Kanda™ Chocolates is a bean to bar, single-origin Ghanaian Chocolate; and DewBurst™ is a dry to wet wipe that expands when you add water and comes in a biodegradable carrying tube.

Why did you become an entrepreneur?

To develop a revenue stream that can provide a portion of proceeds back to communities in need.

What makes your company unique from others?

Ghana Cocoa has a creamier texture, fruiter notes, and overall unique ‘chocolately’ flavor profile than other cocoa beans. With Ghana being the 2nd largest exporter in the world, I was shocked to learn that bean-to-bar, single-origin chocolate was absent among their leading exports. Later, it was no surprise to also learn that Ghanaian chocolate was either rare or absent from the shelves of major grocers within the United States. Kanda™ Chocolates was created to elevate the chocolate tasting experience while maintaining a commitment to social responsibility through fair-trade cocoa and the company’s Almsgiving Campaign.

What has been your biggest "win" since the company's inception?

The biggest "win" since the company's inception was acquiring brand awareness for free. With our Almsgiving Campaign, we give 10% of proceeds back to the community. Our ties to the community helped to drive brand awareness without having to pay for it. We were featured on Janelle Monae's Instagram page, ABC 7 News (and other recorded shows), and awarded an opportunity to be featured in a music video.

Did you ever almost go out of business? If yes, explain how you manage to stay in business.

With the onset of the pandemic in the New Year, Kanda™ Chocolates struggled to launch a new business while other stores were shutting their doors and trying to make sense of it all. However, we were able to overcome this by changing our business model, shifting to online sales, and creating partnerships to drive awareness. We focused on the consumer and learning experiences and we've been able to persevere.

What is the biggest risk your business ever took?

The biggest "risk" I ever took was settling for a role and not investing in myself and the vision that I had. It was “Absolutely Not” a risk to walk away from corporate America and invest in myself. By choosing to stay in corporate America, I lost years, creativity, and allowed my dreams to dwindle. Essentially, I lost myself. I am thankful to corporate America for my learning and growth, but I always advise taking the route to invest in one's dreams to preserve who you are for the longest time period possible.

If you could do it all over again, what one thing would you do differently?

I would have left corporate America prior to 2018.