Management & Team
Paint a Pot Café is led by a highly capable, hands-on management team with complementary strengths in project management, operations, finance, creative direction, and customer experience. The team’s combined expertise ensures strong day-to-day execution, strategic decision-making, and long-term sustainability. The staffing model is intentionally lean in Year 1, with owners providing direct operational support and leadership.
Leadership Team
| Name | Role | Experience & Qualifications |
|---|---|---|
| Leah Menasche | Founder & General Manager | Entrepreneurial project manager and creative strategist with extensive experience in operations, customer experience, and multicultural community engagement. Leah oversees daily operations, marketing, customer experience, inventory management, programming, and strategic partnerships. Her leadership ensures a warm, inclusive, and high-quality studio environment. Leah is unpaid in Year 1 to support strong cash flow and reinvestment. |
| Timothy Menasche | Operations & Finance Lead | Experienced operations designer with a background in systems optimization, financial modeling, and process development. Timothy leads financial oversight, operational systems, staff training, and performance analysis. His work ensures efficiency, scalability, and strong financial discipline. Timothy is unpaid in Year 1 to support startup sustainability. |
| Marianela | Creative & Studio Advisor | Professional ceramic artist and studio advisor with deep expertise in pottery techniques, glazing, firing, and creative programming. Marianela supports curriculum development, studio setup, and quality control, ensuring a high standard of craftsmanship and customer experience. |
Year 1 Staffing Model
The business launches with a lean staffing structure designed to maintain high-quality service while keeping operating expenses low. This model is fully integrated into the confirmed annual OPEX of $84,340.
| Role | Hours / Month | Hourly Rate | Monthly Cost | Key Responsibilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio Assistant | 60 hrs | $18/hr | $1,080 | Customer support, glazing, kiln loading/unloading, studio maintenance, project guidance |
| Café Attendant (Phase 2) | 30 hrs | $18/hr | $540 | Beverage preparation, café service, POS support, cross-trained for studio tasks |
| Total Monthly Labor Cost | $1,620 | Included in OPEX |
Team Strengths
- Hands-on leadership with strong operational and financial expertise
- Cross-trained staff for maximum flexibility and efficiency
- Lean labor model supports strong cash flow and profitability
- Deep creative and technical knowledge in ceramics and studio operations
- Strong customer experience and community engagement focus
Future Staffing (Years 2–3)
As customer volume increases, the business will add additional part-time staff to support expanded programming, increased studio traffic, and full café service. Staffing expansion will be demand-driven and financially conservative, ensuring payroll scales responsibly with revenue growth.
Roles & Responsibilities Diagram
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
┌──────────────────────────┐
│ OWNERSHIP │
│ Leah & Timothy (Co‑Owners)
└──────────────┬───────────┘
│
▼
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
CORE MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
┌──────────────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────────────┐
│ GENERAL MANAGEMENT │ │ OPERATIONS & SYSTEMS │
│ Lead: Leah │ │ Lead: Timothy │
│ • Customer experience │ │ • Process design │
│ • Marketing & branding │ │ • Financial oversight │
│ • Scheduling & staffing │ │ • Staff training │
└──────────────┬──────────┘ └──────────────┬───────────┘
│ │
▼ ▼
┌──────────────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────────────┐
│ STUDIO OPERATIONS │ │ CAFÉ OPERATIONS │
│ Lead: Studio Assistant │ │ Lead: Café Attendant │
│ • Customer support │ │ • Beverage service │
│ • Glazing & cleanup │ │ • POS transactions │
│ • Kiln loading/unloading│ │ • Cross-trained support │
└──────────────┬──────────┘ └──────────────┬───────────┘
│ │
▼ ▼
┌──────────────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────────────┐
│ CREATIVE & STUDIO ADVISOR│ │ INVENTORY MANAGEMENT │
│ Lead: Marianela │ │ Lead: Leah │
│ • Curriculum design │ │ • Ordering & suppliers │
│ • Quality control │ │ • Stock rotation │
│ • Firing guidance │ │ • Cost control │
└──────────────────────────┘ └──────────────────────────┘
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
NOTES:
• Owners are unpaid in Year 1 to support strong cash flow.
• Staff are cross-trained to maximize efficiency and customer experience.
• Labor model aligns with OPEX and financial projections.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Skills Matrix
The following Skills Matrix highlights the strengths and complementary expertise of the Paint a Pot Café leadership team and support staff. This matrix demonstrates strong operational capability, creative depth, financial discipline, and customer-focused execution.
| Skill Area | Leah Founder & General Manager |
Timothy Operations & Finance Lead |
Marianela Creative & Studio Advisor |
Studio Assistant | Café Attendant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Experience | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ |
| Studio Operations | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ |
| Ceramics & Firing Expertise | ★★★☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Operations & Systems | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Financial Management | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Creative Direction | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Marketing & Branding | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Inventory Management | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Food & Beverage Service | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★★★★ |
| Community Engagement | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ |
This Skills Matrix demonstrates a well-rounded team with strong leadership, operational capability, creative expertise, and customer-focused execution. The combination of owner leadership, professional ceramics guidance, and cross-trained support staff ensures a high-quality experience and sustainable growth.