Veci’s Journal,

I work this “good” corporate job to fund my chocolate factory project in Esmeraldas, Ecuador.

I grew up on my grandparents’ cacao farm in Esmeraldas, Ecuador from 1995 to 2003, until I was nine years old.

I make above-average income, work remotely, and have been traveling full-time as a digital nomad for the past three years.

I’m building a small artisanal chocolate factory in Esmeraldas Ecuador.

The goal is simple: The pueblo should benefit from the chocolate made from the cacao they grow. Profit share, revenue share, maybe equity.. I’m still figuring out the structure. But the mission is clear.

A lot of the chocolate you eat probably carries dark spirits. Spirits that manifest from the exploitation of the cacao by western, colonial, greedy corporations that have taken from countries like Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Ecuador, India, the Philippines and any equatorial region that grows cacao

I’ve estimated needing between $50k–$80k to get the factory fully operational, depending on where we build, what we produce, and how we distribute.

As far as launching a business/start-up… that’s not bad. As we post and grow my Cacao & Comments newsletter, we keep saving. Any contribution to the newsletter goes into the business acct so thank you if you are one of our 14 paid subscribers 🫶🍫

Also!

Listening to J. Cole’s new album today has me feeling like I did when I was 16 in North Carolina listening to him.. I got a dollar and a dream.

I won’t just have a dollar and a dream forever.

I’ll help others get their chocolate factories opened in their communities too.