By Bonnie Adams, Managing Editor
Photo/Bonnie Adams
Marlborough – Each month, over a hundred local businesswomen from all sectors come together for the Business Females Forward (BFF) meeting, the women’s networking group of the Corridor Nine Area Chamber of Commerce. Over lunch, the women enjoy networking with each other and then listening to a keynote speaker. At the Dec. 6 meeting, there was definitely a buzz in the air as the women welcomed a truly inspirational and pioneering speaker, Collette Divitto, a young woman with Down syndrome who is the founder and owner of Collettey’s Cookies.
During her speech, Divitto spoke of how she had tried time and again to find a job, only to be told she was not a good fit. So she decided to take matters into her own hands and start her own company selling cookies, where not only would she would have a job, but others with disabilities would also be employed.
Since starting Collettey’s Cookies, Divitto has sold thousands of cookies each month, thanks to profiles on major media outlets such as Good Morning America, MSNBC, and Inside Edition, among others.
But it’s not just her charming and inspiring personality that makes Divitto so successful. Her chocolate chip cinnamon cookies (made from her secret recipe) are decadently delicious and addictive. And her passion to help provide job opportunities for others with disabilities motivates her as she strives toward expanding her business into different retail establishments.
The next BFF meeting will be held Tuesday, Jan. 9, at the Courtyard by Marriott, 75 Felton St., Marlborough. Registration starts at 11:30 a.m. followed by lunch and guest speaker Hank Phillipi Ryan, an acclaimed TV reporter for WHDH-TV, who is also an award-winning mystery novelist.
The cost to attend is $24 for members of Corridor Nine and $44 for nonmembers. To register or for more information, visit www.corridornine.org or call 508-836-4444.
