| An Interview with Aaron Muderick (Founder and Inventor)
How long have you been involved with Baker Industries?
o We came to Baker around 2011. We entered the toy industry in 2010 and our product had real traction in the toy stores quickly. We needed partners to help us expand rapidly.
How did you learn about Baker?
o We asked around the other vocational work centers with whom we had been doing business and the Baker name came up. Baker was a little less traditional than Kencrest Services or Catholic Social Services, but that was a major part of its appeal to us: new ways of doing business and new flexibilities.
Do you have a personal connection to our mission?
o When I was a young child, my aunt was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Medications and treatment options were very different back then. I saw her decline over many years from a strong-willed matriarch to being completely locked into a failing body. Visiting with her every week, I met so many different kinds of people when she moved to Inglis House in Philadelphia. That left me feeling very comfortable working with special needs individuals. Later, in high school, I worked in a factory making pet tags. A few of the employees there also had special needs and I noticed they were the most satisfied and pleased with their jobs. They were on time and brought positivity to the workplace. When the time came that my wife and I could no longer make all the putty ourselves, it was important to me that our workforce wanted the work. I also believed in the power of work to drive self-improvement and bring meaning to life. Baker and other social services organizations became our integral partners in this mission.
How do you think Baker makes a difference in the lives of the people it serves?
o What I have seen is that Baker provides structure, which drives success and personal transformation for their clients. We want individuals to succeed but also recognize that they need to take personal steps to grow and grab the opportunity. How can we create an environment that maximizes the chances of success? How can we learn from each client to make the program better for the future? I feel like Baker does that by matching willing individuals with companies like ours who have work that needs to be done. Baker connects all the dots.
What inspires you about Baker Industries?
o It is inspiring to see an organization like Baker Industries. I do not know of another organization quite like them. Not only in their programs, but also in how they obtain funding. Baker understands business I have found rare in social services organizations. They feel the same drive for efficiency and success. They are an excellent translator between the social services needs and the needs of business.
If you could sum up Baker in a word or a few words, what would you say?
o Simply said, Baker Industries unlocks the potential in us to allow for a win-win business relationship.
 
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