Kim Hack
A Flavorful Journey Through the World of Chocolate
In her TEDxWrigleyville talk, Kim shares how the unique taste of each chocolate tells a story of its origin, genetics, the people who crafted it, and its travels across the globe throughout history. Together with two TedX tasters, they explore the remarkable diversity within this beloved treat, showcasing how chocolate serves as a bridge across cultures and connects us to the richness of our shared humanity. Kim's talk is a celebration of flavor, history, and the profound connections hidden within the simplest pleasures.
The 5 Things You Need to Thrive and Survive as a Woman Entrepreneur
"The idea that you control your own destiny as a founder is a myth. The business becomes your destiny and your job is to provide what it needs to get where it can go. A bit more like holding on to the tail of a tiger than I learned in business school!"
Man doesn't live by chocolate alone. Wait, what???
Cocoa + Co. Founder, Kim Hack, a veteran of the wine industry, opened the café in 2015 as a gathering place where chocolate lovers could fuel their passion through exploration, tasting and interaction in the same way wine lovers do at neighborhood merchants and cafes. Kim admits she knew absolutely nothing about owning and running a cafe and muses that it was a pretty steep learning curve.
But what she's most passionate about is teaching and talking about chocolate. Listen and learn!
Digging Deeper into the Story of Cocoa + Co.
"It’s been a wild, exhilarating, frustrating, never-a-dull-moment, all-consuming, crazy ride. From the first night (when we were broken into), it became clear that there would be no shortage of problems to solve: learning how to repair appliances, cabinets, the menu board, plumbing; troubleshooting the POS system, troubleshooting the iPad, troubleshooting the router; recruiting and training the right people (again and again); learning how to do my own accounting, social media, cash management."
"I Want to Come Back as Kim Hack in my Next Life"
The Chicagoland native enjoyed a successful career as an advertising creative and marketing executive before deciding, after much contemplation with her husband, to take the leap to open Cocoa + Co., Old Town’s answer to the happiest place on earth.