Though she majored in accounting as an undergraduate, she chose to enter the baking industry after graduation. Not only did she win the national championship at the finals of the National Baking Industry Vocational Skills Competition, but she was also honored with the title of "National Technical Expert" by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. As her skills reached perfection, she transformed her personal achievements into a legacy of passing on knowledge , founding a vocational baking school that has trained over 6,000 professionals in Western baking, helping them realize their dreams of employment and entrepreneurship.

As the CEO of Nanjing Zihe Food Co., Ltd. and the principal of Nanjing Zihe Vocational Training School, Li Yaping has demonstrated through her 11-year career that professional labels are never limitations. Through relentless self-reinvention and perseverance, a cross-disciplinary journey can often yield even sweeter successes.

"First Leap": A Sweet Escape from the Digital World

In the summer of 2013, Li Yaping graduated from Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology with a degree in accounting. After four years of specialized study, she seamlessly joined a financial firm, embarking on what seemed like a predictable career path.

However, fate had an unexpected turn in store. "By chance, I encountered fondant cakes, which completely reshaped my understanding of desserts. I never imagined sugar could be transformed into such exquisite art," she recalled. At that moment, the digital world paled in comparison, and a new possibility blossomed within her: "Perhaps I too could create beauty like this?"

At the time, creative baking was still emerging in China, and fondant techniques were largely unfamiliar. Determined to pursue this passion, Li Yaping traveled to Shenyang for training. At the Black Swan Cake Studio, under the renowned Holiland brand, she encountered artisanal cakes priced at six figures—delicate sugar-crafted rose petals, thin as cicada wings, shimmering with a pearl-like glow under the light. It felt as if the doors to the world of baking arts had opened for her.

In November 2014, with her family’s full support, Li Yaping officially entered the baking industry. Her parents’ reasoning was simple: "Food is essential to life—venturing into the food business is always a safe bet."

But reality soon gave the budding entrepreneur a bitter taste of the commercial world. The rented space she secured lacked the three-phase electrical supply needed to operate large baking equipment, threatening to turn her investment of over 200,000 RMB into a total loss. Facing this setback, she negotiated with the landlord to sublease the space and recover part of the funds.

Undaunted, Li Yaping regrouped and eventually opened a baking studio near her home, specializing in fondant cakes. At a time when baked goods were still a niche market, she keenly captured the pulse of "ritual economy," positioning her brand as "Your Personal Dessert Consultant." While most competitors focused on traditional pastries, she pioneered customized wedding fondant cakes and themed desserts for corporate events. By actively collaborating with wedding planners and luxury hotels, she gradually carved out a stable foothold in the market.

Li Yaping reflected, "No step in life is ever wasted—every move counts." Her background in accounting never became a barrier to her transition; instead, it transformed into a unique competitive advantage. The precision required in baking, where recipes demand gram-level accuracy, mirrored the exacting standards of financial reporting. "The rigorous mindset cultivated through accounting training made me exceptionally attentive to every detail in baking," she remarked, her eyes shining with confidence. Moreover, her professional skills in cost calculation and process management gave her a significant edge in running her business.

"Second Leap": Refining Championship Sweetness with Craftsmanship

As her baking studio gained steady traction, Li Yaping felt an unexpected void amid the daily hustle: "Skills shouldn’t be confined to a small counter. What if I could teach my techniques to more people and create greater value?"

After thorough market research, she identified a critical gap: traditional baking training programs relied on outdated curricula with minimal hands-on practice, leaving graduates ill-prepared for industry demands. Yet the more she contemplated starting a training school, the heavier the pressure grew: "If my own skills aren’t truly refined, how can I confidently teach others?"

This sparked a relentless pursuit of mastery. From foundational fondant techniques to Western pastries, chocolate work, bread baking, Korean frosting, and even coffee artistry, she immersed herself in every specialty. She apprenticed under top-tier domestic masters and traveled abroad to learn from renowned experts in Japan, South Korea, and France. "If I’m going to learn, I’ll learn from the best," she declared. Over the years, she invested hundreds of thousands of yuan in honing her craft.

True baking artistry requires not only time to ferment but also tempering in the competitive arena. In 2019, when Li Yaping first competed nationally, her solid technical skills were overshadowed by limited creative expression and on-the-spot adaptability. During post-competition reflection, she realized: "My work was technically flawless but lacked a soul-stirring narrative." This inspired her to systematically study award-winning pieces from international competitions, learning how to infuse artistic depth into her creations.

