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Collette Divitto, changing the world one cookie at a time.
32-year-old Collette is the founder and head of Boston based Collettey's Cookies, a seven-year-old company which has already sold over a 1/2-million cookies!
But what makes this story so unusual is that Collette was born with Down syndrome, and in her childhood was bullied and rejected.
(Story continues from "Read More")
Despite these issues, Collette did well enough in high school to attend Clemson University, and in 2013 completed a three-year LIFE program in only two-years.
Collette then moved to Boston where there were plenty of job opportunities. But after numerous job interviews, she received rejections from ALL of them.
A typical email response might read: "It was great to meet you, Collette, but at this time we feel you are not a good fit for our company."
But Collette didn't quit. She had a passion for baking, and developed and tested several cookie recipes, the most popular being her cinnamon chocolate chip cookie.
With the help of her mother and her sister, she formed Collettey's Cookies and convinced a local store to carry what she called, "The Amazing Cookie."
More stores followed.
Then in late 2016, the CBS TV Boston affiliate told her story on their nightly news, and the orders poured in. The national news then shared her story which went viral.
Knowing the problems disabled people endure when seeking work, as Collettey's Cookies grows, Collette intends to expand her business and provide jobs for them.
After overcoming so many problems, what is Collette's advice? "No matter who you are, you can make a good difference in this world," she told CNBC.
Editor's Note: To learn more cnbc.com/video/2022/01/06/how-this-woman..., colletteys.com/# and facebook.com/colletteyscookies/
The ClemsonLIFE program prepares qualified students with intellectual disabilities for quality employment and independent living.
In the next KazanToday: A man who risked his life to save a mother and her 4-year-old child.
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