I know that you like to get some insider information here on this blog, and I thought I'd introduce you to the two visionary chocri founders, Micha(el) and Franz. You can read my interviews with them here (Micha) and here (Franz), but here's my quick roundup about them.

Micha and Franz actually met in High School, and discovered soon that they shared something: the entrepreneurial bug. They both grew up not far from Berlin, Germany, and were young kids when the wall fell. Many others in their generation actually left that region of Germany - but not the two of them. Even before graduating from high school, they started their first venture together, and soon they were in the business of chocolate. Well, chocolate fountains and chocolate supplies for those fountains. One day Franz was desperately trying to come up for a great birthday gift for his girlfriend, and faced with lack of alternatives and time, he melted some of the chocolate fountain chocolate and decorated it with his girlfriends favorite toppings - the first chocri was born.

Word got around of this gift, and soon Franz's first buddy asked if he could have such a bar for his mom. Franz and Micha, gifted with lots of entrepreneurial spirit, saw a business opportunity. Personalized chocolate bars might sound like a wonderful, obviously great idea to us now, but keep in mind that back then, in 2008, nothing like this existed! Without any market research on a big scale, Micha and Franz bet on their idea to catch on - and boy, did they hit the nerve of time.

Franz and Micha are currently still in university, but that doesn't keep them from pressing on with chocri - as you all well know, chocri recently expanded to the US, and the UK is next. Germans are known for being quite risk averse, but the two chocri founders have a refreshingly healthy mix of daring new things, but also the amazing ability of constantly coming up with things that people might not have thought about yet themselves, but are enthusiastic about once they exist. Thanks to them, you can always expect chocri to keep innovating, to constantly improve, and to grow.

If you'd like to see Franz and Micha, check out our Youtube Channel for a video with the two.

*What would you like to know about the chocri founders? Comment, and I'll forward the question!

We want you to know who is making your chocolate to perfection, hence this blog series where I introduce someone from the chocri team by asking them weird questions. To read about all the people behind chocri, click on the "people" category in the navigation, or just here.
Today, I'm presenting you: Franz, our co-founder

Franz Duge

• What was your last chocri creation?
  "Our recommended chocri creation "Santa's Favorite": Milk chocolate with cinnamon, real gold flakes, roasted almonds and toffee."

• Dark, milk or white chocolate?
  "Dark, although sometimes milk, too"

• Where are you from?
  "I was born in Berlin, and moved to the suburbs when I was 10. It was quite nice there, too."

• What do you study?
  "At the moment I'm still studying engineering with a business twist, but will change my major to business. Mechanical Engineering is too technical."

• What's the favorite part of your job?
  "To work with our employees. When I'm in the office on weekends by myself, it's definitely not as much fun - although I get more done :)"

• What do you want to be when you grow up?
  I'd really like to be a globetrotter. [comment from the interviewer: As chocri is expanding to all these countries, you will have to be one. :) Good news for chocri!]"

• Do you type with 10 fingers?
  "Maybe with four or five? ;)"

• What would you like to customize but you can't yet?
  "There's lots of stuff. i think I have to try some of the recent advancements in mass customization first before I wish for any new ones!"

• The coolest thing about chocri?
  "We have a very cool relationship with our employees! Oh, and being an "owner of a chocolate company" usually goes down well with the ladies ;)"

• The most annoying thing about chocri?
  "Everyone orders last minute, e.g. just before the Holidays. We don't just grab something off a shelf, we make it, so that can be a little bit stressful sometimes"

• What is the one thing that you are most proud of?
  "Tough question. I'm proud we made chocri so successful that we were able to collect more than 23,000 Euro in unison with our customers to donate to DIV Kinder [the charity organization that supports children on the Ivory Coast]"

Thanks for the interview Franz!

We want you to know who is making your chocolate to perfection, hence this blog series where I introduce someone from the chocri team by asking them weird questions. To read about all the people behind chocri, click on the "people" category in the navigation, or just here.
Today, I'm presenting you: Nora, our rockstar intern

Nora Steenken

Yes, I got this picture from facebook. Welcome, male readers

• Dark, milk or white chocolate?
  "Before working at chocri, I always thought I'd prefer dark chocolate. But now I'm very much into milk chocolate with spicy toppings - that combination has totally won me over!"

• How did you first hear about chocri?
  "I heard the first time about chocri when I searched the web for interesting mass customization projects for my University. I am planning to write my bachelor thesis on this topic. When I stumbled upon chocri I was so excited about it, that I applied for an internship instantly."

• What was your last chocri creation?
  "I love sweet and spicy combinations. My last one was milk chocolate with multicolored pepper, ginger, ground chilli and almond slivers.....hmmmm, it was just delicious!"

• Do you actually still eat chocolate?
  *"Well yes, unfortunately! I'm surrounded with chocolate everyday, and you should think that you wouldn't be able to even look at chocolate after a while. But because there are so many different possible combinations, you never get fed up with chocri! Of course, we are always testing new toppings, so there is something new to try almost everyday! That means for me: Working out after work is a must! ;)

• What's the favorite part of your job?
  "I love the Social Media Part...getting in touch with the chocri fans, both German and American ist really fun and you get to know so much about them and what they really want when it comes to chocolate. Chocri is such an emotional product, because it is something that you design according to your desires and that you want to enjoy or share with friends....it is great fun!"

• What did you get last year for Christmas?
  "Last year I spent half a year in Málaga in Spain, and for christmas my famliy gave me tickets to go back there for two weeks to meet all my friends...that was awesome!"

• What would you like to customize but you can't yet?
  "Hm, I don't know... Nowadays you can almost customize everything, it just depends on how much money you want to spend!"

• The coolest thing about chocri?
  "That chocri is so sympathic and that the people working there are so much fun and really care about the customers!"

• What kind of animal would be if you were one?
  "Tough question... I think I'd be a lynx. I don't even know why, but I have always been fascinated by that wildcat."

Thanks for the interview Nora!

We want you to know who is making your chocolate to perfection, hence this blog post will commence a little series where I'll introduce someone from the chocri team by asking them weird questions. Today we're starting with Micha, our dear co-founder and owner of chocri. He was recently selected as one of the Top 30 student entrepreneurs by the Global Student Entrepreneurship Competition. We're so proud!

Michael Bruck

• Dark, milk or white chocolate?
  "I actually hardly eat chocolate anymore - picture it, I'm surrounded by it all the time. But if i have to I like milk chocolate the best. Or white. Hm.."

• What kind of animal would you be if you were one?
  *"I would probably be a dog, you know, sleeping all day long.."

• Where are you from?
  "Duh. You know that. Berlin."

• Ok, sorry, I did. Pretend I don't know what you study:
  "Philosopy. I know this has nothing to do with chocolate, but i love it.."

• What is the one thing that you are most proud of?
  "Creating jobs for 20 people"

• What's your favorite part of your job?
  "Working with people, i really enjoy working with our team!"

• What do you want to be when you grow up?
  "This!"

• What did you get last year for Christmas?
  "Bed sheets. For some reason, my whole family bought bed sheets. I have like 4 sets still in the packaging in my closet.."

Thanks for the interview Micha!