A Company Social Responsibility Program With Results

Hot Bread Kitchen seeks to empower minority women through on-the-job training.  They employ first-generation immigrants and teach them the skills they need to become accomplished bakers. They offer mentoring programs that include English classes, business training, kitchen skills and baking knowledge that will empower workers to get great jobs in kitchens throughout New York City.  The kitchen is also a small business incubator that empowers minority business owners to start their own companies in the baking industry. Hot Bread’s company social responsibility program has led to an increase in the number of women who work in the baking industry.

Employee Focused

The Hot Bread company is special because it focuses exclusively on its employees. The mission goes beyond just training and supporting workers. Hot Bread is a new kind of company, one that takes care of its employees in every way. They are a nurturing company, providing a nine month long paid training program for minority and foreign born women. Through the program, the women learn to work as bakers. They also learn leadership skills and gain the tools they need to become small business owners. These women, in turn, give back to the community by opening their own small businesses and creating employment.

Jessamyn Rodriguez, founder and CEO of Hot Bread, found her life’s purpose through her love of baking bread. She realized early on that most bakery jobs were going to men. Baking is a growing industry, with potential for advancement. Rodriguez wanted to level the playing field and get more women involved in the business. Part of her driving purpose is to create competent bakers and businesswomen who can become self-sufficient and set an example for others.

New Ways to Serve Bread

Rodriguez further extends her company social responsibility goals by having the women at the bakery design new bread products. The delicious breads are based on each woman’s cultural heritage. All the profits from selling the bread go back into the training program. This is a fine example of how a for profit company can also be a social enterprise. Rodriguez is a savvy businesswoman and a social entrepreneur. She works hard to balance her social goals with the need to keep everything going for women in the future.

A fresh idea, hard work, and sustainable practices. These are the backbone of any company social responsibility mission. Hot Bread achieves these ideals by nurturing talent and helping women stand on their own.