This week on The Chocolate Pod, we’re bringing you a live recording from the Oregon Chocolate Festival, featuring a panel of women shaping the craft chocolate industry.

Hosted by Darlene Gallinger-Long, this conversation brings together chocolate makers and chocolatiers to share how they got started, the realities of building a business, and the resilience required to stay in it. From evolving craft and navigating pricing challenges to balancing creativity with sustainability, this panel offers an honest look at what it takes to grow in chocolate today.

You’ll hear perspectives from Dr. Melissa Berry of Missionary Chocolates, Deena Branson of Branson’s Chocolates, Evergreen Love of AhHome Chocolate, and Desiree Marca of Scharffen Berger. Together, they explore the importance of community, the role of curiosity and experimentation, and why supporting local chocolate makers matters more than ever.

If you’ve ever wondered what it really looks like behind the scenes of craft chocolate or considered stepping into the industry yourself, this episode offers both inspiration and practical insight.

Listen now to this special live episode of The Chocolate Pod. 🍫🎙️🎧

Discover more at www.TheChocolatePodcast.com

Discover more at www.TheChocolatePodcast.com

How does someone go from studying naturopathic medicine to building a chocolate company?

For Dr. Melissa Berry, the answer began with a simple act of care: creating a chocolate her mother could safely enjoy. What started as small experiments in the kitchen gradually evolved into Missionary Chocolates, a brand known for its handcrafted vegan truffles and thoughtful approach to ingredients.

Along the way, Melissa navigated doubt from others, discovered the power of community support, and learned how focusing her time on the right work could help the business grow.

Listen to her story in the latest episode of The Chocolate Pod. 🍫🎙️🎧

Discover more at www.TheChocolatePodcast.com

When a long-standing chocolate shop in Ashland, Oregon closed its doors, Deena Branson saw a craft worth carrying forward.

After purchasing the equipment from the store, she founded Branson’s Chocolates and drew on her experience in craft chocolate industry to guide her as she refined recipes and continued learning.

Unwrap the story of Branson's Chocolate in this episode of The Chocolate Pod. 🍫🎙️🎧

Discover more at www.TheChocolatePodcast.com

It all began with the Chocolate Team. A love cultivated since childhood…

AhHome Chocolate is the brand founded by Evergreen Love, built on that early devotion and shaped by years of persistence. Today, that vision lives inside a chocolate factory and chocolate lounge in Trinity County, California, where Evergreen crafts superfood chocolate from scratch and creates a space designed to uplift her community.

From kitchen experiments to a fully realized gathering place, her journey reflects steady determination, creative problem solving, and a belief that chocolate can nourish connection as much as it satisfies appetite.

Listen to her story in the latest episode of The Chocolate Pod. 🍫🎙️🎧

Discover more at www.TheChocolatePodcast.com

Arcay Chocolates is a family-owned chocolate business in Washington D.C. The founder, Annabella Arcay, started making chocolates in her home country of Venezuela in her kitchen in 2006. Over the years, Annabella became a master chocolatier and gained international notoriety after receiving 42 medals at the International Chocolate Awards! Listen to her story and the challenges she overcame along the way, in the latest episode of The Chocolate Pod. 🍫🎙️🎧

Discover more at www.TheChocolatePodcast.com

🍫 The Chocolate Pod is a podcast about the world of craft chocolate and the stories behind it.

Hosted by Zack Gallinger-Long, each episode features conversations from across the craft chocolate industry, sharing perspectives and experiences rarely heard outside the trade. These conversations explore the decisions, creativity, and dedication behind every bar.

Along the way, you will get a behind the scenes look at how chocolate goes from cacao to finished creation, discover the charm of chocolate festivals and destination shops, and hear from those bringing chocolate to life one bar at a time.

Grab your favorite chocolate bar, snap off a square, and savor the stories.

Discover more at www.TheChocolatePodcast.com