WELCOME
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WELCOME *
eXperience w.o.c.
Join at your own pace. Get unlimited access for one year to all WOC monthly workshops, resources and global cacao community. New recordings of live workshops monthly.
Gain access to all live and recorded workshops, lively global and bilingual cacao community via our ongoing group chat and bi-weekly calls (optional), additional resources for supporting continued learning and more! Cancel Anytime.
Watch the 2025 Summit! Includes all VIP speciality workshops, 30+ expert led presentations from the four-day summit and bonus sessions. Replays available until September 2026.
What’s inSIDE?
Welcome to our world where the science, history and mythology of cacao meet in one lively global bilingual (English-Spanish) community. We are farmers, chocolatiers, chocolate tasters, scientists, historians, wisdom keepers, ceremonialists, wellness professionals and cacao lovers. We represent 22 countries (and counting). We are Women of Cacao.
We offer monthly expert-led virtual workshops as part of our year-round membership program, full-length courses open to everyone, and our signature annual FREE live WOC Summit and an active community that meets virtually and in-person.
March 21st, 2026 (all day)—join us for a day of FREE programming to celebrate one year of our membership program! Our workshop-packed monthly membership is organized exclusively for this community and guided by experts from our annual summit. Programming offers a deeper dive into diverse themes across the cacao value chain from new research and updated history to chocolate making and tasting experiences to integrated wellness practices surrounding cacao and chocolate. We look forward to sharing with you what’s waiting on the others side.
- W.O.C. Family
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Live expert-led monthly workshops
Access to past workshops (replays)
Private group chat with open discussions, daily updates and invites to in-person meetups
You do not have to be a member to participate in our live summit, workshops or courses.
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Join us for our bi-weekly group calls, open discussions via our active Whatsapp group chat and occasional in-person meetups (find other Women of Cacao near you or become a host!)
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Our community is growing! We foster intimate conversations, professional collaboration and personal connection across the entire cacao value chain. We value each member of this community and would love to hear from you.
Global Community
Be part of a lively bilingual (English-Spanish) community of women working with cacao and chocolate globally. Get to know each other through monthly workshops, group calls and occasional in-person meetups. Exchange stories, research, expertise, offerings, opinions surrounding cacao, and more.
MONTHLY WORKSHOPS
LIVE & RECORDED
Join live or at your own pace for a 12 month exploration in niche areas of the cacao and chocolate industry. Monthly workshops are guided by diverse industry experts in science, law, history, agriculture, culture, wellness, etc. This series aims to balance intellectual and sensorial programming surrounding cacao and chocolate.
RESOURCE DATABASE & GLOBAL CONNECTION
Connect 1:1 with speakers and members of the community through a shared database of contacts and resources. Meet up in - person with others at one of the international events shared by the community surrounding cacao and chocolate. Get involved with and / or support each others work in the field.
RECENT PAST events
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SCREENING OF RECLAIMING COCOA
«ReclaimingCocoa» peels back the layers of this complex industry, revealing deep cracks in its promises of sustainability and traceability. As chocolate giants boast ethical practices, undercover footage exposes a system rife with exploitation and deception. Tombstones of Swiss missionaries remind us of those who first brought cocoa to Ghana – and built a colonial value chain that endures to this day. Providing possible solutions, the film portrays local entrepreneurs and start-ups that turn cocoa into alternative products.
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Navigating Heavy Metals & Regulations in Cacao
In today’s evolving landscape, understanding cacao regulatory requirements is essential. Rachel Atkinson, Research Team Leader, Alliance of Bioversity International & CIAT, will unpack key regulations related to heavy metals in cacao — including cadmium and nickel — and offer broader insight into heavy metal and pesticide considerations. Together, we will explore what these regulations mean in practice, how they affect origin countries and chocolate makers, and what steps stakeholders across the value chain can take to stay informed, compliant, and proactive.
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genetica // genetics
In this 90-minute masterclass you will understand how cacao genetics shape flavor, resilience, and value — and the relationship of genetics in agroforestry systems, post-harvest impact, and quality evaluation.
Led by Rosaura Laura Vila, agronomist from Pichari (Peru), co-author of Cacao Chuncho and cacao producer, and Rosaura Laura Vila es una ingeniera agrónoma peruana de Pichari, criada en una familia cacaotera con tradición desde 1970. -
recap of COEX training
Join Fiorella Richter for an insider’s journey through her 30 days at the world-renowned Cacao of Excellence laboratory. Learn techniques and criteria used in sensory evaluation, quality analysis, and applied research that set global standards for excellent cacao. Designed for cacao producers, tasters, chocolatiers, researchers, traders, and everyone across the cacao and chocolate value chain who aspires to elevate their knowledge and skills to world-class standards.
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BOOK PREVIEW
Be the first audience to preview “CACAO: Myth, History, Science and Magic,” a publication combining extensive research with rich story telling by WOC host Ava Cacao (Ava J. Holmes). This informal book debut includes a 90-minute presentation covering the books four themes and a 30-minute group discussion / Q&A.
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REPLAYS
REPLAYS 2025-2026
Our full 12 month workshop series now available via replays.
FAQs
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ABSOLUTELY NOT, YOU ARE WELCOME TO JOIN, WATCH, AND INTEGRATE AT YOUR OWN PACE. WE MAINTAIN AN ACTIVE WHATSAPP GROUP AND ARE ATTENTIVE TO 1:1 INQUIRIES SO THAT YOUR EXPERIENCE REMAINS AS INTERACTIVE AS DESIRED.
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YOU WILL RECEIVE A ZOOM LINK FOR EACH WORKSHOP SESSION. JOIN US LIVE OR WATCH THE REPLAYS.
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WE BELIEVE YOU WILL KNOW IF THIS COMMUNITY IS FOR YOU! DO YOU DESIRE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE RICH HISTORY, FASCINATING MYTHS, CULTURAL INFLUENCE, PERSONAL PRACTICES AND NEWEST SCIENCE SURROUNDING CACAO? DON’T WE ALL!
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NO. WE RECOMMEND REGISTERING FOR ACCESS REPLAYS, ADDITIONAL LEARNING MATERIALS AND RESOURCES PROVIDED WITH EACH WORKSHOP. PLEASE REQUEST A LINK FOR ACCESS TO A SINGLE LIVE EVENT WITHOUT BECOMING A MEMBER IF PREFERRED.
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WE SEND OUT A BI-WEEKLY NEWSLETTER WITH ALL UPCOMING WORKSHOPS AND SPECIAL EVENTS, HOSTED BY WOC AND OTHERS OFFERED BY MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. HAVE AN EVENT YOU WANT US TO SHARE? LET US KNOW!