WE MAKE POPCORN LIKE NOBODY ELSE
Popcorn for the People was established to create career opportunities for people with autism and other intellectual & developmental disabilities.
Creating "Popportunity"
Popcorn for the People was established in 2014 by a couple whose son with autism struggled to find and maintain meaningful employment. Driven by this personal challenge, they created the social enterprise to provide employment opportunities for adults with autism and other intellectual & developmental disabilities.
In 2026, Popcorn for the People completed its transition to a true Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) model by opening positions to neurotypical applicants, adding positions, implementing a career ladder, and integrating mixed-neurodiverse teams with natural supports and fair wages.
The restructure moved the organization away from its prior sheltered approach, fostering greater inclusion, employee independence, retention, and business sustainability while advancing meaningful careers for people with intellectual & developmental disabilities.
Popcorn for the People's transformed business model offers a replicable, sustainable blueprint for true Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE).
We remain steadfast to our mission to create meaningful, competitive, and integrated employment for adults with autism and other intellectual & developmental disabilities by operating a thriving gourmet popcorn business that puts people first.
Every dollar from our gourmet popcorn sales is reinvested directly back to Popcorn for the People to create more meaningful jobs, expand training programs, and advance competitive integrated employment for adults with autism and intellectual & developmental disabilities.
We have production facilities in Piscataway, NJ and Philadelphia, PA and are at events throughout the tri-state area.
OUR VALUES
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FAIR WAGES
Our entire team starts at or above minimum wage, with opportunities for raises. -
CAREER ADVANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Our entire team has equal access to leadership and management roles to grow within our organization. -
PROMOTING RESPECT AND EQUALITY
We are not a sheltered workplace isolating individuals based on disability.
OUR LEADERSHIP
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Theresa Santana
Theresa Santana joined Popcorn for the People in August 2025 as Executive Director and immediately led the organization's transformative shift to a true Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) model. With over 32 years of dedicated experience in the intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) field, she has been a passionate advocate for meaningful employment and inclusion.
Her career began in Applied Behavior Analysis before she found her calling in Supported Employment in 2012. Theresa spent over a decade at the New Jersey Division of Developmental Disabilities (NJ DDD), where she focused on employment and transition services. She has held leadership roles in Supported Employment across multiple states and served as an adjunct professor, teaching Psychology and Sociology. A Certified Employment Support Professional (CESP), she holds an M.A. in Psychology.
Under Theresa's leadership, Popcorn for the People has moved from a sheltered model to an inclusive, sustainable social enterprise with mixed-neurodiverse teams, career ladders, and natural supports. Her vision continues to drive the organization's growth while advancing Employment First principles and serving as a replicable model for others nationwide.
LET'S WORK FOR GOOD INC.
(EIN: 47-3892053)
Popcorn for the People was created by Let's Work for Good Inc. to fill a gap in the employment market where disabled individuals can have respectable job opportunities, equitable pay, proper training, and employment resources. 100% of the profits of Popcorn for the People get reinvested back into our organization to increase out impact.
When you are donating to Let's Work for Good Inc. / Popcorn for the People, you are directly helping us create a neurodiverse future and expanding our mission.
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