Description

In 2008, two longtime friends, Geoff Gordon and Keith Cooper, started the Providence Granola Project, which provides international refugees with jobs: making artisanal granola. Here, the founders discuss their business plan.

Why granola? K.C.: Granola was an easy choice, because I’ve been making it for a long time, and everyone liked my recipe. And it was a convenient way to teach nutrition.

How many refugees have participated in the program so far? K.C.: With us, 21. Almost all of them have gone on to find better jobs. I’m really pleased with that. There are so few opportunities for people who are not literate or culturally literate to enter the job market.

How many of the refugees you’ve worked with had never heard of granola before? K.C.: Oh, all of them.

What do they think of it? K.C.: The one complaint, if they have one, is that it’s a little sweet. A lot of them are just not used to sugar.

Do you consider yourselves to be ‘‘granola’’? G.G.: I don’t think people would necessarily look at us and think ‘‘granola.’’ K.C.: You have to be kind of hip.