Collette Divitto

Collette Divitto, born in 1990 with Down syndrome, was raised in Ridgefield, Connecticut, where she nurtured her passion for baking through high school classes. This passion led her to create a unique cinnamon chocolate chip cookie, which was met with high praise from her friends and family, earning the moniker "The Amazing Cookie." Divitto became an alumnus of Clemson University in South Carolina, completing a three-year LIFE program in just two years in 2013. With a drive to work hard and succeed, she relocated to Boston, Massachusetts, where she sought employment opportunities. However, after a series of interviews, she encountered rejections, which didn't dampen her spirits. Instead, she turned her passion for baking into a thriving enterprise, Collettey’s Cookies, in 2015.

Divitto initially took her "The Amazing Cookie" to a local grocery store, Golden Goose Market, and it soon became the first of her many retail accounts. The establishment of Collettey's Cookies not only served as a source of income for Divitto but also as a platform to create job opportunities for other individuals with disabilities. In 2016, Divitto was featured on a Boston CBS TV affiliate's nightly news, which led to a surge in cookie orders and the story being picked up by nationwide news platforms. As a result, Collettey’s Cookies gained massive exposure through television media outlets such as CNN, Good Morning America, MSNBC, Inside Edition, BBC, CBS Evening News, ABC World News, and print media, including People Magazine. To date, Divitto has sold over 400,000 cookies, and her company now employs 15 people, several of whom have disabilities.

As a recognized disability rights activist and entrepreneur, Divitto has been invited to share her inspiring story around the country. Her resilience and determination serve as a testament to focusing on abilities rather than limitations. In 2018, Divitto's advocacy work led her to represent the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress at the United Nations as a star ambassador. Ultimately, she aspires to collaborate with lawmakers in Washington, D.C. to develop policies that increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities.