When a passion for social sustainability is combined with delicious, ethically sourced chocolate, you get the GOOD Chocolatier. Mara Mennicken was new to Canada from Germany, continuing her studies in social enterprise, when she had the fortunate chance to meet a French chocolatier at the farmers’ market. After trying his rich, hand-crafted chocolate bars and learning about the business, she uncovered a strong alignment in their ethics and business values. Mara spent two years working alongside him before eventually purchasing the business outright and growing the company into the GOOD Chocolatier.

Mara brings her social and environmental sustainability education to the business, offering artisan, ethically sourced chocolate bars, truffles, bonbons, and ganaches. Sourced from Ecuador, each cocoa bean is organic, fairly traded, and produced without the use of GMOs or fertilizers.

As a business owner, Mara believes in her responsibility to make positive social change. She does so by creating inclusive workspaces so she can prioritize hiring adults on the autism spectrum.

While searching for resources to support her small business, Mara discovered WeBC’s free programs. She started with the Peer Mentorship Program and stayed connected to WeBC after the program ended.

Later that year, Mara reconnected with Melanie Rupp, Senior Director, Loans & Advisory Services, who suggested the loan program to grow her business. Initially hesitant to take out a loan, Mara was encouraged by multiple colleagues who recommended WeBC’s support. Her loan was granted, which was used to purchase new equipment to increase product production and expand with more distributors.

Mara appreciated the support she received throughout the process and was impressed with the financial assistance and guidance from the WeBC team. As a solopreneur, Mara is grateful to organizations like WeBC for supporting her through each phase of her journey.

Client Q&A

Q: How did you get into the chocolate business?

I met a chocolatier at a farmer’s market during my first week of university. He was a French chocolatier, and it was my first time trying artisan craft chocolate—and I was blown away. I thought, how is it that I eat chocolate every day, and people rave about chocolate from Belgium, Germany and Switzerland, yet I’ve never tasted anything so pure?

So, I stood there at his booth, buying up all the chocolate, while he explained the benefits—how it’s good for the heart, the brain and overall health. But most chocolate isn’t made this way. I thought, “I’m a student; I probably can’t afford a $10 bar every day,” but I asked him if I could volunteer in exchange for chocolate. And that’s what we did for about two years.

Eventually, I did some paid work for him, which is when the idea of a social enterprise came up. I spoke to him about it because I felt his business values were so closely aligned with mine. When he decided to move back to France, that’s when I took the business over.

Q: Can you share your experience with WeBC’s loan program?

At a BC Food and Beverage event, I connected with Melanie Rupp. She told me about all the loan programs and encouraged me to reach out if I was interested. 

It took me a long time to even think about taking a loan, knowing what I needed it for, but multiple people recommended it to me, so I worked with one of their advisors to apply.

I found it amazing because I wasn’t aware there was so much support. I thought it was just a loan, and then you manage how you repay it, but then you also get a financial advisor and have access to a whole team. That was such a big plus because I think even if you think you know finances, managing a loan and doing the best with it is different. 

I felt like planning for the next few years was outside my scope, but the team at WeBC showed me the ropes. I was so grateful to have somebody from the lender side who genuinely wanted me to succeed and was there to help me through it. 

Q: What were the specific challenges you faced that the loan helped you overcome?

The loan was for new equipment. I needed a tempering machine and two chocolate grinders to increase production capacity. My business was at full capacity in our space in Kitsilano, and I needed the new equipment to be able to produce four times as much, so I could expand to Ontario and work with a second distributor. At that point, I couldn’t even think about selling more because I didn’t have the capacity to produce more.

We didn’t have more to invest in the equipment and still make sure we had enough for cacao, so the loan from WeBC was essential to keep us going. I’m grateful for it; it made me take a step back and analyze everything in my business.

Q: How has hiring individuals on the autism spectrum impacted your business?

We have nine people working casually or part-time in the business, with six of them on the autism spectrum. The majority of our workforce is on the spectrum, and what’s so great about this is that, while it’s something I’m passionate about and was my focus from the start, it’s also been a smart business decision.

We’ve been meeting our regular growth targets, and it’s not holding us back—in fact, it’s helping us in many ways because they are fantastic employees. Taking that step to hire, train, and learn how to support people on the Autism spectrum has allowed them to thrive and perform at their best.

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