Kindred Bakery BK

A nonprofit is on the “rise” in Flatbush, teaching baking fundamentals to young people on the autism spectrum while engaging them in their Brooklyn community.

Parents Nigel Thompson and Qiana Daniels, created Kindred Bakery BK out of a concern they share with many families over the quantity and quality of programs available for young adults living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), like their son Nigel Jr. The situation becomes even more complicated by the “disability cliff,” a point at which individuals with disabilities are considered too old for special education programs. In New York City, this generally happens when young adults reach the age of 21, with few programs that start where special education leaves off.

Thompson and Daniels found that not only is there a lack of programs, but when it comes to resources, not all neighborhoods are created equal. “There’s often a divide between the resources and programs available in Manhattan versus Flatbush. And we wanted to see more opportunities for people like Nigel Jr. to develop and thrive.”

As this duo reflect on Kindred Bakery BK’s origin story, they point out that Nigel Jr. always had an affinity for cooking. “Even as a child he enjoyed hanging out in the kitchen, beating eggs, and eating bread—especially pizza,” according to Daniels. “Seeing how he came alive in the kitchen, we decided to create a safe space for other individuals like Nigel Jr. to learn skills and become more self-sufficient in the process.”

Originally a self-funded project, Kindred Bakery BK launched as a full-fledged nonprofit in 2023 with a mission to offer opportunities for young adults on the autism spectrum who have historically been excluded from traditional skill-building pathways.

Through hands-on training in professional kitchens, the program provides participants with practical skills through social-emotional learning (SEL) and a STEAM-based curriculum. To be clear, this is not an adult daycare program. As Thompson and Daniels see it, their goal is to provide participants with a truly meaningful and impactful development opportunity.

Much like Nigel Jr., students in the Kindred Bakery BK program start their cooking journey by learning cooking fundamentals—and gradually expand their skillsets over the course of seven to 10 weeks. Program participants vary in age, ranging from 14 to 32. There’s also a 2:1 student-to-teacher ratio to ensure that students have close interaction with instructors. To date, the program has reached over 80 students.

While Kindred Bakery BK has so far primarily focused on skill building, they are also planning to expand into the area of workforce development in the coming year. “We want this to be an opportunity for the students to broaden their skill sets, face new challenges, and ultimately rise to the occasion,” explain the founders.

Because Kindred Bakery BK is such a unique program, it now attracts students from all across New York—not just Flatbush. And Brooklyn Org’s support will help it reach even more individuals and scale responsibly.

“We are thrilled to have this partnership with Brooklyn Org and we hope that it will inspire others to take us more seriously,” they explain. “We’re still learning—both as parents and operators of a nonprofit. And Brooklyn Org’s support is such a wonderful stamp of approval that validates our work and hopefully helps us engage with more families.”

If you’re interested in supporting this unique program, Kindred Bakery BK welcomes volunteers and holds pop-up shops at the end of a cohort, where program participants have the opportunity to interact with the public and practice their social skills.

Kindred Oat + Root Loaf

Kindred Bakery BK created a special bread recipe to share with Brooklyn Org that we published in our 2025 annual impact report — check it out on page 24 of the report here!