Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Blackwell.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was inspired to create Kanda Chocolates after a visit to Ghana, where I experienced both the joy of Ghanian culture and the historical pain that resides within the perseverance of this country.
After tasting chocolate made with Ghanian cocoa, I spent months trying to figure out where I could find this chocolate in the U.S. I was a leader with a Fortune 500 company, so I wasn’t convinced that I needed to create a chocolate business.
I did some research, and I was struck by the lack of single-origin Ghanaian chocolate available within the U.S. While Ghana is the 2nd largest producer of Cocoa in the world, less than 2% of their exports are finished chocolates.
I created Kanda™ Chocolates to bring awareness to the superior quality of the chocolate that is made in Ghana while making an impact in Ghana. I saw how having my chocolate made in Ghana could assist with this goal. By making our chocolates in Ghana, we can pay fair wages to the cocoa farmers while contributing to local jobs and the economy.
With servant leadership as my North Star, I created this certified benefit corporation to further illustrate my commitment to social and environmental justice. My purpose for this company is far greater than anything I could want for just myself. And it is this purpose paired with all my experience that truly makes me uniquely positioned to lead this company to impactful profitability.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As a bootstrapped solopreneur, it has ABSOLUTELY NOT been a smooth road.
Entrepreneurship is never smooth, but it is especially hard for those who begin their journey alone.
As a solopreneur, I am constantly faced with the decision of which title to prioritize each day. From sales to accounting to social media strategist, the priorities change. There are days I’ve had to forego social media to focus on logistics. I’ve also had to forego sales to update my company financials. Every day, tradeoffs exist.
During the height of the pandemic, I was also faced with limited ingredient availability and shipping challenges. As a business with global partners, I was also impacted by pandemic-induced challenges China and Ghana.
The hardest aspect that comes with being solopreneur is isolation. With or without employees, you are the leading decision-maker and often left to solve many things on your own. Unless your friends and/or family members run a business, it is often difficult for others to relate to the struggles that you may face.
Despite the difficulty of being a solopreneur, I would not change my experience. I’ve learned, and I’ve persevered. All of these experiences will make me a better leader.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Kanda™ Chocolates holds certifications as woman-owned, black-owned, and as a certified benefit corporation. Kanda Chocolates is fair-trade chocolate that is grown, processed, and packaged entirely in Ghana with 100% Ghana Cocoa Beans. Ghana is known for having creamier, chocolatey, and more cocoa-forward cocoa beans – without the typical bitter taste that dark chocolate is known for. We call it the Ghana bean difference. Our customers love our Kanda Chocolates because we offer the nostalgic taste of chocolate that we know from our childhood without all the additives that mainstream chocolate brands have.
Our greatest accomplishments to date have been the growth we’ve achieved through our partnerships. After pivoting through the pandemic, we partnered with sommeliers, fromagers, whiskey brands, and organizations to spread the word about our brand.
Once we started to gain momentum, we began selling on Amazon to increase our e-commerce presence. Our partnership with Amazon was pivotal in securing us an invitation to the 2022 Wearable Art Gala hosted by Tina and Richard Knowles, an interview with Kristen Bell, features for women’s history month with Keke Palmer and Diane Von Furstenberg, features in Vanity Fair, and USA Today, and panel discussions with Black Girl Magic 2021 and Amazon Accelerate 2021.
We received Grant Funding from Amazon BBA, ifundher Refer Her, and the New Voices Foundation.
Through the New Voices Foundation, we were featured on Shop Essence Live in October 2022. Through the countless relationships associated with the activities mentioned above, the blessings just kept pouring in. If we hadn’t continued to cultivate our relationships, we would not be where we are today.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Our success if defined by the impact that we make in the lives of others. We measure this through customer feedback, our impact in Ghana, and through our contributions to social and environmental justice.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kandachocolates.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kandachocolates
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kandachocolates
