You’ve seen the face. It’s hard to miss. A muscular guy with long, flowing hair, gripping a guitar like he’s about to play a set at a dive bar. It’s plastered on every bag of Dave’s Killer Bread.
Most people buying a loaf of 21 Whole Grains and Seeds know the basics: the guy on the bag is Dave, he went to prison, he made some bread, and now he’s a success story.
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But honestly? The real story of Dave Dahl is way messier, darker, and more human than a marketing blurb on a plastic wrapper could ever tell you. It isn’t just a "felon makes good" Hallmark movie. It’s a story about a guy who spent fifteen years behind bars, built a multi-million dollar empire, sold it for a fortune, and then nearly lost his mind all over again.
From Snake River to the Grocery Aisle
Dave didn’t just wake up one day and decide to bake. He grew up in it. His family owned a bakery in Portland called NatureBake. But Dave wasn't the "wholesome family business" type back then.
He was a mess.
Between drug distribution, armed robbery, and assault, Dave’s rap sheet was long enough to wrap around a bakery. He wasn't some misunderstood kid; he was a self-admitted "bad seed" who couldn't stay out of his own way. He served four separate prison terms. By the time he was at Snake River Correctional Institution in the early 2000s, he was suicidal.
Then came the turning point. It wasn't a lightning bolt from the sky. It was Paxil.
Dave has been very open about the fact that antidepressant medication and vocational training in computer-aided design (CAD) while in prison were what finally cleared the fog. He didn't just "find Jesus" or "get motivated." He got his brain right. When he walked out of prison for the last time in December 2004, he went back to his brother Glenn with a cornmeal-crusted loaf and a wild idea.
The Rise of Dave’s Killer Bread
The brand didn't start in a boardroom. It started at the Portland Farmers Market in 2005. Dave Dahl and his nephew Shobi took these hearty, organic loaves to the public, and people went nuts for them.
The bread was genuinely good—packed with seeds, dense, and actually tasted like something—but it was the story that sold it. Dave put his own face on the bag. He told the truth about his past. In a world of corporate polish, that kind of raw honesty felt like a revolution.
By 2013, the company was doing over $50 million in sales. They were hiring hundreds of people, and roughly a third of them were ex-convicts. They called it "Second Chance Employment." It wasn't just a slogan; it was the company’s DNA.
Then, the big money came knocking.
The $275 Million Sale and the Breakdown
In 2015, Flowers Foods (the giant behind Wonder Bread) bought Dave’s Killer Bread for $275 million. Dave was suddenly a very wealthy man.
But here’s the thing most people get wrong: money doesn't fix mental health.
Even before the sale, things were getting shaky. In late 2013, Dave had a massive mental health crisis. It was ugly. He ended up ramming police cars with his Cadillac Escalade, leading to a high-speed chase and a violent struggle with deputies.
The headlines were brutal. People thought the "reformed" Dave was a sham. But the reality was more complex. Dave was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The court found him "guilty except for insanity." He wasn't a criminal returning to his old ways; he was a man struggling with a serious, undiagnosed illness while under the intense pressure of being a public "redemption" figure.
Where is Dave Dahl Now?
If you go looking for Dave today, you won't find him in a bakery. He’s basically retired from the bread game.
He moved on to a completely different passion: African tribal art. He actually has one of the largest collections in the United States. He runs a gallery called Discover African Art in Eagle Creek, Oregon. It’s a massive pivot from flour and yeast, but it fits his obsessive, creative personality.
He also spends a lot of time on his 33-acre farm on the Clackamas River with his wife, Michelle. He’s in his sixties now. He’s quieter.
But he hasn't stopped talking about the hard stuff.
As of early 2026, Dave is still active in the "second chance" community, though from a distance. He supports groups like Constructing Hope and Central City Concern. He’s also been candid about his more recent health battles, including a successful fight against Hepatitis C.
The most important thing to understand about Dave Dahl is that his life isn't a finished book with a neat "happily ever after." He still deals with the ups and downs of bipolar disorder. He’s still learning how to be "Dave" without the "Killer Bread" attached to his name.
What We Can Actually Learn From the "Killer" Story
The hype around the bread can make it easy to miss the practical lessons here. This isn't just about baking; it's about the grit required to pivot when you’ve burned every bridge you ever built.
- Own the Narrative: Dave didn’t hide his prison time; he made it the brand. If you have a "gap" or a "failure" in your history, sometimes the best move is to be the first one to bring it up.
- Systems Over Motivation: Dave credits his success to the vocational training and mental health support he got in prison—systems that worked when "willpower" failed.
- Success Doesn't Cure You: You can have $275 million and still have a breakdown. Mental health maintenance is a lifelong job that doesn't care about your bank balance.
- Second Chances Require Infrastructure: The reason "Second Chance Employment" worked at his bakery wasn't just because Dave was nice. It worked because the company built a culture that understood the specific challenges ex-felons face.
If you’re looking to support the mission of second chances, don't just buy a loaf of bread. Look into local "Fair Chance" hiring initiatives or organizations like the Dave’s Killer Bread Foundation, which specifically helps other businesses learn how to hire people with criminal records. It’s about more than just a job; it’s about recognizing that a person's worst mistake shouldn't be the only thing we know about them.
Start by looking at your own company's hiring policy. You might find that "the best person for the job" has a history that would surprise you.