A-Listers Create International Chocolate Booth

The world through chocolate: knowledgeable and hard-working Kendall College A-List students created an interactive Chocolate Booth for the campus International Fair, with yours truly as advisor! Samples from 3 of the first-class craft chocolate brands I represent:  Solstice Chocolate made in the US from Uganda Cacao, Marou Chocolate made in Vietnam from Vietnam cacao, and Pump Street Bakery Chocolate made in England from Honduras cacao. All sustainable, child-slavery-free, soy-free, small-batch, and scrumptious - available in Chicago at Hannah's Bretzel (Solstice, Pump Street) or Pastoral (Marou) - and presented along with a craft chocolate survey and brochure by A-Listers!

When the Kendall College Manager of International Affairs, Mr. Clare Lake, asked if I would gather students to create a chocolate booth for the school's International Fair in spring of 2017, I immediately thought of A-Listers such as Michael Wulfstat and Aida Yestayeva who have become craft chocolate experts, and of students in my Business Case Development class who were on a class team working on a chocolate-related project!

Those who stepped up to join Aida and Michael from Business Case Development were then-On-Target A-Listers (now full-fledged members!) and are a very special and professional group of students: Martim Dias da Cunha, Doina Railean, Maria Benedita Silva Pinto, and Daniel Wigutow!

Many hands make light work: A-Listers designed and created the Chocolate Booth from (a tiny fraction of!) of my artisan chocolate bar wrapper collection!

This group not only created a beautiful booth display out of a small portion of my chocolate bar wrapper collection, Business Case Development A-Listers also created, conducted, and analyzed a well-thought-out survey, from which they devised a potential new business division for their class business case.

The students also designed a lovely and informative brochure and interactive poster, and together with their long-time A-Lister counterparts they welcomed booth visitors warmly, shared samples of the chocolate bars I selected to tell the sustainable bean-to-bar chocolate story in an international fashion, and shared education on how to enjoy artisan chocolate and choose sustainable chocolate made from child-slavery-free cacao.

Michael Wulfstat, Benedita Silva Pinto, and Daniel Wigutow at the Chocolate Booth at the Kendall College spring 2017 International Fair

The booth drew enthusiastic praise from Kendall students, faculty, staff, and administration, who were impressed with the professionalism of the students, the deliciousness of the chocolate, and the educational aspects the students put into the booth and their interaction with guests.

I was enormously impressed to see the team working together so well to create and implement a plan that met and exceeded their objectives, while having fun and spreading the good chocolate word in a fun way for all who came to the booth!

For example, a goal was to gather 40 survey responses, and the team collected 106!

Survey respondents were entered to win one of my Chocolate Uplift craft chocolate subscription boxes

Congratulations, new and seasoned A-Listers and sustainable chocolate experts!

Wave if you love chocolate!
Superstar A-Listers behind the Chocolate Booth:
Daniel Wigutow, Benedita Silva Pinto, Doina Railean, yours truly Valerie Beck, Michael Wulfstat, Aida Yestayeva, Martim Dias da Cunha.

Teamwork!
Our Chocolate Booth A-Listers and I wearing our new Peruvian friendship bracelets from Chocolate Uplift subscription boxes, to honor the original source of cacao - South America - and with cocoa beans - the source of all chocolate.
Onward and upward!

A-List Profile: by Michael Wulfstat

By Michael Wulfstat

 My final year at Kendall was filled with challenges, triumphs, life-changing experiences, and incredible validations that proved to me that going back to school at 39 was the best decision I have ever made.

I ended the spring 2016 year taking 2nd place in the McGuire business plan competition as team captain and earning a split of a $5,000 prize as the first ever Kendall team to compete. 

In the fall of 2016, I became one of the first local business students to ever study abroad at Universidad Europea de Madrid in Spain, and not only excelled in my studies, but also absorbed a once in a life time experience. I traveled Spain and Europe, made life-long friends, and was even voted the President of my residence hall! 

In the Spring of 2017 during my last quarter, I was awarded a Kendall Trust scholarship and was the CEO of the winning financial planning Capsim simulation business team. 

Next week, I will be graduating with honors and am just starting to grasp how my time here at Kendall has truly changed my life...I have befriended some of the best people on the planet, learned from the most dedicated and caring professors, broadened my horizons through many truly cultural experiences, and never dreamed that I could ever achieve so much this late in life. 

Looking back, one of my very first sources of validation was earning membership to Professor Valerie Beck's "A-list". It not only confirmed I was on the right track, but also helped me to realize that there are people who truly care and that are dedicated to changing, both your life, and the world. 

Whether currently taking a class with her or not, "A-Listers" are always invited to join exciting and educational experiences. Some of my favorites were trips to the Drake Hotel, Hannah's Bretzel, and the new Google office in Fulton Market. Being an "A-lister" has some incredible perks! 

My greatest wish is that my story can help to inspire and motivate all those that are unsure and/or terrified to pursue their true potential. I am living proof, that no matter what your history, it is never too late to change your destiny, fulfill your dreams, and realize your potential!

With best regards, hopeful dreams, and complete confidence - 

       Sincerely, Michael Wulfstat - Kendall College | International School of Business

Video: A-Listers Taste Scottish Chocolate

[Video]

When you think of fine chocolate, what countries do you think of?

Belgium?

Switzerland?

Why not Scotland!

Watch as I lead a quick chocolate tasting with A-Listers Val Oliveira and Dominique Pyka, to promote Chocolate Uplift client Chocolate Tree of Scotland in their successful crowdfunding campaign.

Didn't our A-Listers do a fabulous job, poised and professional as always!

Dakota Johnson (videographer), Valquiera Oliveira, yours truly Valerie Beck, and Dominique Pyka, at Alliance Patisserie (founded by Kendall College alum Peter Rios) where we taped!

A-List Interns at World of Chocolate Gala

Must love chocolate:

That's one of the qualifications to be an intern at my business Chocolate Uplift, and Kendall College A-students Zhanna Diyarova and Lidiia Komisarchuk met that qualification with knowledge and style!

Zhanna Diyarova, Valerie Beck, Lidiia Komisarchuk

We had a blast attending the annual World of Chocolate event, where I'm a judge, and which is held every December on World AIDS Day to benefit the AIDS Foundation of Chicago in support of research and awareness.

Around 3 dozen chefs and chocolatiers create fanciful and delicious chocolate creations for guests at the event to sample, and the theme this time was The Roaring Twenties - costumes optional, appreciated, and donned by our Chocolate Uplift team for sure!

Lidiia and Zhanna did an excellent job helping me judge the competition, where a team of Kendall College students were among the entrants, led by dear Chef Sidd.

Our A-List interns conducted themselves in a polished and professional manner as always, for networking as well as celebrating.

We also enjoyed the savory food buffet, raffles, dancing, and mingling with 1,100 other guests, all for an important cause!

How's that for a sweet A-List perk!