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Matt Kreutz Bakes Bread for the Long Shift
He started with a bagel-shop work permit, survived the bakery's leanest years, and eventually put 51 percent of Firebrand into a purpose trust. For Matt Kreutz, bread is a durable way to make a good job.
Firebrand Artisan Breads
Firebrand Artisan Breads is an Oakland-founded, Alameda-based wood-fired bakery that describes itself as a jobs program that happens to sell bread. Founded in 2008 by Matt Kreutz, it wholesales artisan breads and pastries to hundreds of Bay Area retailers - including Whole Foods - and runs a direct retail cafe. Its defining feature is an Open Hiring model that prioritizes people with high barriers to employment (formerly incarcerated, formerly homeless), paired with a perpetual purpose trust that locks the mission in permanently and shares profits with workers.