The Story of the Art of Chocolate Alchemy
Planting the Seeds
DAGOBA was founded in 2001 by Frederick Schilling, who was then just 30 and on a mission. He was determined to create chocolate line with exceptional taste and innovation that would benefit people and planet, and unite industry around these values. Family, friends and dedicated employees have come together to realize this vision on a wider scale than any one could have imagined.
Frederick’s creative muse is the Art of Chocolate Alchemy : transforming exceptional cacao into edible gold. His passion for chocolate developed while he was a chef looking for a career change, and experimented with chocolate and chai. “I’m a huge fan of chai, and adding ginger to the chai-chocolate mix sent it over the top!” Trusting his intuition, Frederick turned full time to chocolate alchemy. “I was always in the kitchen blending this and that, with family and friends infusing their creativity.”
After fine tuning formulations and scouring the world for the finest cacao, Frederick, his family and a few friends began pouring and wrapping the first bars by hand. Lavender and other creations joined chai to bring new flavors to the shelves, defining the innovative spirit that continues to this day. We continue to expand our award-winning product line while holding true to our founding principles.
Singling out the Best, Direct from the Source
Our commitment to creating deeply satisfying chocolate sustainability grew out of Frederick's realization that cacao production is all too often associated with rainforest destruction, loss of heirloom varietals and producer poverty. “If true chocolate is to be kept in existence, we must encourage sustainable production of fine flavor cacao, through partnerships where farmers earn enough to do this,” Frederick says.
Frederick regularly travels to producing countries to locate high quality sources, establish direct partnerships, collaborate on post-harvest processing, and learn how equitable cacao trading supports communities and the environment. This intensive process is rare across the industry, but it is essential in fulfilling our mission to offer the best of all worlds.
Artisan Crafted, Pure Perfection
We use both time-honored and modern methods to transform the prima materia of cacao into edible gold. Our line includes pure blends, single origins and innovative infusions to share cacao in its fullest diversity - including slight changes across harvests that reflect the ebb and flow of our lives. In creating flavor infusions, we use only pure essential oils and local ingredients whenever possible. Our infusions perfectly balanced formulations that offer surprise and health benefits.
Our unique approach have garnered media attention and awards, starting with "Best Organic Bars" from Food & Wine at after our debut in 2001. This was followed by Food and Wine's 2005 Tastemaker Award, "World's Best Chocolate" (CNN/Money) and "Best Dark Chocolate" (San Francisco Chronicle), "Best Organic Bars" (Food & Wine), the EPA's 2005 Green Power Leadership Award and the 2005 Spirit of Organics Award (OTA/OFRF).
Connected by a Vision, Committed to the Core
Dagoba’s success, founded on Frederick’s passion, has continued through the support of family and employees that exemplify Dagoba's spirit in their work and lives. Early on, Frederick's father Jon offered to come out of retirement to help run the company, bringing a wealth of critical expertise from 25 years in business. Frederick’s mother Mary followed, bringing years of sales experience. “I couldn’t be luckier than to have them here. They’ve been an invaluable part of Dagoba’s success” states Frederick.
Our extended family of employees continues to shape and improve every aspect of Dagoba's operations, products, communications and character. They exemplify the words of Margaret Mead, who said “ Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”
We are committed to providing a positive working environment for employees and maintaining a family spirit as we grow. We're also dedicated to supporting communities in cacao countries and the places where we do business, using cacao to as a tool for positive ecological and social transformation.
Savor, and Share in the Rewards
Whatever your persuasions, we offer something to satisfy you. We invite you to uncover your senses and savor slowly to explore a moment of pure perfection. Help us widen the circle - share Dagoba with friends and customers, stop by to meet us and sample our latest creations, sign up for our e-newsletter to stay in touch.