Hawaii Chocolate & Cacao Association

Hawaii Chocolate & Cacao Association Founded in 2012, Hawaii Chocolate and Cacao Association's mission is to promote the emerging chocola

SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT 🎤We are thrilled to welcome Kailey Carlson from on stage at the 2026 HCCA Annual Conference.Get re...
06/18/2026

SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT 🎤

We are thrilled to welcome Kailey Carlson from on stage at the 2026 HCCA Annual Conference.

Get ready for an incredible session where Kailey will be diving into her 🍫 Cacao Fermentation Manual 🍫

What you’ll learn:

💡 how to master the precise stages of cacao fermentation using a step-by-step and field-tested blueprint from the author herself

💡 how to consistently develop high-value flavor profiles to tap into the growing craft chocolate market

💡 how to manage the delicate microbial and chemical transitions required to eliminate defects and unlock the full genetic potential of your cacao beans

About Kailey Carlson:

👉🏼 Kailey is the VP of Agriculture and Research at on Kauai.

She received her Bachelor of Science in wildlife biology from Colorado State University and began a career in conservation. In 2021 she joined Lydgate Farms as an agricultural researcher and farmer.

Kailey is now working on her masters thesis studying cacao fermentation in the Tropical Plant and Soil Science Department at UH Manoa.

Don't forget to grab your physical copy of the Cacao Fermentation Manual right at the conference to take these insights home with you 📒

🎟️ Only 10 tickets left!
Don't miss out and grab your tickets to the conference: https://hawaiichocolate.org/2026-conference

Welcome to Mililani Estates, where we are going to spend a huge chunk of the HCCA Annual Conference 🌴🍫Nestled in the lus...
06/17/2026

Welcome to Mililani Estates, where we are going to spend a huge chunk of the HCCA Annual Conference 🌴🍫

Nestled in the lush plateau of central Oʻahu, this stunning 97-acre agricultural farm is a true powerhouse for artisanal Hawaiian agriculture. While the region is historically famous for pineapple, Mililani Estate has stolen the show with its dedicated 10-acre cacao orchard.

This is what Hawaii's top chocolate makers are saying:

🏆 Manoa Chocolate Hawaii: "The chocolate produced from this estate is some of the most bright and fruity we've ever made. After only a few months of being available, this bar has won multiple awards, including gold for Best Dark Chocolate at the prestigious Chocolate Alliance Awards."

✨ Valley Isle Chocolate: "We are very excited about this delicious single origin 70% made with Mililani Estate Cacao. It's got a big fruit-forward flavor and really showcases how amazing Hawaiian cacao can be!"

We have some incredible events lined up on this gorgeous property:

🗓️ Friday, July 10 (10 AM - 4 PM): the Cacao Agronomy and Post-Harvest Best Practices course

🏅 Saturday, July 11 (5 PM onward): drinks, networking, dinner, and the highly anticipated 2nd Annual Cacao Olympics

We already can't wait to be there!

SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT 🎤We are thrilled to welcome Maria Carl from 21 Degrees Estate Cacao Farm, Dylan from Manoa Chocolat...
06/16/2026

SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT 🎤

We are thrilled to welcome Maria Carl from 21 Degrees Estate Cacao Farm, Dylan from Manoa Chocolate Hawaii, Mauricio from FareHarbor and Ryan from Lydgate Farms on stage at the 2026 HCCA Annual Conference.

Get ready for an incredible session where they will be diving into 🍫 Chocolate Tourism 🍫

What you’ll learn:

💡 how to design high-margin farm tour experiences that maximize ticket sales and revenue

💡 how to integrate everyday farming operations with great hospitality experiences

💡 how to use your farm's unique history and location to stand out

About the panel speakers:

👉🏼 Maria is co-owner of 21 Degrees Estate, a 10-acre mid-sized cacao farm established in 2014 Kahalu’u that includes approximately 800 cacao trees producing award winning cacao and chocolate.

👉🏼 While finishing his last year of university, in 2010, Dylan founded Manoa Chocolate with a focus on developing a Hawaiian cacao and chocolate industry.

👉🏼 With over a decade of experience in Hawaii’s tourism industry, Mauricio has been part of Fare Harbor's development from the early days through its expansion into one of the largest reservation platforms for tours and activities in the world.

👉🏼 With 25 years in marketing and advertising, Ryan oversees a team of 35 and is responsible for Lydgate Farms' primary revenue channels: farm tours, retail, and online sales.

