How Zingerman’s Vision Started a Kids Camp

Kneading and Leading gives kids who love baking a taste of servant leadership

A compelling vision can bring an organization’s goals to life and give employees from all levels of the organization a North Star to follow. A vision is also a source of inspiration, helping employees see how their work matters while finding opportunities to take the organization to new heights. Here at ZingTrain, Zingerman’s 2032 Vision inspired Kneading and Leading, a camp featuring an unexpected pairing: baking classes and leadership training for youth.

If Kneading and Leading were a loaf of sourdough, Zingerman’s Bakehouse Managing Partner Amy Emberling would be the starter. The starter helps the bread rise while infusing it with flavor. In its earliest stages, this wonderful stuff attracts helpful microbes that fuel the bread-baking process. 

When a section about youth development was added to Zingerman’s vision, a question started brewing in her mind: What if Zingerman’s combined its popular BAKE! baking school classes with leadership activities for kids? Kids could learn about baking in the morning and servant leadership in the afternoon, giving them a full day of summertime fun and educational enrichment.

“BAKE! had been doing children’s classes for years, and I thought it would be great for these kids to learn some of what we teach at ZingTrain,” Emberling says. “Learning, for children, can often be easier and more impactful. The positive outcome of children integrating some of our approaches to living and working early in their lives inspired me.”

Emberling connected with ZingTrain trainer Timo Anderson, who was also interested in bringing the youth-focused part of the vision to life. He knew kids could benefit from exploring the visioning process ZingTrain teaches.

“Ari Weinzweig, Zingerman’s co-founder, talks about youth being natural visioners. They might vision 20 times in an afternoon, like when they turn a cardboard box into a rocketship,” he says. “As they get older, they transition into spaces that are less flexible and creative. Then visioning starts to feel harder.”

Taking an idea from inspiration to innovation

Timo and Amy put their heads together. Would kids who take summer classes at BAKE! stick around for a servant leadership crash course afterward? They took this question to colleagues after teaming up with BAKE! head instructor Susan Chagas. Zingerman’s accountant Dan Carroll thought of the camp’s clever name, and others helped shape its structure and style. The result was a four-day program for two age groups: tweens (ages 10-12) and teens (ages 13-15).

Kneading and Leading filled up quickly when it debuted in 2024. After baking delicious treats in the morning, campers joined ZingTrain staff for an afternoon of interactive fun centered on visioning and teamwork.

“We start by using visioning on a small scale, like asking what dinner will look like tomorrow, and eventually move to considering what success will look like at the end of the summer,” Timo says.

Showing campers the power of intention is transformative. Instead of waiting for life to happen to them, each camper decides what actions they can take to live the life they want. This includes imagining how that life might look and feel. This helps the vision feel real, which makes achieving it that much easier.

The power of learning by doing

When working with Kneading and Leading campers, Timo draws from his experiences at the Wayne County Regional Educational Service Agency, where he helped teams of students and staff from Detroit-area school districts bond through kinesthetic learning. This learning often involved climbing, balancing, and puzzle-solving at ropes courses.

“Helping people find answers with a physical modality was really rewarding,” Timo says. “I noticed that people usually feel good when they’re learning through movement, and that learning through books sometimes isn’t ‘sticky’ enough.”

These are a few reasons physical play is a big part of Kneading and Leading. In addition to channeling campers’ energy into learning, getting physical helps them engage with leadership concepts in new ways and better understand group dynamics in the real world.

Campers also practice playing different roles in a group, learning what ingredients are needed for true teamwork to happen. Every day, campers practice showing appreciation for each other. Games, discussion, and reflection introduce a variety of other tools they can use for personal growth. Plus, campers discover how to use these tools for good in their communities, helping them see just how much they matter. 

As the 2032 Vision puts it, “Kids can run their own classrooms, and start businesses and not-for-profits. It’s energizing and inspiring to see young people actualizing their visions.” It’s all part of our mission to enrich as many lives as we possibly can.

Curious to learn more?

• Related post: Why and How Visioning Works
• Related webinar: How to Be an Effective Servant Leader

Take a class!

• Virtual workshop: Visioning
• In-person seminar: Creating a Vision of Greatness
• Zingerman’s BAKE! School: Kids Classes 

About Jessica

Jessica Steinhoff is a copywriter at Zingerman’s Creative Services with a zest for authentic storytelling and meaningful connection. Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she loves to geek out about cheese, coffee, and pastries. Outside of Zingerman’s, Jessica owns her own copywriting business and works as a psychotherapist.