The Founder

My name is Parshe Johnson, and I am the Founder of Something Sweet for the SouthSide.

I pride myself on being married to the love of my life for 20 years and having two beautiful young adult daughters. I am also a sister, friend, and community connector to many. 

I was born and raised in South Phoenix, a community rich in culture, resilience, and untapped potential. Like many youth growing up in underserved neighborhoods, I saw firsthand how limited access to resources, mentorship, and opportunities can impact a young person's future. Yet I also witnessed the strength, determination, and entrepreneurial spirit that exists within our community.

For more than 25 years, I have built my professional career as an Administrator at Costco, where I developed a passion for leadership, operations, customer service, and helping people grow. While I loved my career, I always knew there was another dream in my heart—one that would allow me to create something of my own and make a lasting impact on the community that helped shape me.

That dream became Sugar Star Sweet Treats.

What started as a hobby baking desserts for family and friends eventually grew into an award-winning business with federal trademarks, wholesale partnerships, corporate catering opportunities, and a fresh-baked cookie vending machine concept. Through the journey of building Sugar Star Sweet Treats, I learned that entrepreneurship is about much more than making money. It is about creating community, opportunities, building confidence, solving problems, and leaving a legacy.

My passion for entrepreneurship was inspired long before I ever started a business.

Some of my earliest lessons came from my grandparents, who taught me the value of hard work, perseverance, and serving others. They believed in making the most of what you have, helping your neighbors, and creating opportunities for the next generation. Their love, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to family planted seeds that continue to guide me today.

My passion for entrepreneurship and community service was inspired long before I ever started a business.

Some of my earliest lessons came from my grandparents, whose lives taught me what it truly means to serve others.

My Grandma Lou loved the Lord more than anyone I have ever known. Every time she answered the phone, she would say, "Praise the Lord, God is a good God, hello." She spent decades living in the Matthew Henson housing community, becoming such a beloved fixture that when the neighborhood was torn down, she was featured in a newspaper story as the longest-standing resident.

But what made Grandma Lou special wasn't how long she lived there—it was how she lived there.

She was the kind of person who never let anyone go hungry. Food boxes were often distributed from her front yard to families in need. She kept a folding chair on her porch where unhoused neighbors could sit while she handed them a hot meal served on a pie tin. They would eat right there on the porch, surrounded by her beautiful rose bushes, and return the tin when they were finished. She didn't have much, but she always found a way to share what she had.

My Grandma Campbell carried that same spirit. She often said, "There's always room for one more at my kitchen table." Her home was a place of warmth, acceptance, and belonging. No one was turned away, and everyone was treated like family.

My Grandpa Tilford embodied entrepreneurship before I even knew what the word meant. He built his family home in South Phoenix near 28th Street and Broadway with his own hands. He bartered skills and resources with neighbors, trading for plumbing, carpentry, and other work needed to complete the house. He showed me that building something meaningful requires vision, resourcefulness, and a community willing to work together.

Looking back, I realize that my grandparents were teaching me the foundations of entrepreneurship and leadership all along. They taught me that success isn't measured by what you accumulate, but by how many people you help along the way. They taught me that community matters, relationships matter, and every person deserves dignity, opportunity, and hope.

Those lessons became the foundation of Something Sweet for the SouthSide.

As I looked around South Phoenix, I began asking myself a simple question:

"What would have been possible if more young people had access to mentors, entrepreneurs, and real-world experiences?"

That question became the foundation of Something Sweet for the SouthSide.