Two and a half years ago, Sarah Hartman joined the Dandelion team as an intern in the hopes of starting her own chocolate company. From day one, we could tell that she shared the same passion about chocolate as we do. Sarah was the kind of intern you dream about, no job was too small; from bean sorting to tempering, she wanted to learn every detail of the chocolate making process. Sarah is from Brazil, and some of our favorite memories of her time here are the chances we had to introduce her to the fine things American has to offer, like line dancing and “hump day” (the explanation for which we left in the hands of this Geico commercial). Her giant smile and zest for life made working with her a dream and we were sad to see her go after a few months, but excited to see where she would go next.

A few weeks ago, we were thrilled to see Sarah and her husband, Colin Hartman, launch their own project, Harper Macaw. Their chocolate factory is located in Washington, D.C., and focuses on Brazilian cacao that works directly to help conserve the Brazilian rainforest. Harper Macaw partners with local conservation groups to reinvest in the expansion of Reserva Serra Bonita, a rainforest conservation initiative. Much like Dandelion, the factory also practices direct trade, and makes an effort to travel to each farm and form close relationships with producers in order to ensure the highest quality beans and a fair price for the farmers. We are so proud of you, Sarah, and hope to visit your factory soon!

If you are interested in learning more or buying some chocolate, please visit their website.