If you've ever grabbed a loaf of Dave's Killer Bread off a grocery store shelf, you've already been a small part of one of the most remarkable comeback stories in American business history. Now, Stockton gets to hear that story directly from the man himself.
Dave Dahl — the entrepreneur behind that iconic bright green package — is coming to the Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium on Saturday, April 25 as the keynote speaker for the Second Chances 2026 Job & Resource Fair. The free event runs from 10am to 2pm and is hosted by local nonprofit Friends Outside, which has been championing reentry services in our community for decades.
This is the second year Friends Outside has put on the fair, and if this year's lineup is any indication, they're not slowing down.
A Story Worth Hearing
Dave Dahl's road to building a $275 million bread company wasn't a straight one — not even close.
Before he ever kneaded a single loaf, Dave had spent more than 15 years in Oregon's prison system across multiple terms, convicted of offenses including drug distribution, burglary, armed robbery, and assault. By his own account, much of that period was driven by addiction and undiagnosed mental illness. (Dave was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2014, a revelation that gave important context to years of turbulent behavior.)
After his third prison term, Dave found himself back at his family's bakery in the Portland area, just trying to stay on his feet. That's when he started experimenting with a dense, seed-covered, cornmeal-crusted loaf that he and his brother Glenn eventually called — you guessed it — Dave's Killer Bread.
What started as a farmers' market curiosity quickly became something much bigger. Grocery stores came calling. By 2013, the company had grown to over 300 employees, and here's the detail that really sticks: roughly one-third of those workers were formerly incarcerated individuals. Dave wasn't just baking bread. He was building a Second Chance workplace before that was even a widely used term.
In 2015, Flowers Foods acquired Dave's Killer Bread for $275 million.
More Than a Job Fair
April is National Second Chances Month, and Stockton's event is designed to make that recognition mean something real and practical for justice-impacted residents in our community.
The day's lineup is packed:
- A Second Chance employer job fair, connecting attendees with companies actively willing to hire people with records
- An expungement clinic, led by the San Joaquin and Stanislaus County Public Defender's Office Clean Slate program — a genuinely life-changing service for those who qualify
- A reentry resource fair featuring more than 50 community organizations covering housing, health services, mental health support, education, financial coaching, family services, and more
- Proclamations from public officials recognizing the importance of second chances in our region
- Lunch — yes, a free, sit-down lunch
- And of course, Dave Dahl's keynote address
Friends Outside has been clear that while the event is curated with formerly incarcerated folks in mind, everyone is welcome — including the lunch and Dave's talk. So if you want to hear an honest, unfiltered story about addiction, mental health, redemption, and building something meaningful from the ground up, show up.
Why It Matters for Stockton
We don't need to look far to understand why an event like this is important here. San Joaquin County, like many communities across California's Central Valley, has seen the downstream effects of mass incarceration — on families, on neighborhoods, on our local workforce. Events like this one chip away at those barriers one connection at a time.
Dave Dahl puts it simply: he believes forgiveness — of yourself and of others — is foundational to growth. That's not a bumper sticker sentiment coming from him. It's something he earned through years of very hard living.
Mark Your Calendar
Second Chances 2026 Job & Resource Fair 📅 Saturday, April 25, 2026 🕙 10am – 2pm 📍 Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium 🎟️ Free — RSVP online
Don't miss it, Stockton. This one's worth your Saturday morning.
Friends Outside is a Stockton-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting incarcerated individuals and their families through reentry services, advocacy, and community connection.
Photo credit: Dave Dahl Website