Pastry Chef Paola Velez of Kith/Kin (Washington D.C.) was almost broken by the restaurant industry many times throughout her career, and a pandemic forcing her to go on furlough should have been the breaking point. But Paola's fierce passion and eternal optimism pushed her to create a meaningful, collaborative project: Bakers Against Racism.

Paola and her co-founders' vision began as a way for bakers of all calibers to use their skill sets as a way to combat systemic racism. It has since snowballed into a worldwide effort with sales underway on 5 continents, 17 countries, and more than 41 states. Listen to Paola's story, from her start in pastry to her current activism, on Radio Cherry Bombe.

Follow @BakersAgainstRacism on Instagram + treat yourself in the name of a good cause while you're at it.