13-year-old Michael Platt is a professional baker, food justice advocate, and a public speaker. He is the CEO of his own bakery, Michaels Desserts, where he lives by his tagline “A 1-for-1 co: Every dessert sold buys a dessert for someone in need!”
According to PEOPLE, two years ago, he decided to combine his two loves and founded Michaels Desserts, a bakery in which Michael donates a treat to the homeless and hungry for each cake, cookie or cupcake sold.
“I always wanted to have a purpose for what I do,” Michael told the Post. “It’s all about helping people — not just having a purpose for yourself, but thinking about, ‘How does this touch other things?’”
He reportedly sells about 75 cupcakes a month, offering four for $15. He makes more than 100 treats to give away and drops them off twice a month at locations including transitional housing, domestic violence shelters and McPherson Square in Washington, D.C.
When he’s not giving cupcakes away, Platt told WJLA he’s working to end childhood hunger.
He teamed up with the No Kid Hungry campaign in D.C., and the proceeds from his bake sales go a long way.
“I knew that I wanted to make a business, but I knew I didn’t just want to make money — I also wanted to help people at the same time,” Michael told WJLA.
He bakes out of his family’s home and lends his culinary skills to events like birthdays, anniversaries and weddings, according to the Post.
Michael, who is now home-schooled, withdrew from public school after he was diagnosed with epilepsy and began suffering severe seizures in sixth grade, his mother, Danita Platt, told the Post.
“It was a very, very difficult time,” Danita said of the period after Michael was diagnosed. “He had to stop everything he loved: gymnastics, climbing trees, diving. So that’s when he kind of threw himself into baking.”
Michael has been able to show his creative side through baking and offers a new “chef’s choice” each month, he calls them his “freedom fighter cupcakes.”
“So I choose a person to base a cupcake off for each month,” Michael said. “And each month I have a flavor that represents them — and I’ll tell their story on my Instagram page.”
July’s “Freedom Fighter Cupcake” is a “Carrot Halwa stuffed spiced cupcake with sweet cream whipped icing and pistachios in honor of Malala Yousafzai and her work to be sure that everyone who wants an education can have an education,” Michael wrote on his Instagram.
