At the Prospector, we believe quality of life starts with financial independence. Employment provides purpose, paychecks, pride, and a path to a brighter future. Since our visionary, Valerie Jensen, founded the Prospector Theater in November 2014, we've been on a mission to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities through meaningful employment.
Over time, as projector lights brightened and movies played to sold-out audiences, another idea began popping up—one that would allow us to dramatically increase the impact of our mission.
Enter Prospector Popcorn!
What started as a fan-favorite treat at our concessions stand quickly became something bigger. We realized our gourmet popcorn could do more than delight taste buds—it could serve as a powerful engine for job creation, skill development, and inclusion.
Today, we’re thrilled to share that Prospector Popcorn has expanded into a full-scale, 5,000-square-foot popcorn factory located at 137 Ethan Allen Highway on the property of Nod Hill Brewery in Ridgefield—bringing with it even more meaningful job opportunities for people with disabilities.
To fuel this pivotal moment, we launched a $1.6 million capital campaign, Popportunity—now entering its final public phase. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our supporters, we’ve already raised nearly 75% of our goal.
This next chapter means more than just bigger batches. It means new roles and opportunities—for our Prospects, our organization, and our impact.
As we build out our popcorn operation, we’re introducing new equipment and technology, which allows us to upskill current Prospects through hands-on training in food production, packaging, logistics, and business operations. These are career-making jobs, giving Prospects the tools and experience to thrive in a variety of industries.
This expansion provides a path to take our mission well beyond Connecticut. The Prospector Theater gives us the in-person experience of what is possible when people with disabilities sparkle and shine in the workforce. Now, Prospector Popcorn is a literal taste of our mission in action—shipping nationwide while diversifying our revenue beyond ticket sales.
In addition to selling our gourmet popcorn in retail chains across the country, our vision includes partnering with transition programs and schools. These partnerships will help provide training and employment to students with disabilities as they prepare for life after age 21. We are also exploring reseller programs and franchising models, so that other businesses, organizations, and even individuals can join us in creating sparkly, purpose-driven employment in their own communities.
We often say that, like popcorn, people “pop” in their own unique way. At the Prospector, we see sparkle, potential, and value in every person. Through Prospector Popcorn, we’re creating a sustainable, scalable way to show the world what’s possible when employment is inclusive.
From small batches to big dreams, we’re popping with purpose—and we’re just getting started.
With your help, we can create even more opportunities for people with disabilities.
To learn more, please visit prospectortheater.org/expansion or contact our Chief Development Officer, Alice Meenan, at Alice.Meenan@prospectortheater.org.
Sparkle On!
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