Cococlectic: The Woman-Owned Business that Could
Women are the ultimate survivors. We’ve had to endure the limitations of living under the patriarchy until someone stood up knowing enough was enough. Women were once symbols of the domestic, quiet, simple, sedentary life. That age of belittling and subjugating women to being seen and not heard has made its way out of 2021.
In the age of feminism, women - predominantly minority women (BIPOC and LGBTQ) - are becoming powerhouses of inspiration for future generations to come.
That is why it is exciting to introduce a phenomenal businesswoman who started her own chocolate box subscription service - Cococlectic - and her name is Doreen Leong.
Doreen is originally from Malaysia and moved to San Francisco in 2006, where she attended graduate school. The Cococlectic bean-to-bar business was born in 2014. In 2016, she studied the culinary arts, particularly training in baking and patisserie. Combining her love for the chocolate-making craft and her hard-earned business degrees, Cococlectic has gone on to support small businesses and educate communities about the craft.
In a recent interview with Doreen, I went behind-the-scenes to find out what has made Cococlectic a successful, impactful business and learn more about the ambitious founder of a delicious business endeavor.
Cococlectic in Action: Q&A
Q: Why the name “Cococlectic”? How did you come up with the name?
A: A friend of mine who is a whiz with words came up with the name. He wanted to blend “cocoa” and “eclectic” and create a portmanteau of the two words.
Q: Where/How/When was the idea of Cococlectic born?
A: I moved to California in 2006 to attend graduate school and discovered all these delicious dark chocolates. I started sending care packages of dark chocolates to my sister in Singapore, and friends and family here in the US started asking me to send them chocolates. It sparked an idea in me, and I thought, “Maybe other people would want me to curate chocolate boxes for them too. Maybe this could be a business.”
So, I started Cococlectic in 2014 in just two months. We turned 7 in January, and we are growing fast. I wanted to feature and focus on American chocolate makers – the same types of chocolates that I discovered when I moved to California.
Q: What does your career path look like? How did you come about starting your own business/service?
A: I have always been an entrepreneur and a business-minded person. I wanted to start a business that meant a lot to me and decided to go to culinary school to get formal training. I wanted to learn the ins and outs of cooking and baking! Combining my business degrees with culinary training, I’m armed with the skills and knowledge to make Cococlectic into something great.
Q: Why is it essential that this is a woman-owned, minority-owned business? What does this mean personally to you?
A: It’s essential that people see themselves as business owners and leaders, especially young people who are still figuring out their place in the world. I’m also grateful that Cococlectic allows me to support other minority-owned businesses by collaborating with them.
Women can do just as much (or even more) than men. We have strong voices, and with our voices, we can do great things for the community, like creating jobs, providing services, and bringing joy through our businesses.
Q: What impact would you like Cococlectic to have on communities and small businesses?
A: I want to help foster a supportive environment for fellow minority-owned businesses. There are so many great small businesses that don’t get a lot of media attention, and I think it’s vital for us to all talk to each other, learn from each other, create communities, and help each other grow our businesses. And, of course, I want to share all the amazing chocolate makers we feature with the world!
I also want Cococlectic’s story to encourage everyone that you can do anything you want with one step at a time. Start small and grow slowly. Don’t be afraid to take risks.
Q: What do you love about the craft chocolate-making business?
A: I love the community of people involved in chocolate making – the farmers, the chocolate makers. It’s a humble craft. It’s not an easy craft. I also love how each chocolate bar’s flavors can taste so different from one region to another. Even using beans from the same region or even those grown on the same farm, other makers can create different flavors in their bars.
Q: What challenges did you face, especially as a woman and minority, starting this entrepreneurship/business?
A: It can be hard to get our company’s story and the message about what we’re doing out there, especially without a lot of funding backing us up. I would love to hold more chocolate classes for our local community and provide educational opportunities for rural farmers in Malaysia if we had more funding.
Often, people want to work with businesses that they are familiar with, often run by men or people who may not identify as a minority. Immigrants, women, and POC sometimes have to look (or work) a little harder to find collaborators and funding.
Q: How has Cococlectic dealt with the impact of the pandemic? What measures have been taken to keep customers safe and satisfied?
A: We’re very fortunate to have an internet-driven business during times like these. In addition to following all California guidelines on health and safety, we ship chocolates to people using USPS mail, allowing for no-contact delivery (and supports our Post Office!). The chocolate makers have stringent guidelines to follow to ensure their staff and food products remain safe. We are thankful that everyone on our team (and the chocolate makers) have been safe! We also offer virtual chocolate tastings so that individuals or groups can have a fun, socially-distant food experience.
Before Covid, we were doing chocolate-tasting sessions in person at companies. Since last March, we had to quickly pivot that part of our business and move it online. Thankfully, it has worked out. Instead of only being able to conduct tasting sessions locally in the Bay Area, we’ve been able to do it for companies in New York, Texas, Budapest, UK, and beyond!
