Firebrand is a mission-driven bakery, focusing on hiring people who are formerly homeless or incarcerated while making damn good artisan breads in the East Bay. Firebrand was born out of founder Matt Kreutz's determination to make the best damn bread possible while building a business that helps people. From his first job in a bakery at the age of 14, he was hooked on working in the food business and has never had a job outside of it since 1995. The people in the food industry have always been special to him and wanted to create a workplace that truly values their hard work and skill. Firebrand wanted to change how people are treated in the industry and truly honor the service profession. Growing up in the punk scene also fostered that DIY ethics, a sense of ownership, and unity. He was really into Minor Threat and all about bands that were all about independence and building a sense of community. In 2008, when he opened the bakery, Matt had been living in the Bay Area for a decade and had seen many of my punk rock friends fleeing to Oakland. He’d always loved the area, loved the community spirit and strong sense of place that Oakland has. When Firebrand was started, he knew what we wanted to do but had no idea that so many incredible people would rally around them to make it happen. From Alan Scott’s oven design, Colleen Orlando’s dedication, and chefs like Michael Mina—the people at Firebrand make it special and he's fortunate to work with some of the best people he has known. It was always about the people.