Entrepreneur Plus - Short White
For Subscribers

A Family Business With an Open-Minded Hiring PolicyDave's Killer Bread, a Milwaukie, Ore.-based family business, gives ex-cons a second chance.

ByJohn Patrick Pullen

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Six feet tall with the proportions of an action figure, Dave Dahl has arms thicker than most people's legs, a snowplow of a jaw, long hair and a chest that looks overstuffed with pride. As he swaggers through the bakery of his Milwaukie, Ore.-based company,Dave's Killer Bread, it's easy to imagine him walking around a prison courtyard--a circuit Dahl has walked many times.

A self-described "four-time loser," Dahl spent more than 15 years in prison, on charges ranging from armed robbery to dealing methamphetamine. In 1997 alone, he was arrested five times in three different counties. During his last prison stint, Dahl became suicidal. "I was ready," he admits. "It was over for me."

Continue reading this article — and all of our other premium content with Entrepreneur+

Join the internet’s leading entrepreneur community! With your subscription you’ll get:

  • Unlimited access, including premium content
  • No ads
  • Subscription to狗万官方magazine
  • Four free e-books a year
  • Subscriber-only events with our experts

Editor's Pick

Lock
A Majority of Workers Despise Annoying Corporate Buzzwords.So Why Do We Keep Using Them?
The Real Reason You Procrastinate andExpert Strategies to Overcoming It
Lock
Queen Latifah Says Female Leaders Must DoThese Four Things If They Want to Succeed
Lock
Want to Make Money as a Freelancer?Avoid This Mistake That Can Cost You Clients.

Related Topics

Real Estate

How to Start Investing in Real Estate With as Little as $5,000

Getting started with real estate investment might be easier than you think.

Money & Finance

The Fake Heiress Who Scammed One of the Richest Men in America

伊丽莎白“贝蒂”绑架从未见过一张1美元的钞票he didn't try to steal. Find out if her propensity for pilfering paid off on this week's episode of "Dirty Money."

Science & Technology

Ex-Employees Admit to Getting Revenge on Their Former Companies — Here's How

It fits into the bigger picture of workers' discontent across the U.S.