Nick Rahe, owner of Ankeny's Cheeses n' Jesus Cheesecake Co., shares how surrendering his career in Eucharistic adoration led him to launch a Jesus-themed cheesecake business, despite never having baked one before. He also introduces the Catholic Business Alliance of Central Iowa, a new grassroots group for networking, fellowship, and supporting Catholic-owned businesses around Des Moines. Nick explains when and where the group meets and how local Catholics can get involved.
Nick Rahe, owner and operator of Cheeses n' Jesus Cheesecake Co., a home-based cheesecake company in Ankeny, joins Bo Bonner to talk faith, business, and building a Catholic economy in central Iowa. Nick shares how years of job-hopping and burnout brought him to adoration to surrender his work to God, and how a disappointing auction cheesecake sparked the idea for a business he says was guided step by step in prayer, from the name to the pricing. He baked his first cheesecake in April 2025; today he tops each one with an image of Jesus or the Catholic faith, perfect for baptisms, confirmations, weddings, and birthdays.
Nick also introduces the Catholic Business Alliance of Central Iowa, a grassroots group he co-founded about six months ago to raise awareness of Catholic-owned businesses and foster networking, fellowship, and referrals. Members have already helped each other with everything from website design to real estate. The group meets the second Wednesday of each month, 5:30–7:30 p.m., at Magee's Irish Pub & Eatery in Ankeny, a come-and-go, informal gathering. Find the group by searching "Catholic Business Alliance of Central Iowa" on Facebook.
Order cheesecakes at CheesesNJesus.com or find Cheeses n' Jesus Cheesecake Co. on Facebook.
Heard on the Catholic Morning Show, weekdays at 7 a.m. Central on Iowa Catholic Radio. More at IowaCatholicRadio.com.
#CatholicBusiness #CatholicEntrepreneur #EucharisticAdoration #FaithAndWork #Ankeny #DesMoines #IowaCatholicRadio #CatholicPodcast