11:30AM-1PM Luncheon
Governor Hotel
614 SW 11th Avenue
Portland, OR 97205

How Dave Dahl of Dave's Killer Bread Turned a Pipe Dream into a Bread Empire

Abstract:

Dave Dahl has not lived the easiest life.  It was an unfulfilled life with crime, drugs, loss and failure. After 15 years in prison, his mind was straight, and ANYTHING he decided to do was going to be successful.

Dave followed his father’s footsteps, and decided to bake “irresistible” into the best loaf of bread he possibly could.

Dave grew up in a family of bakers, led by his father, James, who in 1955 started NatureBake.  All of Dave’s siblings (including his brother, Glenn, who would later succeed James in running the show) spent their youth helping out in the family business.   Upon completing his last prison sentence, Dave felt the urge to turn his life around, start repairing the bridges that had been burned over the years, and begin contributing something positive to society:  "A lot of years had passed since I worked in the family bakery, and I hadn’t even considered whether doing it again was an option, but suddenly it all seemed to make perfect sense.  I belonged back with my brother, Glenn, and his bakery more than I ever had.”

Come listen to Dave share his story, a story of determination, a story of going from the lowest of the lows to creating a Portland bread empire.  There is a story here for all of us.

Dave's Bio:

1963:    Born, January 12
1987:    Burglary I, Theft I, and Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle (Oregon)
Sentence: 7 years, released on parole after 9 months
1989:    Possession, Petty Larceny (Wyoming) 1989
Served: 90 days
1989:    Armed Robbery (Massachusetts)
Sentence: 5-7 years (Walpole)…served 54 months
1994:    Robbery II (Oregon)
Sentence: 24 months…served 18
1997:    Assault II, Delivery of a Controlled Substance II, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm (Oregon)
Sentence: 115 months + 3 month parole sanction…served 88 months (early release due to drug program)
2005:    Released from prison, begins working at NatureBake
2005:    Debut at Portland Farmers’ Market’s
2005:    Bread sold in Food Front, Peoples’, Food Fight, New Seasons
2006:    Bread sold in Fred Meyer, Whole Foods in Portland and Eugene
2007:    Bread distributed and sold to Metropolitan Market in Seattle.
2008:    Bread distributed and sold in Puget Sound with 4 Whole Foods Stores, 9 PCC’s, 6 Central Markets, Fred Meyer, Bellingham Co-op, Skagit Valley Co-op, Sno-Isle Co-op and more.
2009  Dave's Killer Bread made available at 20 Oregon, Washington, and Idaho Costco's.
 

Shauna's Bio:
Shauna teams up with Wayne Garcia to anchor the Emmy award winning "The 10 O'Clock News" weeknights on FOX 12. The newscast was recently honored as the top-rated prime-time newscast in the country. When opportunity came knocking back in 2000, Shauna jumped at the chance to work in Portland. One stroll through the city, one drive to the coast, and she and her husband were sold.

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