Meet Mere Pace | Baker & Advocate

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mere Pace and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mere, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I have always had a passion for working with people with disabilities. I have worked at an all special needs private school in Dallas for the last 13 years. I spent 5 years as a teacher, and the last 8 I have worked to create paid employment positions out in the community for students that are graduating from our school. I have also always loved to bake. So the more I thought about it, I figured why not add my two passions together? I started baking with my students in the school cafeteria after school was over in the afternoons. What was a small “after school cookie club” very quickly grew into parents and friends wanting to place orders. I just hired my first employee; she has Down syndrome. I want to ensure that as I continue to grow, my mission remains the most important part of the business – building inclusivity and empowerment, one cookie at a time!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I think that Happy Flour is doing something different than other cookie shops out there. Our main purpose is to employ, educate, and live alongside people with intellectual disabilities. I am proud of the business I am building with my students, even though we are still super new. The last few months have been anything but easy. I have had to completely retrain my brain to be overly organized and prepared for anything. I have developed tasks in such a way that my students can work on them independently, or with a buddy. We have charts and spread sheets and task analyses galore! I have definitely learned that working one day with a student to make all of the cookie dough for the week, and then spending another day doing all of the baking, and finally one day doing the packaging has made our workflow much more seamless. It is definitely a lot of work, but it helps keep my brain, and my student’s brains organized and focused on the task of the day!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would definitely take them to places that are near and dear to my heart that employ my students day in and day out:
Lockhart Smokehouse in Bishop Arts
Beatnik Fine Goods in Bishop Arts
Sammy’s BBQ in Uptown
Avara in Bluffview
Dream Cafe in Uptown
Nodding Donkey in Uptown
Fuzzy Tacos in Highland Park
Emporium Pies in Bishop Arts and Deep Ellum
State and Allen in Uptown
Dallas Zoo
Perot Museum
Frontiers of Flight Museum
and most importantly, a big afternoon hike at the Trinity River Audubon Center!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My students at the Notre Dame School of Dallas. They are INCREDIBLE and capable and smart and independent and deserve all the recognition in the world. As a marginalized community, I think sometimes people think that people with special needs aren’t worthy of employment or independence in the real world. I would love for others to be able to see my student’s light and love and all of the skills they have to offer in the workforce.

Instagram: @happy.flour.dallas