• by Tanya Gazdik , September 1, 2015

JetBlue Airways has chosen the first winner of its BlueBud business mentoring program.

New York-based Hot Bread Kitchen will receive mentorship, access to JetBlue's business leaders and the airline's product development culture, as well as industry insights. Ultimately, the airline is offering Hot Bread Kitchen the opportunity to learn what it takes to get their products into the aviation space.

The BlueBud (buddies and budding new companies) initiative is focused on responsible food offerings. Applicants for the first program included small food companies that are creating unique and novel concepts.

The bakery was chosen because of its efforts to build lasting economic security for foreign-born and low-income women by introducing them to professional opportunities in the culinary industry. The partnership will ideally increase awareness for the bakery, ultimately impacting profits.

Both JetBlue and Hot Bread Kitchen are merging innovation and customer experience with social impact, says Sophia Mendelsohn, JetBlue's head of sustainability.

"Our overall goal is to support a diverse range of companies and whole food products made right here in New York State,” Mendelsohn says in a release. “Not only will this partnership help Hot Bread Kitchen prosper, it will ultimately have a direct impact benefitting immigrant and low-income women as they prepare to enter the workforce."

Hot Bread Kitchen offers two programs: a job training that helps women with barriers to employment prepare for careers in the culinary industry and HBK Incubates: a food business support program. Hot Bread Kitchen provides hands-on baking training as well as classroom-based education to seed a new generation of bakers.

To fund its programs, Hot Bread Kitchen sells a line of multi-ethnic breads inspired by the diverse group of women they serve including Persian flatbreads, Moroccan M'smen, Mexican Nixtamal Tortillas, Bangladeshi Chapati and Armenian Lavash. Hot Bread Kitchen products are made without chemical preservatives, additives, flavors or colors. The bakery sources locally grown grain and produce to make truly New York-centric bread.

The bakery’s personnel will get a tour of JetBlue's Long Island City Support Center headquarters, its largest operation at JFK's Terminal 5 (T5) and an airline catering facility to better understand how food (literally) gets onboard JetBlue.

Also included is a speaking and taste-testing event opportunity for JetBlue's crewmembers to learn more about Hot Bread Kitchen at the airline's Long Island City Support Cente and a tasting event for JetBlue customers.