Don't miss out on these insider secrets!
🎟️ Grab your ticket today: https://hawaiichocolate.org/2026-conference

SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT 🎤We are thrilled to welcome Colin Hart from .orchards on stage at the 2026 HCCA Annual Conference.G...
06/13/2026

SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT 🎤

We are thrilled to welcome Colin Hart from .orchards on stage at the 2026 HCCA Annual Conference.

Get ready for an incredible session where Colin will be diving into 🍫 Cacao Research Updates 🍫

What you’ll learn:

💡 the newest data on statewide terroir research: discover how Hawaii’s unique microclimates and soils directly shape flavor profiles across the islands

💡 clonal rootstock trials: learn which combinations are demonstrating superior vigor, optimized nutrient uptake, and localized adaptability

💡 essential field strategies to combat black pod rot and the Queensland Longhorn Beetle: equip your farm with actionable and science-backed protocols to combat Hawaii’s toughest agricultural threats

About Colin Hart:

👉🏼 Colin Hart is the owner and farm manager of .orchards, a cacao and coffee farm in Paukaʻa on Hawaiʻi Island. Raised on his family's farm, Colin has been involved in agriculture for most of his life and planted his first cacao trees in 2005.

He earned a Master's degree in Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where his research focused on improving fermentation and drying practices in the state. Colin is passionate about helping establish Hawaiʻi as a world leader in fine-flavor cacao.

In addition to serving on the Board of Directors of HCCA, he is Vice President of the Synergistic Hawaiʻi Agriculture Council (), where he advocates for policies and programs that support local agriculture. He regularly works with growers, researchers, and policymakers and participates in state and federal initiatives aimed at advancing agricultural research, education, and industry development in Hawaiʻi.

See you in the audience?

🎟️ Tickets are selling fast!
Secure your spot today: https://hawaiichocolate.org/2026-conference

Behind every beautiful chocolate wrapper is a team of experts making it happen.Thank you HONBLUE Inc. for supporting HCC...
06/13/2026

Behind every beautiful chocolate wrapper is a team of experts making it happen.

Thank you HONBLUE Inc. for supporting HCCA's efforts and the Hawaii-grown chocolate & cacao industry!

As a valued sponsor of this year's conference, they are the ultimate print partner, brainstorming directly with local chocolate companies to execute the highest-quality packaging possible.

Swipe to see why we are so proud to partner with them this year 🍫🌴

SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT 🎤We are thrilled to welcome Raven Hanna on stage at the 2026 HCCA Annual Conference.Get ready for a...
06/12/2026

SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT 🎤

We are thrilled to welcome Raven Hanna on stage at the 2026 HCCA Annual Conference.

Get ready for an incredible session where Raven will be presenting her 🍫 Unfermented Cacao Manual 🍫

What you’ll learn:

💡 how to master the production of unfermented cacao using a step-by-step blueprint from the author herself

💡 how to develop innovative cacao-based products that tap into a lucrative and entirely new market opportunity

💡 how to manage the unique chemical and flavor profiles of unfermented cacao beans

About Raven Hanna:

👉🏼 Since moving to Hawai‘i Island in 2010, Raven has been growing cacao and making chocolate.

She brings curiosity and intuition for experimentation from her science background (Ph.D. in Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry from Yale University) to cacao processing and chocolate making.

Raven is a certified Hawai‘i Master Gardener, a certified Hawai‘i Master Food Preserver, and a certified science communicator (University of California, Santa Cruz).

She authored the tiny-batch guide book One Cacao Tree, curates tasting events, and occasionally sells garden-inspired, inclusion-abundant chocolates.

Don't forget to grab your physical copy of the Unfermented Cacao Manual right at the conference to take these insights home with you 📒

🎟️ Spaces are filling up quickly!
Grab your seat before they’re gone: https://hawaiichocolate.org/2026-conference

"Hawaiian cacao and chocolate in the Capitol! We are getting incredible support from federal leadership, as well as our ...
06/10/2026

"Hawaiian cacao and chocolate in the Capitol!

We are getting incredible support from federal leadership, as well as our friends from the state and county. Here for an event called The Taste of Hawaii, we took the opportunity to meet with our senators and representatives.

We have been working on this for a long time, and feel stoked to have Mason and Colin here to be part of it. Stay tuned for announcements on our progress at the conference, the next level is in sight.