We’ve lost a few customers because they lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and we also had to shuffle the featured chocolate makers around to accommodate makers who were not able to fulfill our orders. We work with many smaller makers, so they need a lot of lead time to produce the chocolate bars in small batches. But we’re still here and grateful for that.
Q: I saw you mentioned that you offer virtual chocolate tasting. Tell me more about that. How did the idea come to fruition? What has the experience been like?
A: The experience has been amazing. We have people coming back for more tastings, larger teams, different teams, and clients. One of the most extensive tastings we’ve hosted was for a group of 450+ folks.
We also started showcasing the featured chocolate maker for the month in a virtual chocolate tasting with our customers, and they loved it! People love to see who’s behind the chocolates they are tasting and the stories of the chocolate makers. It’s great to know that we are building a community of chocolate makers and chocolate lovers.
Q: What do ethical food and ethical work treatment look like/mean at Cococlectic?
A: It’s crucial for us to pay a living wage to those who work for us – the chocolate makers, our staff, and farmers. We only source ethically made chocolates for our boxes, which ensures that there are no harmful chemicals present in the production process, in essence, protecting the environment, workers, and customers. We believe in supporting our local communities and international cocoa growers, so as much as we can, we use ingredients and packing products made in the US.
Q: What reaction/experience/thought do you want customers to have when they open a box of Cococlectic?
A: “OMG, this is amazing chocolate!”
“I didn’t know dark chocolate could taste so good with only three ingredients – cacao bean, cocoa butter, and sugar!”
“I love learning about the small-batch chocolate makers.”
“I’ve never heard of this maker and so glad I got to try their craft.”
Q: How would you describe your career/business to other people who are not familiar with the company?
A: Birchbox for dark chocolate, only that we feature all local chocolate makers and full-size bars, not sample sizes.
Q: How do you envision Cococlectic five or even ten years from now?
A: I would envision us being the largest retail store (online and brick and mortar) that carries an extensive collection of craft chocolate from all over the world and small-batch American-made craft chocolate products. I want to increase our support for farmers in Malaysia through education and purchasing. I would also love for us to start making chocolate bars of our own to sell. I did go to culinary school, after all.
Q: What do you want people to think of or remember about Cococlectic?
A: The memories they make with the chocolate bars they get to share with loved ones. And of course, our high-quality chocolates and the personal interactions that we have with our customers and community.
Q: Have you ever considered opening a store, and if so, where would it be located?
A: Yes. Aiming for somewhere in California. It’ll be a part cafe, part chocolate shop. More to come soon!
Q: Any chocolate dishes you would recommend to first-timers?
A: For savory, I'd recommend mole. It has deep chocolatey flavors in a thick sauce. For sweets, I’d recommend a chocolate souffle. The fluffy, aerated dessert is so decadent when made with chocolate! You can’t go wrong there.
Q: What advice/tips do you have for anyone looking to start their own business/service or anyone wanting to go into the culinary side of the business?
A: Think twice about whether you want to devote all your time to a culinary/food-related business as it’s a lot of work – but the rewards are endless. The customers are what make my day. We can work long days and experience crazy holiday rushes, but if you don’t mind that, I’d say go for it!! If you have a vision and drive, don’t ever let anyone stop you!
Q: And finally, my most burning question: What is your favorite chocolate and why?
A: I love dark chocolate that’s about 70%-75%.You get the best flavors of the cacao bean in that %. Any darker or sweeter, you lose the flavors from the cacao bean. The darker you go, the flavors don’t pop out. The sweeter you go, the sugary sweetness masks all that flavor.
My favorite origin is Madagascar because it has this unique berry flavor that’s tangy and in your face, but as you taste more of it, you still taste the chocolaty flavor notes. I think it’s the perfect combination of sweet citrus and chocolaty, and I like that I can get a taste for the unique beans used in the bar.
The Final Curtain Call
If you have learned anything from reading this article, I hope it’s the message of perseverance. It is one thing to achieve a goal, whether it be short or long term, but it is different when it comes to surviving and thriving beyond accomplishing your goal. I like to call Doreen’s business “The Woman-Owned Business that Could” (and did!) because, like that story of the Little Engine that Could, it went from possibility to reality. The “I think I can” transitioned to the statement of “I know I can.”
Despite being in the minority and being a woman, Doreen was able to create a thriving business, not for the sake of economic profit but to educate communities about the chocolate-making craft and recognize small American companies. In a corporate-owned world, it is hard for small businesses to survive, but with determination, persistence, and passion, Cococlectic has set an example for the entrepreneurial world.
As we continue to celebrate Women’s History Month, let’s remember to recognize and give tribute to the exemplary women out there fighting to create a world of equity and justice for all women worldwide.
A special shout out to Doreen and the Cococlectic team members for bringing deliciousness and fond, chocolatey memories to our homes!
To learn more about Cococlectic and the Cococlectic team, visit: https://cococlectic.com/
Samantha Diaz is an avid reader and loves anything fantasy related!
