Deniz grew up in a home filled with the aromas of her mother’s baking.
Bread, cheesecakes, pretzels — the rhythms of a German kitchen shaped her earliest memories. When she eventually came to the United States, she carried that warmth with her and a dream: to open a little bakery of her own.
But a dream and a business are different things. Deniz had questions. How would she share her product? How would she market it? The gap between passion and practice felt wide.
That’s where Can-Do Kalamazoo came in.
Through workshops, business camps, and one-on-one consulting, Can-Do helped Deniz build the skills and confidence to turn her vision into something real. “They were really helpful and I could tell they wanted me to succeed,” she said. “I could feel that.”
Today, Deniz owns and operates Brot & Butter, an artisan bakery bringing handcrafted German baked goods to Kalamazoo. Can-Do Kalamazoo, she says, taught her something essential: “I can share a taste of Germany and the love of my mother with the world.”
Can-Do Kalamazoo supports small business owners across the Kalamazoo area through training, coaching, and resources designed to help entrepreneurs start and grow sustainable businesses. Learn more at candokalamazoo.org.
