part of being an entrepreneur.

This past year, that recognition reached a new level when he received Youth Entrepreneur of the Year from the Columbia Valley Chamber. For Bryce, it was a moment of pride that reflected the effort he’s put in so far. “I felt a lot of pride for my work and effort,” he says.

Looking ahead, his goals are simple but ambitious: to keep growing, keep baking, and keep sharing his story. More than anything, he wants other kids to see what’s possible. “Never give up,” he says, a message he returns to often. “No matter how hard it looks."