Our Luxury Chocolate Brand's Story

To’ak was born from a rainforest conservation project in Ecuador.

The Beginnings

Through his nonprofit foundation TMA (Third Millennium Alliance), To'ak co-founder Jerry Toth helped create a rainforest preserve along the coastal mountain range. Here, he began cultivating cacao trees and making chocolate by hand in a thatched bamboo house secluded in the middle of the forest. This forest happened to be located in the Ecuadorian province of Manabí, which is to cacao what the French province of Burgundy is to wine.

Conservation & Experimentation

In the mountains above the bamboo house, Jerry and his partners found abandoned groves of old cacao trees. They harvested this fortuitous supply of heirloom Nacional cacao and used it to make chocolate, following the methods taught to them by their neighbors. Without electricity, they roasted the cacao beans in a big iron pot over a wood fire, de-husked the beans by hand, and used an old hand grinder to manually grind the beans. The unforgettably powerful aroma that wafted from the ground beans was Jerry’s first cue that Ecuadorian cacao is unlike any other.

The Dream Takes Flight

In 2013, Jerry linked up with Carl Schweizer and Dennise Valencia to found To’ak. Their dream was to radically change the way the world experiences dark chocolate, elevating its making and tasting to the level of vintage wine and aged whisky. With the addition of James Le Compte, Charles Michel, and other key members, the To’ak family continues to evolve. Read our origin story to learn more about what it takes to create the world's most valuable chocolate.

Read More: Why the most expensive chocolate?

Meet Some of Our Team

Dennise Valencia
Co-Founder | CEO
Jerry Toth
Co-Founder | Advisor Sustainability & Conservation
Carl Schweizer
Co-Founder | Chief Branding Officer
Divino Loor
Cacao Farmer

James Le Compte
Partner | Sales & Marketing Director
Diana Valencia
Packaging Operator
Charles Michel
Chief Innovation Officer
Venecia Quezada
Customer Success

We Are Proudly Ecuadorian

To'ak is entirely designed, crafted, and packaged in Ecuador, the birthplace of cacao and one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet. Throughout the development of our brand, we have gone to great lengths to celebrate our Ecuadorian identity and the rich cultural history of this region, not only through our fine chocolate but our entire aesthetic. Along with sourcing our cacao from the rich valley of Piedra de Plata and actively working to preserve Ancient Nacional cacao, we’ve collaborated with some of Ecuador's most celebrated and emerging artists for our Master Series and Alchemy editions.

Preserving Ancient Nacional Cacao

Our Beliefs and Commitments

Regenerative Agriculture
We source cacao from farms that help regenerate lost biodiversity. To'ak is proud to be among the few chocolate brands championing regenerative cacao.
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Honest Prices for Farmers
To'ak has paid up to 700% above the local market price for wet cacao. While cacao prices are always fluctuating, To'ak continues to pay the true cost of cacao.
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Innovative Craftsmanship
Over the years, we have experimented and innovated in the areas of cacao sourcing, chocolate aging, upcycling, and more.
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Finest-Quality Ingredients
As tree-to-bar makers, we highlight the unique flavor of each cacao harvest, shaped by the land and climate of that specific year.
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