ING Good Finds, Founder Interview Series

StartSomeGood is working with ING on an innovative new online market experience, ING Good Finds. In this special series of Founder Live Calls, Tom Dawkins will interview Founders of Social Enterprises being showcased on ING Good Finds. Join us to learn more about these amazing social enterprises and the positive impact they are having across Australia and beyond.

Featuring: Fiona Harrison, Founder of Chocolate on Purpose

Chocolate On Purpose is Australia’s first Indigenous Chocolate company, born on the central tablelands of New South Wales.

The Founder and Chief Executive Officer is Fiona Harrison, a proud Wiradyuri woman who began her business 10-years ago, when it sprang from her journey to heal from complex PTSD and (re)learn the ways of her ancestors to reclaim her culture.

During this journey she discovered the healing power of Australian native botanicals, and embarked on a mission to share this.

Creating delicious chocolate experiences infused with ancient wisdom and a mission, Chocolate On Purpose blend gourmet, premium chocolate with the best of Australian native botanicals to create their ‘Bush Food Chocolate’ range. Through the deliciousness of these flavours, they continue the ‘women’s business’ of sharing the traditional use of native plants through storytelling with their chocolate, to deepen respect for ancient Indigenous wisdom and culture.

The Chocolate On Purpose business model contributes to solving the problems in their Industry. They source sustainably grown palm-oil free chocolate, contributing to eradication of child forced labour, raising cacao farmers above the poverty line, empowering women to participate in the cacao industry and addressing the damage caused by unsustainable palm oil farming.

But this is the very least chocolate brands should do, and it’s not enough for Chocolate On Purpose.

Fiona was shocked to learn there is less than 1% Indigenous ownership representation in the Australian native food and botanical supply chain, in spite of the industry being built on Indigenous knowledge and Cultural intellectual property with little return to Community. And even more so by the fact that less than 1% of those are women, who are the holders of intricate cultural knowledge of Australian native plants, which they traditionally share through storytelling.

The mission behind the business is simple: to build an Indigenous led and owned supply chain to increase the participation of Indigenous people in this growing industry. Actively contribute to the recovery and reclamation of Indigenous women’s leadership in ways that reflect their inherent rights and sovereignty. And while sharing the traditional use of the botanicals, leverage segues to discuss the bigger Indigenous issues and truth-telling towards Reconciliation in Australia.

Chocolate On Purpose are disruptors in their industry, creating real impact through actions of social entrepreneurship. Their legacy will be Chocolate for Good™.