Our Story

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Our founders and owners Carrielyn and Greg Bertino believe in living life with big hearts. They’ve always dedicated themselves to helping others, having fun, and spreading love and laughter in our community. 

In 2016, Carrielyn and Greg’s second child Charlie was born. Unbeknownst to them during pregnancy, Charlie was growing with an extra special chromosome, known to most of us as Down syndrome. 

That’s when their world changed in ways they never imagined – Charlie has taught them many important lessons and brought immense joy into their lives. 

As their daughter has said many times, “Everyone needs a Charlie in their lives!” Once you meet him, you’ll agree.

Carrielyn and Greg feel incredibly privileged to be part of the disability community. But when they dreamed about Charlie’s future, there was a statistic on people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) that really bothered them: 

80 percent of the IDD population is unemployed1

To Carrielyn and Greg, that was unacceptable. They were determined to not just improve this stat but help change perceptions of people with IDD altogether. They envisioned a time where inclusive hiring was simply commonplace.

They believe, after all, that everyone has employable skills, and deserves to contribute, have meaningful work, and feel valued.

So Carrielyn and Greg started thinking of how they could create more opportunities for individuals with disabilities in an inclusive workplace. They wanted to create a place where people could meet each other and appreciate that common thread between them. 

After six years, the opportunity of a lifetime popped up: the Schottland Family YMCA in Pittsford, NY, needed a cafe. The Y believed and shared in Carrielyn and Greg’s vision of creating an inclusive workplace that the entire community could enjoy. 

Thus, Common Thread Brews came to be.

1 2021 Department of Labor and Statistics