Baking & Snack - June 2024 - 114

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT
PATRIOT ACT
D
Dog Tag Bakery isn't short on menu items. Armed with
an array of homemade sweet goods and sandwiches, the
Washington, DC-based bake shop has something for
just about everyone (all certified nut-free). From classic
dessert fare - blondies, brownies and cookies are
particularly popular - to seasonal favorites, including
Cherry Blossom Linzer cookies and Cherry Chocolate
Chip scones, Dog Tag's visitors certainly aren't in danger
of going hungry.
" We offer a wide variety of baked goods ranging
from cookies, cakes, brownies, mini pies, tarts, Danish,
biscuits and croissants, as well as seasonal features, " explained
DeAngelo Gamble, Dog Tag Bakery's director of
bakery operations. " We also make breakfast and lunch
sandwiches, including our honey thyme biscuits and
Morning Glory muffins. "
The food keeps customers returning, but there is
More than 300
military veterans
have completed
Dog Tag Bakery's
fellowship program.
Dog Tag Bakery
far more to the story of Dog Tag Bakery than cookies
and cakes.
Named after the identification tag worn by members
of all branches of the United States military, Dog Tag
Bakery was founded in 2014 by Connie Milstein and
Rev. Rick Curry. Both were avid bakers and pioneering
advocates for military families. Milstein served as an attorney
for the Coast Guard's Board for the Correction
of Military Records and is a founding board member of
Blue Star Families, while Curry, who died in 2015, created
the Wounded Warriors Writers Program.
Milstein and Curry believed that a bakery would
serve as a place to empower transitioning veterans and
military families. To that end, Dog Tag Bakery, in tandem
with Georgetown University, founded a fellowship
program designed to combine business education with
wellness and learning labs. The program also provides
practical training in presentation, accounting, resume
review, pitching and marketing. Graduates of the program
receive a business certificate from the university
and practical lessons from the bakery and industry
professionals. The program runs twice a year for five
months in both Chicago and Washington, DC, which allows
more veterans and their spouses to participate.
" Dog Tag empowers our veterans with serviceconnected
disabilities, military spouses and caregivers to
find renewed purpose and community through an unexpected
combination of a bakery and a classroom, " explained
Gamble. " We use our bakery as a living business
school and community hub, teaching entrepreneurship
through the lens of the daily operations of running a bakery.
Fellows not only conceptualize businesses in the food
industry but also consultancy, textiles, photography, art,
finance, and many other goods and services. "
For more information about Dog Tag Bakery and its
fellowship program, visit www.dogtaginc.org.
- Keith Moore
114 Baking & Snack June 2024 / www.bakingbusiness.com
Dog Tag Bakery's fellowship program provides industry
training for military veterans and their families.
http://www.dogtaginc.org http://www.bakingbusiness.com
Baking & Snack - June 2024

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