Our vision
At GingerSnap, our vision is a world in which all people with disability have full access to employment, opportunity for economic empowerment, and to express their creativity in vibrant and inclusive communities.
Brett Duncan
Our co-founder Brett, was born profoundly deaf. In 1989, at the age of two, Brett was the 100th patient and youngest person to ever receive the cochlear implant. At age five, he started primary school with only two words in his vocabulary - no and Mum.
Brett is warm and nurturing, with a generous spirit. He believes in full respect, care and protection of all living beings. Brett's vocabulary is vast, his experiences rich and his goals are limitless.
Throughout his life, Brett has experienced significant trauma and discrimination as a result of his disability. It is through love from family, community and the opportunities created through disability employment programs, that Brett has navigated pathways to create vast opportunities for himself, including becoming a qualified baker. In 2016, Brett named his dream job to his employer - to become a vegan pastry chef. Crown Melbourne created that opportunity.
In 2021, Brett became a qualified pastry chef at Crown and his talents have grown exponentially, with a particular focus on high tea desserts. GingerSnap is a culmination of his creativity, personal story and professional expertise.
Jess Colgan
Our co-founder Jess, is Brett's sister. Alongside their parents, she is Brett's biggest advocate.
Jess acknowledges her deep privilege and continually seeks to use this to empower and amplify the impact of social change leaders. She loves nothing more than a deep belly, laugh til you cry, moment, particularly to lighten the load in moments of adversity.
With 15 years experience as a CFO and business advisor in the hospitality and social enterprise sectors, Jess takes great joy in building her professional experience in ways that elevate creativity, community and fun.
Jess is the CEO of All Things Equal, a hospitality social enterprise creating employment for people with intellectual disability. Jess has worked with social enterprises including Free to Feed, Project Rockit, Sign How, and Financially Empowered. She was previously on the Board of Directors for Carinya Society and mentor for Remarkable Disability Tech Accelerator.
GingerSnap is Jess' ikigai; the intersection of her passions, professional and personal experience, and is a celebration of the little moments that create joy and human connection.