I’m looking forward to what the future will bring."

- Will Lydgate, President HCCA

SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT 🎤We are thrilled to welcome Greg D'Alesandre from Dandelion Chocolate on stage at the 2026 HCCA Ann...
06/10/2026

SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT 🎤

We are thrilled to welcome Greg D'Alesandre from Dandelion Chocolate on stage at the 2026 HCCA Annual Conference.

Get ready for an incredible session where Greg will be diving into 🍫 Chocolate Tasting & Evaluation 🍫

What you’ll learn:

💡 how to assess chocolate quality professionally and implement tasting protocols for year-over-year consistency

💡 how to trace specific flavor defects directly back to specific stages in post-harvest processing (like fermentation and drying) or manufacturing

💡 how to use a unified sensory vocabulary so farmers and makers finally speak the same language

About Greg D'Alesandre:

👉🏼 Greg has a 30 year history in Cacao, Chocolate, and Technology. He spent the first part of his career working in a variety of startups in Engineering, Consulting, and Project Management capacities leading him to working as a Group Product Manager at Google.

Starting in 2012, Greg shifted his work to Chocolate as the Chief Sourcing Officer for Dandelion Chocolate. In that capacity he’s worked with cocoa producers all over the world as well as helped build out Dandelion’s production and business. He has visited over 30 cocoa growing countries and hundreds of farms and fermentaries.

He’s co-author of “Making Chocolate: Bean to Bar to S’more”, occasional co-host on Craft Chocolate TV, and Producer for the Craft Chocolate Experience San Francisco. In recent years, Greg has also devoted his energies to founding bio-char company, Terraton.

Don’t miss the chance to learn how to taste chocolate like a pro and network with hundreds of industry peers.

🎟️ Tickets are selling fast!
Secure your spot today: https://hawaiichocolate.org/2026-conference

The Industry Talks are our chance to dive deep into the cacao and chocolate topics that matter 🍫Check out 3 more present...
06/08/2026

The Industry Talks are our chance to dive deep into the cacao and chocolate topics that matter 🍫

Check out 3 more presentations that are part of our conference program:

🔎 Cacao Research Update

We’re breaking down the newest data on statewide terroir and clonal rootstock trials, plus sharing essential field strategies to combat black pod rot and the Queensland Longhorn Beetle. Don't miss these actionable insights for local growers.

☕ Kokoa Samoa Presentation & Demo

We're honoring the deep heritage and ancestral methods behind this iconic Samoan beverage. Come uncover the cultural roots of this celebrated drink and sample its bold, genuine flavors during an interactive live tasting.

📙 Unfermented Cacao Manual

We are thrilled to host author Raven Hanna at this year’s conference for an exclusive look into her Unfermented Cacao Manual. Get ready to rethink everything you know about unfermented cacao as we dive into this visionary guide, unlocking the untapped power of cacao lavado and opening up exciting new frontiers for the industry.

Don't miss the HCCA Conference on July 10-12 on Oahu!

🎟️ Reserve your spot: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/hawaiichocolateandcacaoassociation/2172522

From cacao farms to chocolate factories and conference rooms, we are covering it all!Get familiar with the locations we ...
06/07/2026

From cacao farms to chocolate factories and conference rooms, we are covering it all!

Get familiar with the locations we chose for the 2026 HCCA Annual Conference:

Friday - July 10
2026 Cacao Agronomy & Post-Harvest Best Practices
📍 Mililani Estate Cacao | 95-453 1, 2 Lanikuhana Ave, Mililani, HI 96789
📍 Manoa Chocolate Hawaii | 905 Kalanianaole Hwy, SPC 3202, Kailua, HI 96734
(a 40-min drive between Mililani and Manoa 🛻)

Saturday - July 11
Annual Conference
📍 BIA-Hawaii | 94-487 Akoki Street, Suite 213 Waipahu, HI 96797
📍 Mililani Estate Cacao | 95-453 1, 2 Lanikuhana Ave, Mililani, HI 96789
(a 20-min drive between BIA Hawaii and Mililani 🛻)

Sunday - July 12
Annual Conference
📍 BIA-Hawaii | 94-487 Akoki Street, Suite 213 Waipahu, HI 96797

Tickets are already running out!
Get yours 👇
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/hawaiichocolateandcacaoassociation/2172522

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Kaneohe, HI
96744

Telephone

+1 808-234-0404

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