Celebrating Mothers!

Tramy Thi Le, our GM of Wholesale Pastry, raised two daughters while managing a large team at Macrina. 

Penelope Phan is set to graduate with honors from Smith College, one of the nation’s best, on May 19, 2024. She has been accepted into a master’s program and dreams of becoming a university professor. No one is prouder than her mother, Tramy Thi Le, our GM of Wholesale Pastry, and a working mom. Her younger daughter, Paulina, a high school senior, will attend Bryn Mawr College in the fall — another prestigious school. “My goal was to have both daughters get their bachelor’s degrees,” says Tramy. “I’m so proud of them. God keeps us in his good hands.” Originally from Vietnam, Tramy moved to Seattle with her then-husband in 2000, seeking a fresh start and a better life. Three months after arriving, she began working at Macrina. Following a divorce in 2012, she faced the challenges of being a single working mother. “Macrina was very supportive,” Tramy recalls. “They offered me flexibility when I needed time off for my daughters’ appointments.” Tramy's mother also played a crucial role in raising the girls, traveling back and forth from Vietnam over eight years to provide support.  “Tramy has two wonderful daughters and still maintains a demanding work schedule with us at Macrina,” says Leslie Mackie, Macrina’s founder. “I attribute our success in wholesale pastry to her. She worked in retail pastry for four years and learned our foundational recipes and more detailed finishing with cakes and tarts, which helped us develop more wholesale pastry offerings.” Since 2013, Tramy has been the general manager of our wholesale pastry team, which now includes over 50 people, mostly Vietnamese immigrants. Tramy, who studied English at Seattle Central Community College, is fluent in both English and Vietnamese. With 24 years of professional baking experience and a background as a teacher in Vietnam, she effectively trains new hires as our department continues to grow. Reflecting on the dual challenges of being a primary caregiver and having a demanding career, Tramy emphasizes her continuous learning journey. “When my daughters were teenagers, they had changing needs, and I had to adapt my parenting style to support them better,” she explains. “I worked on controlling my emotions and staying calm.” Remaining positive is a hallmark of Tramy’s leadership at Macrina. She is an effective communicator who leads by example and listens carefully to her crew — usually with a smile on her face.  “I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to grow myself at Macrina,” says Tramy. “Balancing motherhood and managing a team hasn’t always been easy, but my daughters appreciate very much all I do for them. I’m incredibly proud of them.”