After hearing “no” one too many times, Collette Divitto made a bold choice: if no one would hire her, she’d create her own job.

“I just wanted to work like everyone else,” Collette says.

She wasn’t looking for handouts—just a chance. But as a young woman with Down syndrome, she kept running into the same brick wall: rejection.

So she turned her passion for baking into a business. Fueled by love, grit, and a recipe everyone adored, Collette built something extraordinary.

A Young Woman with Big Dreams

Collette grew up in Ridgefield, Connecticut, and later enrolled in a program at Clemson University in South Carolina. It was designed to teach job skills, math, and how to live independently. She loved it—and graduated early, ready to take on the world.

She moved to Boston at 24, determined to land a job and live on her own. She believed in herself. But the world didn’t always believe in her.

Rejected, But Not Broken

Collette went on six job interviews. Each one ended with a familiar phrase: “You’re not a good fit.”

Even when she volunteered—and was asked to take on more responsibility—her request to be paid was denied. Again and again.

“It was very disappointing,” her mother recalled. But Collette didn’t lose heart.

Turning Her Joy Into a Business

Since high school, Collette had loved to bake. “My family couldn’t get enough of my cookies,” she laughs. So she decided to give it a try—selling them, just to see what would happen.

She baked her signature cookies—soft, chewy chocolate chip, dusted in warm cinnamon sugar—and brought them to a local market. They sold out.

The Birth of Collettey’s Cookies

By late 2016, Collette had launched her company. At first, it was called Amazing Cookies. But soon, the name Collettey’s Cookies stuck—and so did the demand.

With help from her mother, Rosemary, and her sister, Blake, her story spread online. One month brought in 7,000 orders. Donations from a GoFundMe campaign helped her buy a commercial oven big enough to bake 5,000 cookies a day.

People weren’t just hungry for cookies—they were hungry for Collette’s story.

A Business with Heart

Collettey’s Cookies isn’t just about sweet treats. It’s about opportunity. Today, Collette employs 15 people and is training three more—all personally interviewed and trained by her.

Many of her team members also have disabilities. “I wanted to create jobs for people like me,” she says. “And show the world what we can do.”

Her Story Spreads

Collette now uses her platform to advocate for inclusion in the workplace. She regularly speaks to audiences about the importance of hiring people with disabilities and what true equity looks like.

“These cookies are more than just delicious,” said a longtime customer. “They’re baked with purpose.”

She also offers internships to young adults with disabilities, helping them gain experience, build confidence, and find their voice—just like she did.

From Bitterness to Sweetness

Collette turned rejection into recognition, and hardship into hope. With every cookie she bakes, she shares a message of courage, belief, and possibility.

Her story is a reminder that “disability” doesn’t mean “disqualified.” It means different abilities—and often, a different kind of brilliance.

And Collette? She’s just getting started.

Support Collettey’s Cookies, and help build a future where everyone gets a chance to shine.
 

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