Since the start of the semester, A’aishah Azam `28 has been in the atrium of the Humanities and Social Studies Center every Monday and Wednesday at 8:30 p.m., selling freshly baked mochi donuts alongside her boyfriend, Matthew Katsman `28.
Azam, a second-year student from Dallas, typically serves 10 to 15 customers within an hour, serving mochi donuts made with her original recipe.
The idea began far from Grinnell at Seattle’s Pike Place Market, where Azam often visits her sister.
“My sister’s from Seattle, and every time I visit her, there’s this little stand that sells donuts at Pike Place Market,” Azam recalled.
“They’re so cute, and I love them. I wanted to bring something like that here,” she said.
Although she started selling mochi this January, the preparation began months earlier. Azam purchased a donut machine last May but spent most of the fall semester experimenting with recipes before launching.
She ultimately said that she chose mochi donuts for both practical and accessibility reasons.
Traditional donuts require deep frying which is difficult to manage in a campus setting.
After working in campus dining last year, Azam became aware of the limited options available for students with nut and gluten restrictions.
Thus, she set out to develop a gluten-free alternative that more students could enjoy.
Baking has long been part of Azam’s life. She made her first pie crust from scratch at eight.
“I love baking. I really love baking. Last year I had a bread-making phase,” she said. “I couldn’t stop making bread.”
One of her favorite recipes is banana-flavored cake, a treat she often shares with her best friend.
“My best friend really likes banana-flavored cake, and he’s always happy when I give it to him,” she said.
For Azam, baking fosters a sense of comfort.
“I always wanted to feel comfortable making my own recipes,” she said.
“The mochi donut recipe is one of my first completely original ones, and I’m proud of that,” she added.
Turning the project into a small business also gave her a practical way to keep baking regularly.
“I thought, ‘what’s a good way to keep baking long term?’” she said. “Doing it for sale gives me a time and place to do something I love.”
Preparation takes about an hour, with Katsman helping mix batters and plan flavors.
“I couldn’t do it alone,” Azam said. “We prep the batters together and decide what flavors to bring.”
They then cook the donuts gradually in the atrium as customers stop by.
Running the operation requires extra effort behind the scenes.
Key ingredients such as rice flour and tapioca flour aren’t available locally, so Azam makes supply trips to Des Moines or Marshalltown.
“We try to stock up as much as possible,” she said. “We recently did a restock in Des Moines, and before that we had to go to Marshalltown when we ran out.”
The donut stand is only one part of her busy schedule. Azam also works two off-campus jobs at Viet Thai Taste Deli at 930 Main St. and Maytag Laundry & Tanning at 805 West St. Her work hours from those jobs total about 15 hours a week, she said.
To manage everything, she relies on daytime productivity.
“I try to get things done during the day,” she said. “At night, I’m usually too tired.”
Despite the packed schedule, Azam hopes to continue the venture throughout the semester, and potentially into the next academic year as well.
David Kurzman ‘96 • Mar 18, 2026 at 6:28 pm
Well done A’aisha an Matthew! Not everyone can take something they love and find the balance to make it into a business venture. That augurs well for your future.