Jenny Samaniego founded Conexion Chocolate after nearly 10 years in the industry believing it was possible to produce an exquisite, high-end Couverture in the country of origin. What better place to do this than her home country of Ecuador, birthplace of the famed Arriba Nacional heirloom cacao beans. Jenny is one of the only women in the heavily male dominated world of bean-to-bar chocolate company founders, making Virgin (minimally processed) and couverture chocolate.
Jenny first moved to the United States in 2005 for a cultural exchange program in West Palm Beach, Florida for a few years. Shortly after moving to NYC, she starting working in the world of chocolate in 2008, for well-known chocolate companies. Since then she has worked in many areas of the chocolate industry – production, sales, and founding the sourcing company Cocoa Provisions to name a few – and she has learned the needs of everyone along the way.
In 2013, Jenny started making Ecuadorian Couverture under the company name Chukulat. Three years later, Jenny returned home to expand her offerings and take an even larger hands-on role in production at origin. That is when she decided to re-brand as “Conexion” – to help make the connection between local cacao farmers and consumers of fine Ecuadorian chocolate throughout the world. Through this connection, we empower small family farms. By keeping our chocolate production in the country of origin, we add value to the local economy. Not long after launching Conexion Chocolate, it won four awards from the Academy of Chocolate and the International Chocolate Awards in 2017.
Whether you are a farmer, a chef, or simply a chocolate lover, Jenny has crafted Conexion with you in mind."