In 2016, Julie Sullivan-Loos returned home from working in Uganda, where she had been in charge of an employment training program for women overcoming poverty. Back in her hometown of Portland, Oregon, Julie wanted to continue her work and saw the need for a similar program right at home - but she needed a product.

During Julie’s search for the right product to pair with her training program, she met Carolyn Cesario.

In the years leading up to their friendship, Carolyn had been working hard in her home kitchen creating delicious sugar-free and nut-free nut butters because of her own dietary constraints and not loving anything on the market.

The duo put their ideas together and launched Ground Up PDX in June 2016, making their first couple batches with a Cuisinart. Over the past four years they’ve gone from selling their nut butters at farmer’s markets to shipping nationwide and landing a spot in local Whole Foods. And I can confirm, their nut butters are out of this world delicious!

But the nut butter isn’t the only life-changing part of Julie and Carolyn’s business.

Ground Up PDX is changing lives of women all over the Portland area by providing job opportunities to women overcoming adversity. The Ground Up employment training is helping women gain more than just job skills. Through an individualized approach of mentorship and on-the-job training, these women gain the confidence needed to transition to their next phase of life.