Bailey Iannuso, owner of Bloom Bread and Bakeshop in Peoria, said City of Peoria programs and a Grand Canyon University (GCU) entrepreneur training course helped her accelerate recent business growth after she won the True Visionary Award and the People’s Choice Award, together carrying a $4,000 prize.

The awards, presented as part of a city entrepreneurship initiative, came as Iannuso finished the city’s training partnership with GCU. "He's really positioned me to think so much differently about my business," Iannuso said of Dr. Robert Barra, the GCU instructor who runs the Canyon Ventures incubator and teaches the course.

The awards and training matter locally because they provide both a cash boost and connections that small-business owners say they otherwise lack. Iannuso said she plans to use the $4,000 to hire staff, attend a national industry conference and invest in a website and social media.

Iannuso started her business during the COVID-19 period in 2020 and later pivoted to focus on gluten-free and allergy-conscious baked goods after learning her family has gluten sensitivities. "We pivoted our lives and the bakery into this gluten-free format," she said, adding that she partners with local retailers so people with dietary restrictions can find safe products in the community.

City support was a recurring theme in the interview. Iannuso said she has worked with Karen Kleebus of the City of Peoria on business needs and described staff as responsive: "If there's something that you feel like you need, they'll find a way to make it happen if it serves the community and the business community," she said.

Participants in the GCU program, which Dr. Barra runs through Canyon Ventures, meet other entrepreneurs and receive instruction intended to help with business strategy. Iannuso said that interaction led to changes she had not achieved on her own: "I've made strides in the last few months that I haven't made in years," she said.

Iannuso offered advice for other entrepreneurs: "Don't do it without an immense amount of passion and a motivation outside of yourself" and "don't do it alone," urging new business owners to use city resources, Local First and university programs.

The interview was produced by the City of Peoria as part of a series highlighting local business resources; it did not include a formal vote, ordinance or funding commitment beyond the awards Iannuso described.