<div>My name is Zach, and I’m the founder of Brass Monkey Bread Co. After four years of growing this bakery from a tiny home project into a beloved part of South Philly’s food and mutual aid community, I’m asking for your help to take the next step: opening a brick-and-mortar sourdough bakery rooted in craft, creativity, and community care.
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<div>I’m not asking the community to carry this alone —I’ll be taking out a loan, and I’m contributing my own money, an inheritance I received after losing both of my parents within a year of each other. Their love and legacy will live in this bakery.
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<div><strong>Why We’re Raising $100,000</strong>
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<div><strong>️ Build-Out &amp; Space Preparation</strong>
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<div>• Rent, deposits, and initial lease fees
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<div>• Electrical, plumbing, and ventilation upgrades
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<div>• Flooring, lighting, and accessibility improvements
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<div><strong>⚙️ Commercial Bakery Equipment</strong>
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<div>• Mixers, ovens, and proofers
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<div>• Refrigeration and freezers
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<div>• Bagel kettle and production tools
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<div>• Stainless prep tables, sinks, and shelving
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<div><strong> Licensing, Permits &amp; Launch Costs</strong>
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<div>• Health department certifications
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<div>• Insurance
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<div>• Early payroll to support staff during startup
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<div><strong>❤️ Community Infrastructure</strong>
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<div>• Free community pantry, fridge, and library
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<div>• Youth internship program setup
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<div>• Baking classes
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<div>• Artist &amp; maker display installations
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<div>Your donations will directly match the personal $100,000 I’m investing, giving this bakery a strong, sustainable foundation.
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<div><strong>What Brass Monkey Bread Co. Will Offer</strong>
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<div>A sourdough bakery featuring:
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<div>• Naturally leavened bagels (classic + experimental)
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<div>• House-made schmears
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<div>• Rotating sourdough breads
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<div>• Signature Tomato Pie
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<div>• Seasonal sandwiches, soups &amp; focaccias
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<div>• Locally roasted coffee
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<div>• Collaborations, specials, and limited drops
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<div>More than anything, it will be a space where people feel welcome, nourished, and connected.
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<div><strong>A Bakery Built on Community</strong>
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<div>Our future space will include:
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<div>• A free community pantry, fridge, &amp; library
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<div>• Baking classes for kids and adults
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<div>• Internships and job opportunities for local residents
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<div>• Meeting space for community groups
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<div>• A rotating gallery for local artists &amp; makers
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<div>• Fundraisers supporting mutual aid and grassroots organizations
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<div>We don’t just bake bread.
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<div>We build community — one loaf at a time.
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<div><strong>My Story: Teaching, Mental Health, Sourdough, and Finding a New Purpose</strong>
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<div>I started baking sourdough just before the pandemic. What began as a simple curiosity quickly became a grounding ritual — something steady and alive during an unstable time. Over the next four years, I honed my skills through experimentation, late-night bakes, early-morning shaping, and endless learning.
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<div>During this time, I was still teaching. For nearly 15 years — including 8 years at a Title 1 school in Kensington — I poured myself into my students, raising $24,000 for a media lab, building a hygiene closet, running food drives, career days and trying every day to make kids feel seen and supported. I was honored to receive the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching in 2023.
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<div>But the emotional weight was heavy, and it eventually took a toll on my mental health. Sourdough became the thing that helped me cope — a rhythm that calmed my mind and gave me a sense of purpose outside the classroom.
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<div>As I baked more, Brass Monkey Bread Co. grew naturally: through pop-ups, community events, collaborations, and mutual aid. I reached a point where I felt called to take a leap, step away from teaching, and see if I could turn this bakery into something real.
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<div>Not long after making that decision, I lost both of my parents within the same year. Their passing left me battered, but not broken. The inheritance they left me — which I am contributing — became my way to honor them through something rooted in care, creativity, and community.
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<div>Sourdough helped me through burnout.
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<div>Community helped me through grief.
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<div>And Brass Monkey Bread Co. became the place where both could rise into something bigger.
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<div><strong>Why Sourdough?</strong>
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<div>Sourdough is alive.
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<div>It’s patient.
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<div>It’s resilient.
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<div>It teaches you to slow down, pay attention, and trust the process — the same lessons that guided and continue to guide me through depression, anxiety, and grief.
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<div>Bread brings people together.
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<div>Bread is comfort.
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<div>Bread is community.
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<div><strong>Why Your Support Matters</strong>
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<div>Your contribution will:
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<div>• Help build a neighborhood bakery with heart
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<div>• Create jobs and mentorship opportunities
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<div>• Expand community resources
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<div>• Support local artists and organizers
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<div>• Keep mutual aid at the center of our mission
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<div>This isn’t just a bakery.
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<div>It’s a community space, built with purpose.
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<div>Help This Dream Rise — For Philly, For Community, For My Parents
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<div>If I have ever fed you, inspired you, or made you feel connected, I’m asking for your support.
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<div>Your donation helps create a space where every loaf rises for the people — and where my parents’ legacy rises with it.
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<div>Thank you for believing in me and my dream. We truly are in this together.
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<div>— Zach Posnan
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<div>Founder, Brass Monkey Bread Co.
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<div>Philadelphia, PA
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Help Brass Monkey Bread Co. Build a Community Focused Bakery

Help Brass Monkey Bread Co. Build a Community Focused Bakery

Still $92,715 to go. Help us build momentum.