By October 2023, when she stood on the stage of the 24th National Baking Vocational Skills Competition finals, she faced an even fiercer challenge: creating one main cake and six supporting desserts in just four hours. The main cake demanded mirror-smooth frosting, seamless piping, and precise fondant sculpting, while the desserts had to match perfectly in weight, size, and flavor. Beyond technical execution, creativity was equally critical. This time, she centered her theme on "The Grand Beauty of China," using sugar as her brush and the cake as her canvas to depict an evocative Eastern landscape. Her fusion of technical mastery and cultural storytelling ultimately earned her the championship in Western pastry skills.

To this day, Li Yaping remains an avid learner, regularly attending top baking exhibitions worldwide to study emerging techniques and trends. "Every industry crowns its masters, but mastery isn’t innate—it demands passion, persistence, and the courage to break new ground," she affirms.

"Third Leap": Crafting a New Formula for Vocational Education  

On February 22, 2021, Nanjing Zihe Vocational Training School was officially established in the Gulou District of Nanjing. Through its bright glass windows, one could see a dozen students wearing chef hats intently following their instructor’s guidance as they meticulously shaped nearly formed round cakes with spatulas. The warm glow of incandescent lights illuminated the wooden worktables, creating an atmosphere of focused creativity.

The founding of the vocational school injected new momentum into Li Yaping’s Zihe Food enterprise. The growing number of instructors and students enriched the company’s product system, while the integration of enterprise and educational models significantly enhanced the practical skills of trainees. That same year, Zihe was recognized as an official training institution for human resources and social security vocational qualifications, paving a broad career development path for its students. The majority of graduates found employment at renowned baking companies, achieving an overall employment rate of 90%. Notably, about 30% of trainees chose to start their own businesses, successfully launching personal baking studios or branded stores, thereby creating numerous job opportunities for the community.

After more than four years of development, the school—spanning nearly 1,000 square meters—has trained over 6,000 professionals in Western baking, directly or indirectly generating employment for nearly a thousand individuals. Most students have obtained national vocational skill level certifications, with more than 200 achieving advanced or higher-level qualifications.

With 11 years of deep immersion in the baking industry, Li Yaping has witnessed its remarkable evolution. As baked goods became a staple of daily consumption, the market grew increasingly competitive. How could she help students carve out their own niche in this "red ocean"? Zihe Training developed a systematic solution: foundational stages focus on standardized skills, advanced courses emphasize innovation, and entrepreneurship guidance is integrated throughout—all while partnering with human resources departments to offer official vocational certifications.

Li Yaping personally visited factories in Guangzhou, Fujian, and Jiangxi to study large-scale production lines and learn advanced standardization techniques, ensuring her curriculum aligned seamlessly with market needs. "Education must stay ahead of the market," she insists. "We teach the skills of tomorrow."

In 2024, Li Yaping led Zihe Baking to win the Excellence Award in the 12th "Win in Nanjing" Youth Entrepreneurship Competition. Recognized as a model for "promoting employment through entrepreneurship," the venture secured investment support from Nanjing Innovation Investment Group and the Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau.

With this backing, Li Yaping is now building a new ecosystem for baking education—upgrading "Zihe 1.0" to "Zihe 2.0." The goal is to create a practical training base that combines employment and entrepreneurship, allowing students to gain real-world experience through "pre-employment" and "simulated startup" programs. The initiative also offers end-to-end support, from store partnerships to brand incubation, transitioning from "periodic training" to "lifetime growth partnerships."

A representative from Nanjing Innovation Investment Group’s Future Industry Investment Department commented: "As a state-owned venture capital institution, we evaluate projects based on multidimensional value—economic benefits, local industry synergy, and social impact. Zihe, identified through our collaboration with the Human Resources Department, stands out not only for its professional expertise but also for its sustainable model integrating education, training, and employment. By amplifying the multiplier effect of entrepreneurship-driven employment, it aligns perfectly with current policies promoting job creation and industry growth. Zihe’s support system for technical talent exemplifies the value of vocational leadership in the new era."

Given the right temperature and time, dreams can rise into astonishing forms. From accountant to baker, entrepreneur to educator, Li Yaping has completed a remarkable "triple jump" in her career. Today, she guides her students to push boundaries with resilience and define success with sweetness—empowering each individual to achieve their own leap of value.

Source: Venture Capital Group 

Reviewed by: Xue Yao 

Published by: You Yi