The Nib

Origin Trip #52: Del Tambo, Ecuador

Greetings from Guayaquil, Ecuador where the beauty of connection shines despite challenging circumstances. Amidst travel adjustments and heightened security concerns, Shawn’s heartfelt reunion with...

Origin Trip #51: Mababu, Tanzania

During this transformative trip, Shawn Askinosie celebrated a decade of uplifting Empowered Girls and Enlightened Boys Clubs for area students, navigated complex logistics hurdles with importing co...

Origin Trip #50: Davao, Philippines

A Momentous Occasion in Direct Trade: 50 Origin Trips (And Counting)!  After a smooth 40-hour journey Shawn arrived in the Philippines and got right to work. On Monday, Shawn spent the day working ...

Origin Trip #49: Tanzania 2023

Chocolate University Returns To Mababu, Tanzania Our Chocolate University business immersion program students just returned from spending a week in Mababu, Tanzania- truly the trip of a lifetime. T...

Origin Trips #47 & #48: Ecuador- 2023

Shawn returned to Ecuador four years to the WEEK after being unable to travel there due to political unrest and the pandemic. It was a trip of sweet reunions, profit share meetings, chocolate tasti...

Origin Trip #46: Davao, Philippines- 2023

After traveling for over 40 hours, I was thankful to arrive safely in Davao City. It was good to be back in a place I know so well, and that is so near to my heart. We've been sourcing cocoa beans,...

Origin Trip #45: Mababu, Tanzania- 2022

It’s hard to believe it’s been 15 years. It feels like it’s been so much longer, but when I go and visit our origins, I feel the same sense of awe that I felt at the beginning. It’s always a hard t...

Fourteen Years of Direct Trade And Counting

This month marks our fourteenth & most challenging year of practicing direct trade and sharing profits to source premium cocoa beans from smallholder cocoa farmers across the globe.  

Origin Trip #44: Mababu, Tanzania- 2019

This years’ profit share was one of our biggest ever because it was a great year for sales of chocolate made with their beans. We always couple the profit share with tasting chocolate, which Lawren...

Origin Trip #43: Zamora, Amazonia- 2019

Monica, our lead farmer partner in Zamora, Amazonia, holds the single origin chocolate bar (now featuring a 2019 Good Food Award emblem!!) made with her co-op’s beans.